The Kyle Phillips-designed South Cape golf course on the coast of Korea has opened. Developed by clothing magnate Chung Jae-Bong, president and CEO of Handsome, one of the countryʼs largest fashion companies, South Cape is the centrepiece of a luxury golf resort community that includes a 40-suite boutique hotel and spa, plus 130 privately owned villas, all with sea views.

South Capeʼs dramatic clifftop site means the ocean is in view from all eighteen holes. “When you come to South Cape, you know you have arrived at a special place,” Chung said following the recent grand opening celebration. “It is a pure pleasure for the senses, with the sights, the smells and sounds of the sea all around you. There is not a golf experience anywhere that will surpass the quality of South Cape.”

“We incorporated a links feel into what is not a true links landscape. It is simply an amazing coastline. Every hole has a view of the sea, which comes into play on eight holes. It is one of the most striking coastlines in golf,” said Phillips, who described the South Cape landscape as ʻmountains meeting the seaʼ. Granite outcroppings fringe the holes.

Phillips says the most memorable stretch at South Cape is ʻthe promenade to the seaʼ, running from the downhill par five eleventh hole to the cliff-to-cliff par three sixteenth, which is reminiscent of Cypress Pointʼs famous sixteenth. Additionally, the short par three fourteenth hole occupies a clifftop peninsula setting akin to Pebble Beachʼs seventh.

“There is a good variety of strategy through the course,” said Phillips. “You can play bump-and-run shots, or you can be aggressive. There are multiple lines of play, depending on how you want to attack the golf course. As you walk the course, the ever-present beauty of South Cape is all around you. It is a golf experience that transcends shotmaking.”