Seoul, KOREA ¶ Jan 17, 2011 (Whowired) -- Korea’s first golf course on-the-sea off Yeosu is set to open in May just before the opening of the 2012 Expo. The whole island of Daekyeong has been converted into an 18-hole course. The island is located just 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) off of the mainland and it takes only 5 to 10 minutes by a car ferry to get there.

With an average temperature of 14.6 degrees Celsius (58.3 degrees Fahrenheit) year round and not much wind from any direction, the island golf resort is accessible even in the middle of winter. The world-famous golf course designer David McLay Kidd and his firm DMK Golf Design participated in the initial conception stage for the course.

Jeonnam Development Corporation, the principal contractor, said that the company has done its best to minimize environmental impact by building a sewer treatment facility and using the treated water to irrigate the vegetable gardens and lawns instead of dumping in the sea. It also built housing, green spaces and walking trails for the displaced people from the island while offering jobs at the golf resort to the local residents.

Sean Chung (press@whowired.com)