Soaring Caddy Fees Drive Spread of No-Caddy System... Half of Golf Courses Now Offer 'Caddy Selection System'

Rising Caddy Fees and the Challenge of Caddy Recruitment at Golf Courses
No-Caddy, Marshal Caddy, and Driving Caddy as Alternatives
Reducing Round Costs While Fostering Camaraderie

No-caddie and caddie option systems are quickly establishing themselves as new operational methods at golf courses in South Korea. As rising caddie fees are putting an increasing burden on golfers, and a shortage of caddies persists, operational approaches that can reduce overall costs are spreading rapidly.

According to the "Leisure White Paper 2026" published by the Korea Leisure Industry Institute on July 24, as of May this year, 257 out of 564 golf courses nationwide (45.6%) offered caddie option systems. This figure increased by 23 from a year earlier. The number of golf courses allowing no-caddie rounds stood at 194, including 130 public courses, 43 membership courses, and 21 military courses.

The number of golfers playing self-rounds without a caddie is increasing to reduce field costs. Photo courtesy of Fine Beach Golf Links

The main driver behind the expansion of no-caddie rounds is the soaring caddie fees. Currently, most golf courses in the country charge 150,000 won per team for a caddie. In 2021, only 4 courses charged 150,000 won per team, but this number surged to 238 in 2023 and reached 311 this year, accounting for 75.7% of all golf courses. Additionally, the number of golf courses charging 160,000 won per team increased from 1 in 2023 to 36 this year. The average caddie fee at public golf courses rose significantly from 95,000 won in 2010 to 147,000 won this year.

High user fees are also resulting in a drop-off of younger golfers. Many so-called “Golfini” (a mix of ‘golf’ and ‘orini,’ meaning young beginner golfers), whose numbers surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, are leaving the field. Among those in their 20s and 30s, interest is increasingly shifting towards other sports such as tennis and running, which are seen as being less financially burdensome.

Golf courses themselves face the challenge of acquiring caddies. With the rise in caddie fees, customer dissatisfaction is growing, while frequent job changes among skilled caddies make it harder to secure stable staff. Among weekend golfers, complaints have arisen that “Caddie fees keep going up, but the service level seems to be declining.” As a result, more golfers are choosing no-caddie, marshal caddie, or driving caddie options to reduce costs and avoid unnecessary conflicts with caddies.

Despite the decrease in visitor numbers, golf courses are maintaining profitability. According to the Leisure White Paper, the number of golf participants has declined since the pandemic, but higher green fees, cart fees, and caddie fees have allowed golf courses to sustain earnings above pre-pandemic levels.

The caddie option system is most prevalent at public golf courses. Of 357 public courses, 190 (53.2%) offer this option. At membership golf courses, 45 operate caddie option systems for members during weekdays only. By region, there were the most in Yeongnam (65), followed by Chungcheong (49), the Seoul metropolitan area (48), and Honam (47).

Golf courses that have fully introduced the no-caddie system total 52, including 49 public golf courses and 3 military golf courses. There are 29 courses offering no-caddie rounds at night, and 67 courses using marshal caddie or driving caddie systems.

Among courses with 18 holes or more, six operate a full no-caddie system: Golfzon County Yeongam 45CC (45 holes), Golfzon County Gumi, Hill Sky, Wolsongri, Hildesheim CC, and others. Gunsan CC operates a no-caddie system on 18 of its total 72 holes.

Seo Cheonbeom, director of the Korea Leisure Industry Institute, suggested expanding the caddie option system as a solution to the caddie staffing shortage. He argued, “Golf courses are focusing more on poaching staff from other clubs than on training their own caddies. If there is a shortage of caddies, expanding the optional caddie system is a realistic alternative.” He added, “Expanding the use of no-caddie and marshal caddie operations can both ease the caddie shortage and reduce the cost burden on golfers.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.