Deogyusan Country Club

Overview: Within Muju Deogyusan Resort, the Arnold Palmer-designed Deogyusan course follows a forested valley landscape instead of flattening it into a conventional resort grid. Current course information lists par 72 and 6,980 yards from the championship tees. The official resort describes fairways working through original forest, rocks and water, with wild flowers and the surrounding mountain breeze forming part of the experience. The golf is consequently shaped by the site. Elevation changes, trees and water can alter the safest line into a green, while the natural setting gives the round a quieter character than a heavily built resort course.

History: The course opened in 1993 as part of the Muju resort development, bringing Palmer's work to a highland destination better known for its mountain environment and winter recreation. The resort's own description places the emphasis on preserving the original forest scene and building a course that feels natural rather than artificial. That idea remains central to the present identity. Deogyusan is not merely a course with a mountain view; its holes are arranged so that the forest, slopes and streams remain active elements in the round.

Did You Know? The official description says the course was designed to present a strategic dilemma through a combination of rocks, trees and water. That wording is a useful key to the layout. Its challenge comes less from one isolated hazard than from the way several natural features appear together, asking golfers to choose between a direct line and a safer angle.