Who Is the Best Golf Team in the Smilegate Group? 2025-01-23

The First Smilegate Cup: A Golf Tournament of Communication and Unity

Smilegate recently wrapped up its first in-house screen golf tournament, the Smilegate Cup, with great success. Co-hosted by the company golf club 'Smile Golf' and the ER (Employee Relations) Team, the tournament aimed to foster communication and teamwork among Smilegate Group members. Participants formed teams that went beyond units, and even affiliates. Smilegate Newsroom takes you to the passionate scene of the Smilegate Cup, where players and cheering colleagues came together to compete and connect.

The Smilegate Cup was heated with skilled players and enthusiastic cheering from colleagues!

The tournament preliminaries were conducted online through Friends Screen. Teams played 18 holes on a dedicated Smilegate Cup Tournament channel. The combination score of team members determined the team ranking. 

During the preliminaries, 60 players across 30 teams competed on the dedicated tournament channel. Players from various Smilegate affiliates—Smilegate Holdings, Smilegate Entertainment, and Smilegate RPG—formed teams. The tournament was open to all Smilegate members, resulting in a wide score range from low-140s under par to beginner-level scores of around 220.

The top preliminary score went to the 'MIS' team, comprising Jinwoo Lee, Director of DWP Services at Smilegate Holdings, and Deputy Manager Choongwon Kwon of the Web Services Team, with an impressive score of 141. Alongside MIS, three other teams with scores in the 140s advanced to the finals. 

The finals took place on December 23 at the in-house screen golf venue on Smilegate Campus. The four teams that advanced showed exceptional skill. Colleagues who joined as gallery passionately cheered, creating an electric atmosphere. After a close match, the teams 'Hope We Get Closer' and 'Smiley' earned spots in the grand finale.

대회 우승을 차지한 최고의 스마일골퍼 팀은?

The final match was held three days later, on the 26th. Even before the match began, cheering battles ignited. Members waved banners with phrases like “I wouldn’t be here without victory!” and “Win and I’ll buy you beef!” while shouting players’ names to boost morale.

The finals used the 18-hole ‘Foursome’ format, where two players from each team alternated hitting the same ball. This format emphasizes teamwork and strategic play.

Both teams played evenly through the second hole in the first half with matching pars and bogeys. Then at the third par-4 hole, ‘Hope We Get Closer’ faltered with a double-par. Although they recovered with two straight pars, they stumbled again with a double bogey on the sixth hole, trailing ‘Smiley’ by four strokes.

However, ‘Smiley’ recorded a double-par at the 7th par-5 hole, bringing the game back to a tight race. At the end of the first half, ‘Hope We Get Closer’ led by a narrow margin of 45 to 46.

All four players in the finals were known for scoring singles in screen golf, but the pressure of an offline competition affected their performance.

In the second half, ‘Smiley’ struck first with a birdie on the 11th hole. However, a triple bogey on the 12th allowed the match to tighten again. The game was ultimately decided at the 17th hole.

Trailing by two strokes, ‘Smiley’ made a double bogey at the 17th, while ‘Hope We Get Closer’ held with a par, widening the gap to four strokes. The final score was 83 to 87, crowning ‘Hope We Get Closer’ as the champion.

Smilegate Cup Finals Final Score

After a close 1-hour-40-minute match, Team Leader Jin-Hwan Choi of ‘Hope We Get Closer’ said, “Just making it to the finals was meaningful, but winning made it even more special. I'm grateful to Hyunmin Choi for the teamwork and to all teammates who cheered us on.”

Various events were held for non-players as well, including a prediction contest to guess the top 4 finalists and a lucky draw for those who joined the cheering event.

Kang Ho-min, Manager from the Smilegate ER Team who oversaw the tournament, remarked, “Thanks to more participants than expected, we received enthusiastic interest from members. Seeing everyone genuinely enjoying, communicating, and bonding through the event was rewarding. I’d love to organise a future tournament where members and their families can join.”

Smilegate has a unique ER department. It’s not an emergency room or the English Republic. 

ER stands for Employee Relations. It focuses on building trust between the company and its members through care-driven efforts, reinforcing internal unity, and cultivating the healthy organizational culture that Smilegate values.

To achieve this, the ER Team continues to expand communication touchpoints and listen to member feedback. Prior to planning cultural programs, various feedback sessions are held to ensure voices are heard and reflected.

Recently, the ER Team has been organising  culture programs centred on enhancing communication among members and improving cross-team collaboration, based on internal feedback.

Programs include Smile樂 (company club initiative), Smile Challenge (a system to collect honours and achievements), Smile Sticker (for ongoing praise and gratitude exchanges), and Smile Square (a platform for gathering suggestions and feedback)—all aimed at enriching employee experience.