Green Fees Raised Even in the Off-Season... Gangwon Golf Courses Enjoy "Summer Boom"

Green Fees at Some Gangwon Courses Raised by 80,000–90,000 Won
Boom for Golfers at Popular Summer Resorts
Public Course Green Fees Average 34,000 Won Cheaper in August

Even during the off-season in August, some golf courses in Gangwon Province are increasing their green fees, enjoying a "summer peak" effect. In contrast, most public golf courses are lowering green fees to attract demand that has declined due to intense heat and monsoon rains, resulting in clearer regional price differentiation.

According to the "August Off-Season Green Fees at Public Golf Courses" report published by the Korea Leisure Industry Institute on August 3, green fees at public golf courses across the country in August are, at the highest price point, 36,000 won lower on weekdays and 34,000 won lower on weekends compared to May, the peak season. Jeju Island was excluded from this survey.

However, some golf courses in Gangwon Province were exceptions. Owing to the regional characteristics that attract many summer vacationers, they set green fees even higher than in peak season. At High1 Country Club in Jeongseon, weekday green fees in August are set at 220,000 won and weekend green fees at 250,000 won, which are increases of 90,000 won and 80,000 won, respectively, compared to May. O2 Resort, located at the foot of Mount Taebaeksan, raised its fees by 90,000 won on weekdays (180,000 won) and 70,000 won on weekends (210,000 won).

High1 Country Club in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, charges higher green fees in August, which is the off-season. Yonhap News Agency

Across the country, a total of 31 public golf courses maintained their green fee levels even during the off-season. The Honam region had the most with 9 courses, followed by Gangwon with 8, Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions with 5 each, and the Seoul metropolitan area with 4. Public golf courses such as Dream Park Country Club and Cheonan Sangnok Country Club, which are mostly fully booked, maintained their regular rates without additional discounts. Courses located by the sea or with consistently high demand also did not lower prices.

Except for some areas in Gangwon Province, the magnitude of off-season discounts was comparatively large. The average green fee across 238 public golf courses was surveyed at 133,400 won on weekdays and 179,800 won on weekends, both 36,000 won and 34,000 won lower than in May, respectively.

By region, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province had the lowest weekday average green fee at 106,000 won, which is a decrease of 38,000 won from peak season. In North Jeolla Province, the weekday average was 114,000 won, down 33,000 won, while the Seoul metropolitan area recorded the largest discount, with weekday fees at 156,000 won—down 40,000 won.

For weekends, North Chungcheong Province saw the biggest decrease, with average green fees at 168,000 won—down by 58,000 won compared to May. This was followed by Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province with a reduction of 38,000 won, and Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province with a decrease of 31,000 won, respectively.

Suh Cheonbeom, head of the Korea Leisure Industry Institute, said, "During the summer, except for the hottest hours from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., there are generally no issues with playing a round. If you use early morning or nighttime slots, you can enjoy golf at a more reasonable cost."

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