A national park golf tournament for cancer survivors and patients will be held next month in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province. Registration will begin on September 29, with organizers expecting around 1,440 participants from across the country.
According to Hwacheon County on September 28, the Hwacheon County Sports Council will host the '2026 Hwacheon National Health (Cancer and Underlying Disease) Park Golf Tournament' from October 13 to 29. The event is open to registered members of the Korea Park Golf Association who have a history of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular diseases as of September 30 this year. Hwacheon County describes this as the only park golf tournament in the country exclusively for cancer survivors and patients.
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from September 29 to October 1 through the Hwacheon County Sports Council's website. The preliminaries will take place on October 13, 14, 20, and 21 at the Saenae Park Golf Course and the Jangmi Park Golf Course in Hanam-myeon. Participants will compete in a personal stroke play format over 36 holes each day.
From the preliminaries, 180 men and 180 women will advance to the finals, which will be held on October 28 and 29 at the Sancheoneo Park Golf Course in Gorye-ri, Hanam-myeon. The final results will be determined by combining scores over 72 holes across the two days. The winners in both categories will receive a prize of 10 million won, with 5 million won for second place and 3 million won for third place.
Since last year, Hwacheon County has organized this tournament to encourage participation in sports among those who have experienced health challenges. The World Health Organization states that regular physical activity can help prevent and manage non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has also reported that exercise can improve fatigue and quality of life for cancer survivors. However, this evidence pertains to physical activity in general and does not imply that park golf treats cancer or underlying diseases.
The tournament also aims to boost local consumption. Participants who pay a registration fee of 30,000 won will receive a gift certificate worth the same amount. The finals will have a registration fee of 40,000 won, and participants will receive a 20,000 won gift certificate and a commemorative item. The actual economic impact will be assessed after the tournament based on participant numbers and spending.
Kim Se-hoon, the mayor of Hwacheon County, stated, “We will prepare the tournament to widely promote the message that park golf can help restore health and contribute to revitalizing the local economy.”
The event is organized by the Hwacheon County Sports Council, the Gangwon Province Park Golf Association, and the Hwacheon Park Golf Association, with support from Hwacheon County and the Korea Park Golf Association.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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