New owner planning to expand beyond golf  

 By George C. Ford

The Gazette

ANCHESTER — With golfers traveling from the Chicago suburbs and plans to add a restaurant, fitness center and spa for year-round business, the new owner of the Manchester Golf Course is confident of success.
Simon Kim, 46, is prepared to work the long hours necessary to maintain and expand business at the 18-hole Delaware County golf course east of Manchester off Highway 20.
“I’m working from about 7 a.m. to about 11 p.m. seven days a week at the golf course,” said Kim, who lives in a house on the property. “I’m ready to do what I have to do.” Kim worked for the Samsung Research Institute in South Korea developing curriculum for its executive training program. He immigrated to the United States in 2002 to attend the master’s program in finance at the University of Illinois.
After graduation, he was hired by a consulting firm in Oregon but was intent on having his own business.
“I started at the beginning of last year looking at golf courses for sale in the Midwest. I thought the golf business could be expanded to offer other services,” he said.
Manchester Golf Course was operated as the private Manchester Golf & Country Club until being expanded to 18 holes and opened to the public in 2000. Kim said the Manchester property is the second golf course in the Midwest to be owned by a Korean-American.
“The other golf course is located about an hour north of Chicago,” he said. “More than 120,000 Korean people live in the Chicago area and more than 20,000 play golf. To play golf in the Chicago area is fairly expensive. They’re very excited that I have purchased this course.” Kim plans to open a Japanese restaurant in August and a spa by the end of November to draw customers during the winter.
“I was amazed at how well the golf course has been beautifully landscaped and maintained. It was not difficult to make a final decision,” he said.
Kim and his wife have three children, one in college and two in high school. “My children will be visiting me this summer, but they plan to graduate from their high school in Oregon,” Kim said.
The sale of the Manchester Golf Course to Kim was handled by Mike Esker with Coldwell Banker Hedges in Cedar Rapids.

Contact the writer: (319) 398-8366 or george.ford@gazcomm.