18 The newly appointed Executive Director of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), Hunki Yun, is just the third person to hold the position in the Society’s 77-year history. The award-winning journalist and United States Golf Association (USGA) administrator follows in the footsteps of Paul Fullmer, who served from 1970-2004, and Chad Ritterbusch, who held the position for the last 20 years. Yun has previously worked as a writer and editor for publications such as Golf Digest and LINKS Magazine, followed by 13 years with the USGA, most recently as Director for Brand Marketing. He has spoken at events such as the Golf Innovation Symposium and the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. Before taking over the reins from Ritterbusch, who will retain an involvement as Executive Director Emeritus, Yun spoke with By Design about his career in golf and his initial priorities for the role. How did golf become part of your life, and then your career? I started playing golf when I was 15, tagging along with my dad. I was hooked from my first swing and got good enough to play low-level college golf. More significantly, I was able to take advantage of going to school in New York to get hired for a couple of internships, first with a book publisher then with GOLF Magazine. My plan throughout college was to go to law school, and after graduating, I got a job as a paralegal at a big law firm. But a couple of weeks before I was set to start, I saw an opening for an entrylevel editorial position at Golf Digest. I applied without really thinking it through and I was contacted for an interview. The only problem was that the interview was the same day as my first day at the law firm. When I called the law firm to ask whether I could start the following day, they said, “Don’t bother.” Apparently, they just went down the list to the next candidate. It probably wasn’t the greatest career move – my parents certainly thought that. Luckily, the interview with Golf Digest led to a job offer after a few nervous weeks. As I told my parents at the time, I could always go to law school in a few years. Well, a few years became a few decades, and there hasn’t been a day that I have regretted that decision. Through my career in golf, I have met my wife, worked with a lot of wonderful people, experienced historic events and visited lots of amazing places. With this new role, I look forward to adding to this scrapbook and making a lasting impact on the game. What attracted you to the role with ASGCA? At the USGA, most of my work was on the long-term sustainability of the game through both resource consumption and by fostering greater enjoyment of the game. My portfolio included areas such as agronomy, pace of play, handicapping and the rules. I would say that the common thread of those areas is that they By Design speaks with the new ASGCA Executive Director Hunki Yun about his career in golf and what he hopes to bring to the Society. A new chapter INTERVIEW “ ASGCA members play a huge role in growing the game and making golf healthier and more sustainable”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=