Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea
The course that brought the Presidents Cup to Asia. Built by Nicklaus Design in Incheon's futuristic Songdo district and opened in 2010, this par 72 of 7,413 yards staged the 2015 matches, the first time the event left the Americas and Australasia. It remains one of Korea's most exclusive and most championship ready tests.
Photo: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea via Google.
The verdict
South Korea is one of the most golf mad countries on earth, but its private clubs are notoriously hard to reach. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea sits at the very top of that pyramid. Created by Nicklaus Design and opened in 2010, it was built to host the best players in the world, and in 2015 it did exactly that, staging the Presidents Cup in front of huge home crowds as the event made its first ever visit to Asia.
The setting is unlike most championship golf. Songdo is a planned international business district reclaimed from the Yellow Sea, all gleaming towers and waterways, and the course threads through it as a green oasis. At a par 72 of 7,413 yards it has the length and the teeth for tournament golf, with Nicklaus's trademark demand for a precise, well shaped approach. This is an exclusive members club rather than a resort, so for the visiting golfer it is more a bucket list ambition than an easy booking, but its place in the game's history is secure.
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea at a glance
- Opened
- 2010
- Designer
- Nicklaus Design
- Type
- Championship parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,413 yds
- Green fee
- Members
Designer, opening year, par, yardage and hosting history verified June 2026 from Nicklaus Design, the club and leading course databases. The course was built by Nicklaus Design, opened in 2010 and hosted the 2015 Presidents Cup, the first held in Asia, a par 72 of 7,413 yards. It is an exclusive private members club with no published public green fee; any visitor arrangement is made through the club and is indicative for 2026. Always confirm access and any rate directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Nicklaus courses ask you to drive it in play and then earn your par with a controlled iron, and this one is a clear example. The fairways are framed by mounding and bunkering that push the eye and the ball toward trouble, and the greens are firm, sloped and well protected, so the approach has to come in on the correct line and the correct trajectory.
Water and wetland feature through the round, a nod to the reclaimed coastal land, and the breeze off the Yellow Sea adds a links like variable to a parkland test. The closing holes were built for drama, and they delivered it during the 2015 Presidents Cup, when the matches came down the stretch with the result on a knife edge.
Played from a sensible tee it is fair and rewarding; from the championship markers it is a genuine examination. If you are fortunate enough to secure a game, take plenty of club into the protected greens, respect the water and enjoy walking the same fairways the world's best contested in front of a roaring Korean gallery.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Exclusive private members club; visitor play is very limited and usually requires a member introduction or an approved arrangement |
| Green fee | No published public fee; any visitor rate is arranged through the club (indicative, 2026); confirm directly |
| Booking | Contact the club well in advance; a member introduction or a specialist planner is normally essential |
| On the day | Caddies are standard in Korean golf; smart golf attire expected; full practice facilities on site |
| Getting there | Songdo International Business District, Incheon, close to Incheon International Airport and about an hour from central Seoul |
| Best months | May, June, September and October for mild, dry conditions; summer is hot and humid, winter can freeze play |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; the club is private and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit.
Where to stay nearby
Songdo has grown its own crop of international hotels, so you can stay within minutes of the club in the same gleaming district, handy if a game is arranged and convenient for Incheon International Airport just across the bridge. It is the natural base for a round here.
Most visiting golfers, though, weave a round at clubs like this into a wider Seoul trip, staying in the capital an hour away and pairing the golf with the city's food, history and energy. Korea rewards a traveller who plans around access, and a Songdo base or a Seoul one both work depending on how the tee time falls.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
Build a South Korea golf trip
We work to secure access to Korea's most exclusive clubs where it is possible, pair the golf with the best of Seoul and Incheon and book the lodging around your rounds. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea questions
Who designed Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea and when did it open?
The course was created by Nicklaus Design, the firm led by Jack Nicklaus, and opened in 2010 in the Songdo International Business District of Incheon.
What is the par and length of Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea?
It is a par 72 championship course measuring 7,413 yards from the back tees, designed to test the world's best players.
Did Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea host the Presidents Cup?
Yes. The club hosted the 2015 Presidents Cup, the eleventh staging of the event and the first ever held in Asia.
Can visitors play Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea?
It is an exclusive private members club. Visitor play is very limited and usually requires a member introduction or an approved arrangement. Contact the club well in advance to confirm access and any green fee.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and hosting history verified June 2026; access and indicative fee guidance verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.