GOLFZON Group Chairman Young-Chan Kim Honored as No. 1 ‘Most Powerful Person in the Asian Golf Industry’ for Third Consecutive Year

• Named No. 1 for the third year running on the ‘Most Powerful People in Asia’ list published by U.S. golf industry magazine ‘Golf Inc’
• GOLFZON Group expands its influence across the golf industry by creating group-wide synergy based on the expertise of each affiliate
• GOLFZON establishes its U.S. subsidiary ‘GOLFZON America’ to expand sales channels in the Americas based on a glocalization strategy

GOLFZON Group Chairman Young-Chan Kim has been honored with the No. 1 spot on the ‘Most powerful people in Asia’ list of the Asian golf industry published by the U.S. golf magazine Golf Inc. Chairman Kim, selected as No. 1 for the third consecutive year, has firmly cemented his global standing.

Golf Inc introduced GOLFZON Group Chairman Young-Chan Kim—who has contributed to the popularization of golf in Korea and to the development of the global golf industry—as the No. 1 most powerful person in the Asian golf industry in its U.S. edition published in May.

Golf Inc highly praised his influence and leadership, noting, “GOLFZON founder Chairman Young-Chan Kim has long held an unshakable No. 1 position. GOLFZON has signed a strategic partnership with Troon, a leading U.S. golf course management company, to continuously expand its sphere of activity centered on North America, and in particular, last September it demonstrated its differentiated technological prowess by establishing the state-of-the-art screen golf facility ‘CITY GOLF’ in Tianjin, China.”

GOLFZON Group Chairman Young-Chan Kim said, “I am honored to be named one of the most influential figures each year in recognition of my interest in and efforts toward the development of the global golf industry,” adding, “I will continue to do my utmost to pursue innovative technology development and to expand our influence as a global golf platform company.”

In May 2000, Chairman Young-Chan Kim founded the screen golf venture company ‘GOLFZON’ and grew it into GOLFZON Group, which holds affiliates in screen golf, field golf, and golf equipment distribution. Today, GOLFZON Group exercises the professional capabilities of each affiliate while maximizing synergy among group companies, wielding influence across the golf industry.

In August 2016, GOLFZON established its U.S. subsidiary ‘GOLFZON America,’ which to date has supplied golf simulators to more than 250 locations. It has opened ‘GOLFZON Social,’ a sports-pub-concept complex golf culture space, at four locations in New York State, and is showcasing ‘GOLFZON Leadbetter Academy,’ which combines cutting-edge technology with professional coaching, around the world. In addition, by operating ‘GOLFZON Range,’ an academy location that utilizes the GDR system, in New York and New Jersey, the company is accelerating its expansion in the Americas through a glocalization strategy.

Subsequently, last September GOLFZON launched ‘CITY GOLF,’ an urban hybrid golf course, in Tianjin, China. CITY GOLF is a digital 18-hole golf course that recreates an environment similar to a real field within an indoor space of about 5,000 pyeong, featuring 18 screens and greens that allow visitors to experience the immersion of playing on an outdoor course.

GOLFZON County acquired Eaglemont CC last November and signed a lease operation agreement for Orange Dunes GC (now GOLFZON County Songdo) this February, firmly establishing itself as a total golf course service company operating the largest number of holes in Korea at 459 (20 golf courses). GOLFZON Commerce, a company specializing in golf equipment distribution, operates GOLFZON Market offline stores at 110 locations nationwide and provides differentiated services such as the fitting center ‘Trufit,’ which recommends customized clubs for each individual, and ‘GOLFZON Market Iut,’ a specialty showroom for used clubs.

In addition, Chairman Young-Chan Kim founded the GOLFZON Foundation in 2010 to support artists and cultural figures as well as vulnerable groups in local communities, and in 2015 he personally endowed the Yuwon Golf Foundation, fulfilling his social responsibility by nurturing aspiring young golfers and players and by promoting the publication of the ‘Golf Industry White Paper’ for the development of the golf industry, thereby elevating the stature of Korean golf to a new level.