Another beautiful day on Jeju

When I woke up this morning I saw that it was once again another beautiful day on Jeju and surprisingly warm too. It was about 19 degrees out today (66 fahrenheit), and for the first time since I got here, I wore a tee-shirt to work.

Before I left for work however, I decided to relax up on my roof with a cup of coffee. The sights and sounds are enough to calm anyone; it's especially great for relieving stress.



Once I finished my cup, I suddenly got the urge for some outdoor activities. The first that came to mind was golf.

There are dozens of golf courses on Jeju, probably some of the best in Korea, but they don't come cheap. Similar to most places, it's cheaper to book a tee time during the week, but even that can run upwards of 200,000 won, especially if you're renting clubs.

Over the next few months it's my goal to at least try out a few courses on the island, preferably some with more affordable rates, but every now and then it's okay to indulge ourselves...right?

I'm not that good at golf, but the experience will help, and I'll at least be able to tell others what to expect.

In only two weeks there is the annual Ballantine's Championship which is held at the Pinx Golf Club in Jungmun.


If you're interested you can buy tickets online. They are 15,000-20,000 won per day (depending on the day), or 50,000 won for the whole tournament. If you're a Jeju resident, then it's even cheaper, but you'll need a Korean to do it because of the limitations to foreigners using their alien registration numbers online.


I've already got my ticket and I'm going to the last day of play with a few friends. It should be a very interesting finish, considering the players coming to this year's tournament:

Following the unprecedented success of the 2008 Championship, Ballantine’s are proud to announce an all star international player line-up for 2009. Leading the world class field will be the reigning champion, Graeme McDowell, defending his title against several mighty rivals.

New Ballantine’s Championship signings for 2009, Henrik Stenson, Fred Couples and the mighty Ernie Els will provide uncompromising competition for McDowell. The battle for the championship will ensure four days of enthralling play to impress the thousands of spectators converging on Pinx golf course between 23rd and 26th April.

I'll be sure to post some video and pictures (hopefully provided by Brian) of this year's tournament when I go. In the meantime, I'm going to look for some used clubs for sale and a driving range.