It is 4,235 miles from Daegu, South Korea, to Queensland, Australia; more than 6,000 miles from Daegu to Southern California; and some 7,500 miles – more than halfway around the world – from Queensland to Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach, California.
Any way you add it up, Pelican Hill PGA of America Golf Instructor Hae-Yoon Jung-Kim, a PGA Master Professional, has traveled a long road in pursuit of her golfing dreams.
Jung-Kim’s journey began in her hometown of Daegu when she began playing golf in the 6th grade. She then moved with her family to Queensland to attend Kooralbyn International School from 1995-97, where she continued to learn English, focused on her education, swimming, dancing, ballet and musical instruments, while also developing her golf swing.
“My first round of golf in Korea stands out – I shot an 89,” recounts Jung-Kim, who earned PGA Master Professional status earlier this year. “My parents believed I had potential and encouraged me to pursue the game seriously.”
One of Jung-Kim’s classmates at the Kooralbyn School was 2013 Masters Champion Adam Scott, who has 32 worldwide professional wins.
“I had the privilege of playing golf with Adam Scott in high school,” recalls Hae-Yoon, who hosts Scott in Southern California whenever he plays in PGA TOUR events such as the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. “Even back then, it was clear he was destined for greatness. I try to go to the Masters every year to see Adam.”
Jung-Kim was learning a new language, culture, diet and a fairly new sport while attending high school in Australia, but she flourished academically and athletically.
“My parents visited me four times a year, and my mom would stay with me during school breaks,” says Jung-Kim.
Just as Scott enhanced his golf career by playing collegiately in the U.S. (at Nevada-Las Vegas), Hae-Yoon graduated from the Kooralbyn School in Australia to college golf at the University of California-Irvine in 1998. After earning her degree in Ethnic Studies at UC-Irvine, she took to the road again to play the Futures Tour for two years.
“Playing on the Futures Tour was an amazing experience,” assures Jung-Kim. “Although I didn’t achieve all my goals, I gave it everything I had.”
So, Hae-Yoon turned to her love of teaching golf while trying to break into the business.
“It was a tough transition, but I had incredible support from my family and coach,” she admits. “My first job was part-time at the front desk at Pro Kids Golf, also known as the First Tee of San Diego. I was 25. My boss encouraged me to start the PGA Golf Management Program, and I passed my PAT (Playing Ability Test) that same year.
“I started humbly – checking kids in and making hot dogs. At first, I felt lost. However, my father told me something that stuck: ‘Whatever you do, be the best at it, even if it’s checking kids in or making hot dogs.’ That mindset changed everything for me.”
Jung-Kim later moved back to the Newport Coast to become an Assistant Golf Professional at The Resort at Pelican Hill. She served as a PGA of America Instructor at Tustin Ranch Golf Club from 2012-15, and at Oak Creek Golf Club from 2015-20. She returned to Pelican Hill Golf Club as an instructor in 2020, where she remains today while also serving as the COO of The GolfLot, a 13-bay indoor golf facility in Laguna Niguel, California.
“When I first came to the U.S., I was so focused on school that I didn’t think much about staying long-term,” says Hae-Yoon. “But while working at Pelican Hill, I decided to make the U.S. my permanent home. I met my husband (MinJik Kim) in 2009 and we got married in 2012 in South Korea.”
Dedicated to perpetual learning and improving her teaching and coaching programs, Jung-Kim earned her PGA certification in Teaching & Coaching in 2016 and became the 13th woman to earn PGA Master Professional status in May.
“I’ve always had a drive to be the best I can be in whatever I do,” says Hae-Yoon, who credits PGA of America Professionals Gary Newman, Glenn Deck and Robert Ford for much of her success. “I knew it would take 10 years (to become a PGA Master Professional) and that I needed to become a Certified Professional first. So, I committed to each step, one at a time. Earning my Master Professional designation was an incredible journey.” —Roger Graves
