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(Hyo-Sung Cho, Maeil Business Newspaper)

The world's first golf course management system,

Implemented entirely through mobile without kiosks,

Handling check-in and locker assignments all at once.

Cloud-based with no additional costs,

Significant potential for big data marketing.

"The 'Tiger' system, developed over seven years,

Is poised to revolutionize golf course systems worldwide."

◆ Leading the Way in Golf with K Golf / Part 5: Jim Hwang, CEO of 'Tiger' System"

"It's quite peculiar that when you look at golf course systems, they seem to be somewhat out of sync with recent trends. Hotels and airlines are already operating and managing their services with advanced systems, and consumers can search, book, and pay for them all in one go from anywhere. That's why it took a whopping seven years to design and develop the 'Tiger' system. Golf courses incur no initial setup and maintenance costs, and golfers can do everything from reservations to payments and locker assignments in a contactless manner, making it a win-win situation for everyone," explained Jim Hwang, CEO of 'Tiger' System, during a recent meeting at the AGL Research Center in Seoul's Jongno district.

"It has garnered a lot of attention since its debut last year. It's the world's first golf service system developed purely with domestic talent and capital. We've invested a lot of time and resources into it, and we're not only looking to transform golf course systems in Korea but also globally."

He also mentioned that they have completed the system setup with 'Tiger' at La Vie est Belle Golf & Resort recently and are about to start full-fledged operations.

Jim Hwang's background reflects a deep passion for golf and entrepreneurship. After majoring in Golf Management in the United States in 2002, he took his first step into golf course operations as the Director of Trune Golf Japan. He continued his journey as the representative of Trans Pacific Links Golf in Japan, and from 2006 to 2010, he served as the CEO of Dunes Golf while simultaneously working as a consultant for Sky72GC.

Subsequently, he took on the role of Managing Director for IMG Golf Course Management in Korea and then became the Managing Director of Olomana Golf Links in the United States. Finally, after gaining extensive experience, he founded his own company, AGL.

With over two decades of experience in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), golf course operations, marketing, and consulting for top golf courses in the United States, Japan, Korea, and throughout Asia, Jim Hwang has a robust foundation.

"When the 'Tiger' integrated management system is implemented, golfers worldwide can book and pay for golf courses in any country from anywhere they want. What's even more groundbreaking is that it doesn't burden the golf courses. You can save over 500 million KRW annually compared to existing operating systems. It's a substantial cost reduction, accounting for 5.7% of the average golf course revenue," he explained.

Typically, terms like 'free' and 'revolutionary' raise suspicion. Regarding this, Jim Hwang, the CEO, provides the following explanation:

Traditional golf courses install systems on local servers, incurring fixed costs such as initial development, annual maintenance, and additional development expenses. Moreover, these systems are predominantly offline-based, making it challenging to implement contactless and mobile processes, including online payments. Jim Hwang addressed these issues by leveraging cloud-based solutions. He stated, "We implemented it based on the cloud, eliminating the computational operation costs for golf courses," and added, "Golf courses no longer need to purchase servers, which means no maintenance costs."

Furthermore, he explained, "We can formulate various marketing strategies through anonymized big data analysis," and mentioned, "Especially with standardized APIs and payment relay systems, it's easy to connect with global B2C channels like Google, Expedia, Naver, maximizing golf course revenue."

In fact, it's more convenient for golfers. They can seamlessly search, book, and pay for golf courses in real-time through all mobile-based channels. Additionally, the system enables unmanned check-in, check-out, and automatic locker assignments, enhancing convenience. There's no longer a need to stand in line to receive locker numbers and make payments.

"Since the mid-1990s, the airline and hotel industries have been adopting systems like 'Tiger' to achieve digital innovation. Golf courses also need to adapt now, especially Korean golf courses have decided not to charge monthly 'system usage fees.' AGL is a Korean company, and 'Tiger' is a Korean program," he emphasized.

Sources : Maeil Business Newspaper (https://www.mk.co.kr/)

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