A New Chapter in the Convergence of Indoor Golf and Esports — GOLFZON China Attends Global Esports Cooperation Program

As esports continues to gain recognition as an official discipline in events such as the Asian Games and the Olympics, the convergence of traditional sports and esports, along with the digital transformation of the sports industry, has emerged as a key trend drawing the attention of the global sports industry. On February 16, the ‘Global Esports Cooperation and Exchange Program’ event hosted by Tencent Esports was held in Shenzhen.

The event was attended by representatives of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee, officials of the Southeast Asian Games, China Central Television (CCTV)—the host broadcaster of the Hangzhou Asian Games—seven international sports federations, esports associations from various countries, and representatives of global software and hardware companies. GOLFZON China was also invited to take part.

The convergence and coexistence of esports and traditional sports is now regarded as an inevitable trend, and technological innovation centered on esports is opening up new possibilities for the future of the digital sports industry. As traditional sports rapidly evolve toward intelligence and digitalization in the internet era, virtual and simulation sports are likewise emerging as major topics in the global sports industry.

During the event’s session on ‘The Convergence and Development of Virtual and Simulation Sports with the Olympics,’ GOLFZON China Chairman Park Sung-bong delivered a presentation under the theme ‘Indoor Golf: Breaking Boundaries and Redefining the Experience.’ The presentation introduced indoor golf technology, use cases, and the market’s growth potential.

Chairman Park Sung-bong explained, “Simulator-based indoor golf represents an important innovation in the development of the golf industry,” adding that “by overcoming the constraints of location and lowering costs and entry barriers, it is driving the growth of the golf population worldwide.” He also emphasized that “indoor golf is shaping new business models and an industrial ecosystem, generating high economic value and significant market scale, while spreading golf culture more broadly through innovative digital competitive content.” He went on to forecast strong growth potential, stating that “the deep convergence of indoor golf and esports will provide new growth momentum for the esports industry while also further accelerating the development of the indoor golf industry.”

Building on its digital strategy, GOLFZON China is presenting new sports experiences and industry growth models through innovative technology and service experiences. One representative example is the ‘GOLFZON China Open.’ Over the past three years, this tournament has attracted tens of thousands of participants and recorded hundreds of millions of impressions, growing into China’s flagship original indoor golf tournament IP and establishing itself as a nationwide indoor golf competition.

In 2025, the total prize pool will be expanded to 10 million yuan, and GOLFZON CITY GOLF—the world’s first indoor 18-hole golf course—is set to be introduced across the entire tournament. This is expected to allow more people to directly experience the innovation and immersion of digital golf.

Through its participation in this ‘Global Esports Cooperation and Exchange Program,’ GOLFZON China plans to further accelerate cross-industry convergence and expand a new future for golf based on digital technology and the esports industry.