The moment you set foot in a golf course, the financial burden begins. Green fees, which surged after the COVID-19 pandemic, have hardly come down, while both caddie fees and cart fees have also been raised in succession. At the clubhouse restaurant, a single bowl of hangover soup is nearly 30,000 won, and a plate of snacks at the halfway house easily exceeds 50,000 won. Although the government has repeatedly called for the stabilization of golf course fees, there are growing complaints that the financial burden on site has only increased. Among golfers, there are even laments such as, "We don't go to play golf, we go to fight against the costs."

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According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Golf Course Business Association, and the Korea Golf Consumer Agency as of June 8, there are a total of 527 golf courses in Korea this year, including both membership and public courses. The annual number of users is estimated at 6 million to 7 million, and the number of annual rounds is estimated to be between 45 million and 50 million. While the domestic golf industry has grown externally through the COVID-19 period, the financial burden on users has increased alongside this growth.

The biggest complaint among golfers is that the high-cost structure established during the COVID-19 era has remained even after the endemic. When overseas travel was restricted, demand for domestic golf courses soared, leading many courses to increase their green fees, caddie fees, and cart fees one after another. However, even after demand has subsided, prices have rarely decreased.

It is estimated that, compared to levels before COVID-19 in 2019, green fees at Korean golf courses have risen by an average of 30% to 60%. Currently, weekday green fees are generally between 150,000 won and 250,000 won, while weekend fees are typically 250,000 won to over 400,000 won. Some golf courses doubled their prices during the pandemic and have maintained those rates to this day.

The increase in caddie fees has also been steep. At public golf courses, the caddie fee per team rose from 81,800 won in 2006 to 146,300 won this year, a jump of 78.9%. Among the 406 golf courses surveyed, 306 already charge around 150,000 won per team for caddie fees. Accordingly, the annual total caddie fee burden on golfers is estimated to reach about 1.78 trillion won.

Cart fees are no exception. According to a survey by the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, out of 254 public golf courses with 18 holes or more, 204 charge more than 100,000 won per team for carts. Recently, 6-seater limousine carts, which cost between 160,000 won and 360,000 won, are rapidly spreading. The number of golf courses operating limousine carts increased from 28 in 2023 to 99 last year.

The main issue is that the justification for price hikes is becoming weaker. Golf course operators point to rising labor costs and operating expenses, but users say they do not perceive any service improvements corresponding to the higher prices. The shortage of caddies also remains unresolved. Despite incentives such as free training and accommodation, the high turnover rate continues to cause instability in securing staff.

Ancillary costs, including food and beverages, are also a significant burden. At the clubhouses of major domestic golf courses, a bowl of hangover soup or ox bone soup sells for 25,000 to 30,000 won, while kimchi stew and soybean paste stew are priced around 20,000 won. At halfway houses, the price of snacks such as boiled pork, sundae, and fish cake stew ranges from 50,000 to 80,000 won. Bottled water and beverage prices are often two to three times higher than market prices.

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Both inside and outside the industry, there are criticisms that some golf courses are being run more like high-end restaurants than sporting facilities. Golfers have no choice but to pay high prices, since bringing in outside food is restricted and there are few alternative options available.

During last year's "Forum on Eliminating Unfair Practices at Golf Courses," Assemblyman Park Junghoon of the People Power Party pointed out, "There are not a few golf courses with an operating margin over 60%, and there have been cases where a single plate of sweet and sour pork is priced at 140,000 won," criticizing the excessive pricing policies.

Among golfers, there is a growing perception that playing golf in Japan or Southeast Asia is a more reasonable choice than at domestic courses, since the total cost, even including airfare and accommodation, is not much different from a weekend round in Korea.

Seo Cheonbeom, President of the Korea Golf Consumer Agency, said, "While user fees have risen significantly, it is difficult to feel any improvement in service quality. If a pricing structure and service innovation that consumers can accept is not achieved, the very foundation for growth in the domestic golf industry could be weakened."