Incheon, South Korea: Songdo International Business District (IBD) is earning international attention as the location of the PGA Tour’s Presidents Cup next month.
To be held from October 8-11 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, the Presidents Cup is expected to attract nearly 100,000 visitors from around the globe and more than one billion television viewers.
The teams, each with 12 players, boast many of the sport’s new generation of stars.
On the International Team there’s Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Anirban Lahiri and Bae Sang-moon, while the United States Team includes Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson.
Stan Gale, chairman of New York City-based Gale International, serves as co-developer of the US$35 billion, master-planned city of Songdo IBD. He said: “This tournament marks The Presidents Cup’s first trip to Asia and is a historic first for the nation of Korea.
“When Gale International and our partners at POSCO E&C set out to build a new international city, we envisioned global events such as The Presidents Cup taking place in Songdo.
“This far-reaching vision informed every detail of the planning process, so that our world-class city and championship golf course could one day host an event of this magnitude. Our decade-long efforts have paid off, and we are honoured to present the fruits of this US and Korean partnership – the city of Songdo – to a global audience.”
Songdo IBD, a 1,500-acre city-scale development on the western coast of the Korean peninsula, is a joint undertaking by Gale International, Korea’s POSCO E&C, and Incheon Metropolitan City – a unique public-private partnership and a model of international collaboration.
Located 35 miles southwest of Seoul, Songdo IBD is Korea’s largest economic development zone. International visitors to The Presidents Cup will experience Songdo’s vibrant, urban setting, stunning architecture, and extraordinary amount of green space, which comprises 40% of the city in area.
Songdo IBD is one of the largest public-private real estate ventures in the world. When completed (projected 2020), it will be home to 65,000 residents and 300,000 people will work there daily. Currently, 36,000 people reside in Songdo IBD, with 90,000 residents in greater Songdo City.