Bear's Best Cheongna
Jack Nicklaus took the best holes he has designed across the world and re-created them on one property minutes from Incheon Airport. Opened in 2012, this polished 27 hole club is a greatest hits tour and one of the most accessible marquee rounds near Seoul.
Photo: Bear's Best Cheongna via Google, by MAX KIM.
The verdict
Bear's Best is one of golf's more endearing ideas: rather than route a single course across a single site, Jack Nicklaus gathers the holes he is proudest of from his hundreds of designs around the world and rebuilds them, hole by hole, on one property. Cheongna is the Korean edition, opened in 2012 on reclaimed land in the Cheongna district of Incheon, and it plays exactly as the concept promises. Across 27 holes set out as three nines, Australasia, Europe and USA, you work through re-creations of Nicklaus holes drawn from courses on several continents, each with the bunkering shapes, water and green contours of its original.
Treat it for what it is and it is a delight. This is not a windswept links or a private sanctuary; it is an accessible, beautifully presented, big-name attraction that happens to sit a short drive from one of Asia's busiest airports. For the traveling golfer that location is the trump card. Few courses of this profile are so easy to slot into an itinerary on the day you land or the day you fly home, and fewer still are genuinely open to visitors. As a curtain raiser or a final round before a long flight, Cheongna is hard to beat.
Bear's Best Cheongna at a glance
- Opened
- 2012
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus
- Type
- Parkland, 27 holes
- Holes
- 27 (three nines)
- Par
- 72 per 18
- Green fee
- Public, indicative
Opening year, designer and layout verified June 2026 from Nicklaus Design and leading course databases. Bear's Best Cheongna opened in 2012 to a Jack Nicklaus design, with 27 holes set out as three nines, Australasia, Europe and USA, each nine playing to par 36 so any 18 hole round plays to par 72. It is a semi private, pay to play club; published green fees vary by day, season and package and are not quoted by us, so treat any figure as indicative for the 2026 season and always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The appeal here is recognition. As you move through the three nines you keep meeting holes that look familiar, because they are re-creations of Nicklaus designs you may have seen on television or played elsewhere, rebuilt with the same strategic skeleton: the angled fairway, the carry over water, the green that falls away to the side you do not want. Half the fun is reading the scorecard, which names the parent course and hole for each, and seeing how faithfully the shapes have been reproduced on flat Korean reclaimed ground.
Because the holes are pulled from different courses, the variety is wider than a single architect's site would normally allow. You can play a heroic par 5 reachable only by flirting with water, then a short, fiddly par 4 that asks for position over power, then a long par 3 that demands a committed mid iron over trouble. The greens are generous in size and true, conditioning is kept to a high resort standard, and water is in play often enough to keep the card honest. From the back tees there is real length, but the forward sets make it an enjoyable rather than punishing day for a mixed group.
None of this pretends to be a championship test in the mold of Korea's great private clubs. What Cheongna offers instead is novelty, polish and convenience: a round that feels like a tour of Nicklaus's portfolio, delivered on a course you can actually book.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Semi private, pay to play; visiting golfers are welcome, which is unusual for a marquee Korean course |
| Green fee | Varies by weekday, weekend, season and any cart and caddie package; treat any figure as indicative for 2026 and confirm with the club |
| Booking | Reserve a tee time in advance, especially at weekends and around airport transit days; a Korea golf specialist can secure preferred times |
| On the day | Caddie and cart are standard at Korean clubs; allow time for the full 27 hole site and the clubhouse facilities |
| Getting there | Cheongna district, Incheon, within short road reach of Incheon International Airport and about an hour from central Seoul |
| Best months | May, June and September to October for the most comfortable playing conditions |
Access details verified June 2026; rates and tee sheet policies change, so always confirm directly before booking through the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
The course's location is its lodging advantage. Songdo, the planned waterfront city beside Incheon, sits close by with a cluster of international hotels, dining and convention facilities, and is the natural base for a round at Cheongna on either side of a flight. For a city trip, central Seoul is around an hour away by road and puts the capital's full range of hotels within reach.
On a golf focused itinerary, Cheongna pairs naturally with the airport side and Seoul region courses, and works best as the bookend round that opens or closes a Korea tour. Build the prestige private clubs into the middle of the trip and let Cheongna handle arrival or departure day.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Bear's Best Cheongna.
Build a South Korea golf trip
We pair accessible big-name courses like Cheongna with the best of the Seoul region and Korea's great members clubs where access can be secured, then book the lodging and transfers around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Bear's Best Cheongna questions
Who designed Bear's Best Cheongna and when did it open?
Bear's Best Cheongna was designed by Jack Nicklaus and Nicklaus Design and opened in 2012. It is part of the Bear's Best family of clubs, which re-create the best holes Nicklaus has designed around the world on a single property.
How many holes does Bear's Best Cheongna have?
Bear's Best Cheongna has 27 holes set out as three nines named Australasia, Europe and USA. Each nine plays to par 36, so any 18 hole combination plays to par 72.
Can visitors play Bear's Best Cheongna?
Yes. Bear's Best Cheongna operates as a semi private, pay to play club and welcomes visiting golfers, which makes it one of the more accessible marquee courses near Seoul and Incheon. Tee times should be booked in advance, and you should always confirm rates and access directly before booking.
Where is Bear's Best Cheongna located?
Bear's Best Cheongna sits in the Cheongna district of Incheon in western South Korea, within short road reach of Incheon International Airport and around an hour from central Seoul, which makes it a natural first or last round on a Korea golf trip.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer and layout verified June 2026; access details verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.