Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.

Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.

Sports have a way of transcending political and cultural differences. The 1995 Rugby World Cup (on which the excellent movie Invictus was based). The 1970s exchange of table tennis players between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The 2005 “Cricket Summit” between India and Pakistan. The North Korean Amateur Open?

That last event hasn’t happened yet. But it will on April 29th, 2011. And if you are anything approximating a decent golfer can participate!

kim jung il Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea. follow me on pinterest button Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea. The Hermit Kingdom’s first ever international golf tournament will take place at the Taesongsan golf course, nestled next to an artificial lake outside the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The course is a personal favorite of the North Korean leader Kim Jung-Il despite the fact that, according to state propaganda, he failed to get a hole-in-one on 7 of its 18 holes the first time he played there.

Taesongsan is not North Korea’s only golf course (as some media reports claim). There are a few others scattered around the country, mostly at exclusive military resorts and at special enclaves for South Korean and Chinese businessmen. But the Pyongyang course is North Korea’s only that meets international tournament standards and the only that’s open to the public. “Open to the public” being a relative term in North Korea; in a country where the average person earns US$47 per month a membership to Pyongyang’s golf club runs US$10,000 a year.

As surreal as the experience of golfing in quirky North Korea would be, it might not be the main reason to join the North Korean Amateur Open. Event participants also have an opportunity to glimpse a country few outsiders get to see. That’s because they all travel on a tour organized by England’s Lupine Travel. The four-day tour features visits to such misnamed places as the International Friendship Exhibition Hall (a building where extravagant gifts bestowed upon North Korea’s dictators are displayed) and Friendship Village (a tense spot in the demilitarized zone where North and South Korean soldiers stare each other down). The tour’s £849 price includes a visa and train transportation to and from China.

So consider golfing in North Korea. Its amateur open might be your way into a country that’s usually closed.

white Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.

If you go: As with all North Korean tours, everything is choreographed to show you the best the country has to offer. The tour digs, the surprisingly posh Yanggakdo Hotel, is on an island in Pyongyang specifically prevent guests from wandering too far. If you are looking for a close-up look of a more traditional North Korean scene head to the 5th floor of the Yanggakdo—the elevator won’t stop there but you can get there via the emergency stairs.

white Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.
published: 26 Feb 2011
white Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.

LEARN MORE | BOOKS ON NORTH KOREA | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Related posts:
Hell’s Door, Turkmenistan: The World’s Most Beautiful Ecological Disaster
Lose Weight While Traveling: Three Fun & Cool Trips
The Creepiest Place on the Planet

lightgrey Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.


white Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.
lightgrey Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.
white Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.
north korea 10 Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea. follow me on pinterest button Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.

The North Korean leadership would like you to see this . . .

north korea 1 Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea. follow me on pinterest button Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.

. . . and not so much this.

LEARN MORE | BOOKS ON NORTH KOREA | JOIN US ON TWITTER / FACEBOOK

white Come for the Golf. Stay for North Korea.


Leave a Response

CommentLuv badge

SPOTCOOLSTUFF Travel reviews unusual hotels and restaurants, great attractions, cool travel gear, places with amazing views and all manner of travel destinations with a WOW! factor. Because we live on an incredible planet! Get our latest travel posts by email . . .

    Awesome Curacao vacations — up to $530 off!
    Check out the freebies offered too, including airfare credits, breakfast and room upgrades!

Save $530 Time left:
Book Now!
Offer Closed!



PARTNER WITH US     |     BE OUR GUEST TRAVEL WRITER    |      SUGGEST COOL STUFF FOR US TO REVIEW     |     INFO FOR TOURIST BOARDS

Other SCS SectionsHot Travel CategoriesFave Travel Posts
Cool Tech & GadgetsBest hotel room viewsCaribbeanBest Sandals in Jamaica
Cool Architecture & DesignFamily travelEuropeBest Wheeled Carry-On Luggage
Cool WebsitesHoneymoon resortsFloridaWorld's Coolest Airlines
Cool EntertainmentUnusual museumsSoutheast AsiaThe Honeymoon Resorts of Bora Bora