Korean Overseas Community Social Capital : A Case Study of Korean Golfers' Ingenuity to Turn Indonesia's Golf Courses as Their Practising Ground

In the last decade there has been a phenomenal upsizing of Korean golfers conquering both the Professional and Amateur Golf World Competitions. This phenomenon had led to the very question of how Korean golf players managed to gain such prestigious position. Some of the factors that contribute to this success had been studied in several Sport Management literature. Sim (2006) Birch (2010) indicated that internal family support and opportunity to enter Golf Training Schools overseas are two main determinant variables. Birch's study also identified the instrumental role Korean golfing industry had played in social marketing golf as the national sport in Korea. Korean players were seen as 'flag carriers' of the county that had enhanced national sentiments. While Birch (2010) indicated briefly the contribution of the overseas Korean community in supporting golf trainings, little is known how the overseas Korean community organizes and creates management system of their golf player trainings overseas. This study employing in-depth interviews and observations in 5 golf courses and two Korean communities in Jakarta seeks to answer how Korean communities in Jakarta organizes and create net-workings with their Korean golfers and golf training institutions in Korea. It argues that the genuine employment of overseas Korean social capital has made it possible for Korean players to use golf courses in Indonesia as their training grounds for aspiring Korean golfers prior to enter serious trainings to become professional golfers in Australia and United States. This social capital has become the very foundation for Korean overseas in Indonesia to venture into recreational event organizers for Korean golfers, as well as placement and travel agents for Korean golfers seeking to become professional golfers internationally. It further indicates that Korean golfing industry knows no border and enters into globalization process as well as lucrative for local golf business enterprises