Camp Bonifas Golf Club

About the club

Camp Bonifas got its name in 1976, in honor of Capt. Arthur Bonifas who was killed over a dispute with North Korean soldiers. It was built in 1972 as an emotional outlet for the 50 American soldiers stationed in the area at a lonely outpost. The golf course was very well maintained in the years when more than 700 soldiers were stationed there. The fairway was mowed almost daily and always kept green. But it soon turned into a cow pasture when the number of men and military budgets dwindled. Very recently, a few soldiers got together and decided to do something about Camp Bonifas. The course was given a face-lift and construction crews were brought in to clear up the sand traps. A riding lawnmower was shipped in from the US and Astroturf installed on the tee box and green. The soldiers now hope they can get Tiger Woods to come play there, so they will raise enough money to do an even better job. Meanwhile, the soldiers are still having a great time on the course. As Army Sgt. Mikel Thurman says, “It’s like a Zen garden where we hit little white balls.”