Marianne Skarpnord (Norway)#4 on Henderson Money List

What are your thoughts on the golf course?
I think it’s a great course. The fairways are good, they are maybe a little wide but that’s okay. Because of the wind some of the holes are pretty long and I think it’s very good that we’re playing challenging golf, not drives and sand or pitching wedge all the time. In Europe I think we have too many tournaments on short courses in Europe. The greens are pretty good. They are fast and when the wind is blowing they are really fast. That’s a bit difficult. It’s a great course; lovely.

What are your thoughts on Korea?
It’s my first time in Korea… I think it’s alright. There are a lot of things I don’t understand, in the culture and so on, but that’s just how it is. I miss European food. This week is better than last week because the food in the hotel is pretty good. Last week was not good: too much noodles.

Anna Rawson (Australia) #103 on Henderson Money List

Samantha Head (England) #33 on Henderson Money List

What do you think of the golf course?
It’s very, very nice. It’s large; the greens are long and quite undulating. The course is in very good condition. There are nice views. It’s such a great golf course to play. I love this type of golf course. You don’t have to be straight off the tee but you have to be quite accurate with your second shots. The greens are fantastic, which is the one thing you get when you go to these Asian countries. You never have to question the standard of the golf course. I think in Europe the courses sometimes aren’t as good as you’d hoped. The layout is good but the condition isn’t. In Asia you always get a well conditioned golf course.

How does it compare to courses in Europe?
It’s a lot longer. It’s very similar. We could be in Scotland or Hawaii. I think it’s quite a universal golf course and very modern. Not traditional.

How would you summarise your experiences of Asia?
It’s so different. I’ve played in Korea twice before.

What do you think about the strength of Korean golfers?
It’s incredible. They are obviously brought up to play golf. They are single minded, stylish and very professional. They work very hard and I think it’s great to be brought up like that from a young age; I think that’s why they’re so good: they’ve been brought up from a young age to play professional golf rather than amateur golf. It shows in the standard.
It’s completely different. Neither way is bad. I couldn’t have been brought up like this but that’s their choice and that’s why they are dominating the world. I’m not saying they don’ have a happy childhood; it’s just a different culture. When I was growing up golf was about having fun, enjoying the game and the discipline and the etiquette. If you wanted it to become your life, when you’re 18 or 22, life will change but for them I think it changes at the very start. I might be wrong but it’s only what I see. I think to be a professional sportsperson that’s what you have to do and that’s why they’re dominating.

Karen Margrethe Juul (Denmark) #88

What are your thoughts on the golf course?
It’s a very nice golf course but it plays quite long. There’s lots of room to mishit it but you have to be good around the greens.

How does it compare to courses in Europe?
I think they are very much alike. It’s a typical resort golf course so it’s not that much different from what we play in Europe.

Laurette Maritz (South Africa) #116 on Henderson Money List

What are your thoughts on playing in Korea?
I think it’s very well organised as far as the caddies are concerned. I guess that is s Korea. The way that they manicure the golf course; it’s in tip top condition and we couldn’t ask for any better. The greens are big and a couple of them are undulating. The ball doesn’t fly as far here. I have to take one club extra to get to the pins. The greens are running nicely and it’s a really challenging golf course. I think we will see some scores this week, mostly good ones. I think it’s good, a bit longer than what we are used to playing, because the ball is not flying as far. The grass is the same as in Europe. It’s nice and the ball is holding nicely on the greens.
I remember playing in Korea, 15, 16 years ago and everywhere was out of bounds. You needed tunnel vision. That is a typical Korean golf course. Overall I think it’s great. They take great pride in what they do here; which is nice.

Have you seen the changing face of Korean women’s golf?
It was pretty strong 16 years ago. We played in a tournament and they had a qualifying and they invited so many from the LET and a couple from the LPGA. Most of them were Korean but that was quite a few years ago. Their golf has improved and improved and I think they will just get better and better because they work so hard. That’s the difference. They are here early in the morning and they leave late at night. I think it’s just their culture and they want to achieve and I think that’s a great example to us Europeans to get out there and work harder and make sure that you get it right. I think hard work and discipline is the key to their success. I think they want to become something and it’s a great avenue for them to get international exposure. I admire their determination and the respect that they have for the game. They want to go out and achieve and they do a great job with the golf course.

Cecilie Lundgreen (Norway) #154 on Henderson Money List

What are your thoughts on the golf course?
I really like the greens. They are nice and soft so you can be aggressive on the pin, which is important because the greens are so big. It’s a good challenge. I love the way they run, they run true. There quite a few breaks. Because the greens are soft you can attack it a lot better.