As the golf population reaches 6.4 million (estimated by the Korea Golf Association in 2025), the traditional golf membership market is undergoing a fundamental shift. According to the Ace Membership Exchange, golf membership transaction volumes in 2025 plummeted 26–29% compared to the previous year, marking the first time since the Korea Golf Course Business Association began compiling statistics in 2006 that annual transactions fell below 10,000. Furthermore, data from the Korea Tourism Organization’s tourism consumption trends show that golf-related spending has been declining for 16 consecutive months since 2023.
Amid this turbulence in the conventional investment concept of golf memberships, Korea’s first golf residence, The Community A (Bukhansan Community A), is drawing significant attention from the industry. It proposes a new long-term membership model that goes beyond simple round rights, designing an entire lifestyle centered around golf.
Located on the slopes of Bukhansan in Seoul, The Community A is the country’s first golf residence, comprising approximately 200 units. It is neither a golf hotel nor a typical accommodation. Instead, it serves as an exclusive community space accessible only to members, where they can enjoy rounds at any desired time without the need for advance booking.
While traditional golf memberships sell the right to play rounds, The Community A’s long-term membership is about crafting a holistic life with golf at its core. The facility features a golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool, sauna, party room, chapel, music lounge, and entertainment facilities. Members can participate in one-on-one golf lessons from LPGA regular member Professor Lee Ju-yeon, health seminars by specialists Kim Jeong-hwan, An Ji-yeon, and Jeong Woo-sik, writing sessions with author Jeong Won-hee, celebrity talk shows, and late-night dining experiences—all within a community that fills an entire day.
Demand for premium golf residences that encompass an entire lifestyle—rather than simple memberships—is growing among high-income golf consumers such as corporate executives, professionals, and wealthy individuals. The Community A stands at the forefront of this demand, realizing Korea’s first long-term golf residence membership model.
To allow prospective members to experience the lifestyle before committing, The Community A offers three types of trial programs: a one-night, two-day compressed experience covering golf, health, and networking; a six-night package with 24 guaranteed rounds at any preferred times; and a one-month stay that simulates the full long-term membership experience with five-star service.
The one-night, two-day program is held only on the first weekend of each month with a limited number of participants, and has received an enthusiastic response from golf consumers who appreciate the ability to decide after experiencing it firsthand. Many participants have subsequently signed up for long-term memberships. One such member, Lee Wol-jae, who joined after the first trial, commented, “I thought it was just a place to play golf, but I had no idea how fully the day could be packed with health management, exercise, meals, and meeting people. The variety of programs makes it truly worthwhile to try it yourself.”
A one-night, two-day event is scheduled for June 6–7 (Friday–Saturday), and spots are nearly full. A representative of The Community A (Bukhansan Community A) stated, “As confirmed by the Ace Membership Exchange statistics, the era of being satisfied with just a golf membership is structurally changing. The shift from locking up a lump sum to designing a life with golf has begun, and The Community A’s long-term golf residence membership will set a new standard.”
For inquiries about the three trial programs and long-term membership, contact The Community A directly.
