The leader of North Korea is considered to be the best golfer in the world. In 2004, North Korean media reported on the golfing prowess of Kim Jong Il, the father of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim shot 38 under, including 11 holes-in-one, at the 7,700-yard championship course at Pyongyang in the VERY FIRST golf round of his life, according to North Korean state media. This was in 1994, when Kim was 52 years old.
The North Korean media does not report on the golf skills of the current leader, Kim Jong-un, but perhaps North Koreans are convinced he's very good, because his father was the 'God of Golf'.
There is only one 18-hole international standard golf course in North Korea. According to a traveler who visited North Korea in the early 2000s and played golf, it costs about $30 per round for members and $100 for non-members. Memberships cost upwards of $7,000. Meanwhile, the average North Korean worker earns less than a dollar a month. Golf in North Korea is reserved for high-ranking Workers' Party officials and foreign tourists.
North Korea has also hosted international golf tournaments. The Pyongyang International Amateur Golf Tournament was held at the Pyongyang Golf Course in the fall of 2011-2016, organized by the British travel agency Lupin. In 2017, the tournament was suspended due to the remodeling of the golf course, which was completed in 2019, but the international tournament was not held due to COVID-19. North Korean media state that golf tournaments will be held every spring and fall starting in the fall of 2021. In August 2023, North Korean propaganda outlets announced that foreigners would be able to participate in the spring and fall tournaments. The intention seems to be to attract foreign tourists and earn dollars
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