Golfzon CEO gets prestigious award

Golfzon CEO Jang Sung-won, right, poses after getting the Global Enterprise Award from Asia Pacific Golf Group President Angela Raymond at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Thailand, Sunday. / Courtesy of Golfzon

By Kim Tae-gyu

Golfzon CEO Jang Sung-won was picked as one of the most powerful and influential figures in Asia in golf thanks to his contributions to the sport through the spread of simulators.

The Seoul-based company said Monday that Asia Pacific Golf Group gave the Global Enterprise Award to Jang on Oct. 30 in Thailand. Since its foundation in 1998, the group has conducted various activities related to golf.

“The prestigious award demonstrates the stature of Golfzon not only in Korea but also throughout Asia,” said Jang who took the reins of the firm early last year. “I will do my utmost down the road to let the world know of the superiority of our products.”

Launched in 2000, Golfzon has played a pivotal role in bringing golf simulators to widespread use.

The market for golf simulators was less than 10 billion won a year through the mid-2000s but it has skyrocketed to about 1.5 trillion won today with more than 10 brands competing here.

As the runaway leader in the market, Golfzon hosts annual screen golf tournaments: the G-Tour for men and the W-Tour for women. They are not just amateurs competing as many professional players take part in the event with the total prizes standing at 1 billion won every year.

Golfzon has also tried to expand its business horizons to other sports including baseball, which is highly popular in Korea.