Connect to share and comment  Golf goes downscale in South Korea
Amid economic crisis, more are opting for a cheaper, and less
realistic, version of the game.  SEOUL — Men strut down a
brightly lit hallway in pressed suits and polished shoes, their
golf bags slung over their shoulders. Within minutes their
neckties are off, and an 18-hole game is in full swing.  Welcome
to screen golf, one of the few industries that has seen
skyrocketing growth during the current economic downturn. Its
draw: a cheap price tag.  With temperatures rising, March is
usually when golfers here begin to flock to outdoor country
clubs. But industry officials say that the number of country
club bookings is down 20 percent from this time last year.
“We’ve been hit hard by the economy, even though our club is
close to Seoul and the prices (are) relatively cheap,” said an
official from a public golf course an hour away from the
country’s capital. He said course officials are considering
lowering prices to draw more people.  Virtual gol