Korea Golf 101

So you’re ready to play golf in Korea? Well here’s the lowdown from how to book, what to do when you arrive, playing the course, and what to do when you’re done. Hopefully you can read through this and avoid all of the rookie mistakes that I made the first time I played golf in Korea!

Booking

So to book a tee time, the easiest way to book is online. I will assume that you do not have private membership at a country club so you are just booking from the general public. Most courses are private but will also allow public bookings for the times that are available after their private members book tee times. So paying to be a member of a private club many times gives you the privilege to book tee times with higher priority than the public but you do compete with all of the other private members. Also if you are a member of a private club you will get lower green fees but usually your non-member guests typically will still pay the non-member rate. Private country club membership prices vary but usually starts at around 30m krw (~$25,000) and goes up to around 30b krw (~$2.5m). Most are in the range of around 100m-300m krw though (~$90k-$270k). Many country clubs are public only though too (especially these days as I believe the golf courses get some tax breaks if they are public). Sometimes Koreans will use the phrase “Country Club” for a private club and “Golf Club” for a public course but it’s not a rule and there are many exceptions. As expected, membership prices go up based on location (proximity to Seoul) and quality of the club house/course/prestige, etc.

Tee times are tough to book and courses have different policies and schedules when it comes to when they open up bookings. Most places open bookings either 2 weeks or 1 month in advance to the day. Usually it opens up at 9 or 10am. You don’t typically have to stay online at that exact moment but the best tee times will usually get snapped up within about an hour. At the popular public courses (La Vie est Belle, Bear Creek, Bear’s Best, etc.), tee times are snatched up with 10 seconds of opening so you need to time your refresh perfectly!

Most places allow you to cancel your tee time around 5-7 days or so before the booking date so when that deadline gets close you will see bookings canceled and openings come up. This is especially true if there is rain in the forecast.

The best luck that I usually have are large public courses such as Club 72 in Incheon where they have 4 different 18 hole golf courses and bookings open up 3 weeks before at 10am (Haneul and Ocean are the best courses there btw). But I have also had luck at many other places as well and I usually make a few bookings and then about a week before the actual outing, I’ll cancel the bookings that I won’t use.

However, if you are not a Korean resident it is extremely difficult to book tee times in Korea! Most Korean websites required a verified mobile number to register (so a temporary sim card will not work!). You might be able to call them to try to make a reservation but the front desk likely will speak very limited English. Websites are also typically not available in English. Korean golf courses are really set up for the local population and not foreigners. The one exception is likely going to be Club 72 since it’s near Incheon airport and sometimes foreigners play there before/after their flights, etc.

They aren’t just trying to be difficult but it’s to protect against no-show…if you aren’t registered and make a tee time and don’t show up, the golf course has no recourse and they just lost out on a booking (opportunity cost). You may be able to book via phone if your hotel concierge calls and is also willing to put down a deposit, etc. but it’s not typical and many courses probably will just say no.

Cost

The cost of golf in Korea varies depending on the day of the week and tee time. As you might expect, Monday morning at 6am, the tee times aren’t too popular so it tends to be cheapest. Saturday morning at 8am or 10am tends to be peak time. The variability can be pretty big and can be roughly 150k krw on a Monday morning or 270k krw on a weekend morning. That is the cost per person per round. This cost does not include the cart fee (usually around 100k or so for the foursome) and the caddie fee (usually around 150k or so per foursome). Some expensive public courses run around 370k or more on Saturday mornings (Sagewood, South Cape, etc.). The most expensive course as of 2023 is Cascadia (a whopping 510k!).

Foursomes

Most of the popular tee times require a foursome. Sometimes if it’s an off peak time, you can play with 3. I have very rarely seen 2 allowed but usually it’s only during the week at odd times or during the colder winter months, etc. I have never seen singles allowed in Korea. At most clubs, if you show up with 3 you either need to pay for 4 or you pay a penalty per player (which totals a little less than paying outright for a 4th player). There are numerous message boards and such where people look for players to join their foursome. You can’t just show up as a single and get slotted in like other countries. They tend to be slightly more flexible regarding the required foursome rule because of covid but usually they want to see proof (i.e., if someone in your foursome can’t make it because they tested covid positive, the golf course will want to see a government or doctor’s text message with the test results, etc.).

Some country clubs such as Korea Public will allow you to book online for 2 people but their website will allow another 2 people to book to join you.

Prep

Make sure you prep for your outing at home. You need to do the following so that you don’t make any rookie mistakes:

1. Make sure that your golf bag is labeled with your name. The label doesn’t have to be fancy but should have your name somewhere. Perhaps a luggage tag or something like that if you don’t have anything better. Remember that this is a foreign country so caddies who are trying to find your bag are likely not aware that names like “William” and “Bill” are the same. Heck, they rarely even realize that “David” and “Dave” or “Daniel” and “Dan” are the same. So the name that is written when you sign in must be EXACTLY the same as what is written on your bag including the order so FIRSTNAME LASTNAME vs LASTNAME FIRSTNAME will cause confusion, etc.
2. Pack a small bag (similar to a toiletry bag called a “pouch”) of balls, tees, etc. You will carry this with you like a purse to the cart and use this bag to get extra golf balls, etc.
3. Wear appropriate golf wear. There is a dress code so you can’t wear jeans, etc. You also can’t wear a t-shirt, etc. You need to wear actual golf clothing from brands like Callaway, PXG, Adidas, Titleist, etc. Sometimes if it’s hot in the summer they will send out a notice that you can wear shorts but again, these will need to be golf shorts.
4. Wear golf shoes without metal spikes.
5. Get a golf hat. You can just wear a baseball cap if you wish.
6. Make sure you have golf balls, tees, golf glove, marker, sunscreen, etc. For the tee, many Korean put little chains and stuff on the tee so that it doesn’t go flying too far after they hit a drive. Most decent courses have sunscreen for you that you can use in case you forget to bring your own sunscreen.

Dress Code

I will go over dress code in a little more detail. Korean country clubs have traditionally been upscale and for the wealthy (kind of similar to country clubs in the USA back in the day). So they tend to be conservative with many older conservative people. The more historical and prestigious the country club, the more conservative it will be (similar to how Augusta National in the USA is more conservative than recent country clubs, etc.).

For dress code, it can be split into 3 time periods.

Checking in: when you check into the country club (walk through the lobby, check in, and then go to the locker room), you are expected to wear nice clothes. At most country clubs these days you can just wear your golf clothes so long golf pants (or short golf pants in the summer if the club allows it), golf shirt, nice shoes, etc. At some really high end clubs (Anyang CC, etc.) you are expected to wear a jacket. Many wear slacks, button up dress shirt, and jacket (no tie) but this is really rare these days.

Play: for your actual round of play, you need to wear golf clothing. Long pants and a golf shirt and golf shoes are always fine. During the summer, some country clubs allow shorts. They sometimes do not allow you to wear shorts when checking in so you should change into shorts in the locker room if the country club allows it. The good news is that more and more country clubs are allowing shorts in the summer but check at the front desk when checking in. You will need to wear golf clothing so golf pants from a brand such as PXG, TaylorMade, Titleist, Under Armour, Adidas, Nike, etc. If the country club allows shorts, these will need to be bermuda style golf shorts. A golf shirt polo style with a color is good. Athletic shorts, sweats, jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, slippers, etc. are generally not allowed during play.

After your round: most will take a quick shower as well as soak a bit in the hot tubs and sit in the sauna. During covid, showers were mostly closed so you just had to dry off and change. Some places gave you a big wet disposable towel to clean up. Before covid, most locker rooms had saunas and spas where you would soak. You are expected to change out of your golf clothes after your round. Most will change into something much more casual such as jeans and a polo shirt and sneakers. But some clubs (like Anyang) expect you to change back into your formal wear with jacket, etc.

If you are a woman, dress code can vary greatly. Most women wear nice golf clothing to the point where it almost looks like they are on a fashion runway. Some women only wear the same golf outfit once and then they sell it online. There are some businesses that lend golf wear to women so that they can wear a different outfit every time they go out. And some women even change into a new outfit during the break after the first 9 so that they can take pictures during the back 9 with them in a different outfit! Many wear short skirts, long knee socks, etc. But again, the more conservative the country club, the more conservative the dress should be for women.

Dress code is important but I have never seen country clubs kick people out if they don’t comply. I suppose if you are wearing shorts and the club doesn’t allow shorts you can just buy pants in the pro shop.

Getting to the Country Club

So now that you’ve booked a tee time, the big day has finally come and you’re ready with your 3 friends to play some golf!

First of all, golf courses are pretty much never within walking distance of a bus stop or subway station so you have to drive by car. I suppose you can take a taxi but they are also usually far away from bus stops or subways stations so taxi will probably be expensive. But anyway, let’s assume you are driving because that’s what pretty much 100% of the people in Korea do to play golf.

Packing up your car, you should put your golf clubs in your trunk along with your boston bag. Your boston bag should have a change of clothes and whatever else you want in there. Country clubs always have a locker room and they always have shower facilities for after you’re done with golf. Most Koreans will shower and soak in the sauna. You can wear your golf clothes to the country club but as mentioned above, at some high end clubs (Anyang, etc.) they expect you to show up with nice clothes (jacket is required) and then change into your golf clothes in the locker room.

After packing up your car, drive to the country club. Typically Koreans will meet at least one hour before the tee time to check-in, get settled in, grab a bite to eat, etc. Drive up to the clubhouse. There will be a group of valets standing around. Pull up and open your trunk from inside the car. The valet will grab your golf clubs and your boston bag from the trunk.

After the valets take your clubs and your boston bag, drive over to the self parking area and park your car. Sometimes there is valet parking so you can just get out of your car and leave your car with the valets. Bring your separate small bag (pouch) with your golf balls, tees, etc. if this bag isn’t in your boston bag. I usually just pack everything (pouch, shoes, etc.) in my boston bag.

Checking in

When you walk into the country club, you will see your boston bag out front. Your golf bag will likely be nowhere in sight. Don’t worry, it was just taken to the back and stored for you. Grab your boston bag and go inside and you will see a check in area like a front desk at a hotel. Walk over to check in and tell them your tee time and the name that the reservation is under. The woman (usually) at the counter will take out a small sheet of paper and ask you to write your name and mobile number. You will then get a small key (or no key and just a paper if it’s an electronic keypad) for the locker room with a locker number written on it. Some country clubs have kiosks (post covid) so you don’t have to interact with anyone to check-in. Kiosks are becoming much more common these days (2024+).

You can use the locker room number or tee time and your name to charge things you buy at the pro shop, restaurant food, etc.

Locker Room

Head over to the locker room and find your locker and use your key (or electronic keypad) to store your boston bag in the locker. If you need to change your shoes you can do that now. Be sure to bring your car keys with you when you leave for your round (i.e., do not leave your car keys in your locker!).

There is also a bathroom in the locker room so feel free to use a facilities. Usually they also have sun screen in the bathroom in case you forgot to bring some.

Pro Shop

I tend to get to the country club a little early so it’s common for me to have a few minutes to spare before we have breakfast/lunch. I sometimes check out the pro shop and I have found that pro shops are all pretty much the same (including the prices!). They have various golf balls available and the best are generally Titleist Pro V1(or V1x) and they cost 100,000 krw per dozen. This is a good 30% above the normal internet prices that we see online. They also sell stuff like tees, gloves, hats, etc. You can also get rain gear, etc. if it looks like it will rain. There is also a section for clothing and a small selection of clubs.

There are usually some electronics like range finders but the selection is only a few brands and models. Most of this stuff is overpriced when compared to internet prices but the one exception is that sometimes they have a sale / clearance section for clothing and there are some decent deals there.

If you are a beginner, it’s much better to just buy some used/lost balls online. The pro shop should pretty much only be used as a last resort.

You can usually bill whatever you buy to your account. Just let the cashier know your name and tee time and they should be able to find you in the system to charge your account. It’s rare but sometimes the pro shop can’t do this and you will need to pay them with a credit card or cash.

Breakfast/Lunch

Usually Koreans meet beforehand to grab a quick bite before heading out. The menu typically has around 4-5 standard items such as Korean soups, etc. If it’s morning, they usually have an “American Breakfast” which consists of eggs, sausage or bacon, toast, etc. and coffee. I guess this is what Koreans think of when they think of an American breakfast. Even if it’s not on the menu, if you ask they will usually have one if you want it. American breakfast usually includes coffee so the price is a little higher but if you also want to buy coffee anyway, it’s not a bad deal.

Play Time!

So you’ve had your quick meal and it’s time to play some golf! Head outside to the main starting area with the golf carts around 20 minutes before your tee time. You should see your golf bag mounted on the back of a golf cart (remember that you labeled your golf bag with your name!). Say hello to your caddie. Sometimes the club will send you a notice to get to your cart 30 minutes beforehand if you are starting on the back 9 for example so the travel is further, etc.

The caddie will open your golf bag and count all of your clubs and ask if you want your iron covers removed (everyone in Korea uses iron covers). She will take a picture or video of your clubs to take inventory. In Korea, everyone uses iron covers and nobody will make fun of you…if anything they might make fun of you for NOT having iron covers. If you are missing any iron covers, the caddie will tell you and note it (e.g., “hey there is no iron cover for your 9 iron”).

Everyone in Korea also uses the rain cover and attaches it to their golf bag. The caddie will typically use your cover as a storage area for your iron covers and headcovers, etc.

The caddie will start driving out to the first hole about 5-10 minutes or so before your tee time.

Once you arrive at hole 1, the caddie may lead you in a short stretching exercise.

You can decide the order to tee off or if you want to draw straws, the caddie has straws that you can draw to determine the order. Or they may just start in the order the bags are laid out on the cart.

Then you can play golf in Korea!

During the round

Playing hole by hole is fairly typical. But since Korean golf is popular, most courses have tee times every 7 minutes. This means that you need to keep a good pace. The only differences that I can think of include:

1. Caddie will be the only one driving the cart. Don’t try to drive the cart yourself.
2. Caddie has a remote control so the cart is self driving. Don’t freak out if you see the cart moving with no driver. Don’t freak out if you’re sitting in the cart and it starts moving.
3. Carts stays on the cart path only.
4. Decide who sits shotgun on the cart. Usually it is the golf host (person who is paying for golf) or the most senior member in the foursome or if there is one woman and 3 guys, the woman usually gets it.
5. Play fast. Don’t take too many practice swings. Keep up with the group in front of you. Caddie will make sure you aren’t playing too slowly.
6. No need to putt out every hole. Just concede and move on. Usually the standard is to conceded (just say “ok”) if it’s within your putter length but many players are lax about this.
7. Caddie will usually give everyone a par on holes 1 and sometimes on hole 18 as well.
8. Caddie will tell you a rough estimate of distance to the flag. Usually this is in meters. Sometimes the caddie can yell out yards if you ask but the caddie will likely forget and yell out distances in meters.
9. Caddie will keep score but you can correct the caddie if she is wrong.
10. Caddie will help search for lost balls and such.
11. If you score a birdie, you should tip the caddie 10k krw. Sometimes the caddie will give you a small gift in return. If you get another birdie, no need to tip again.

Guys will play off the white tees and girls will play off the red tees. If you are a girl and want to play off the white tees, you will gain instant respect. If a guy says he’ll play off the red tees, he will get laughed at. The blue tees are rarely used but if you’re a pro or good enough, sure you can tell the caddie that you’ll be playing off blues but you better be good because the caddie will be annoyed if you suck and hold up the playing time (remember point #5 above).

Birdie? Eagle? Hole in One? Caddie tips and more…

Did you get a birdie? Eagle? Hole in one? Most countries have various traditions around these types of rare events. In the US, if you get a hole in one it usually means you’re buying a round in the bar for everyone. In Korea, a hole in one will cost you thousands of dollars…

In Korea, if you get a birdie you typically just tip the caddie 10,000 krw. The caddie will sometimes give you a small gift to congratulate you on your birdie as well. If you get another birdie, there is no need to tip the caddie again so you just tip on the first birdie. If another player get a birdie, that player will also tip the caddie 10,000 krw. The logic is that the caddie helped you get the birdie by helping you line up your putt or giving you some advice or helping you throughout the hole, etc. but even if the caddie did not do anything, you should still tip 10,000 krw.

If you get an eagle, you should tip higher. Usually the going rate is at least 50,000 krw. You can pay more (such as 100,000 krw) but no need to pay much more than that. The country club will usually give you a certificate to commemorate your eagle so you can take it home and frame it. You also typically owe a nice meal to the foursome (assuming you played with friends). The friends will usually buy you a gift as well to congratulate you on your eagle.

A hole in one is a big deal in Korea. In fact, it’s such a big deal that there is hole in one insurance that will pay you around 1m or so krw to help offset some of your expenses that occur from your hole in one. Usually you will need to do the following:

1. Tip the caddie at least 300,000 krw. Many tip the caddie 500,000 krw or more. 100,000 krw would be the bare minimum but you will likely get some dirty looks and/or comments from the caddie if you only tip 100,00 krw.
2. Treat your foursome to a nice meal with lots of drinks, etc. This dinner will usually run over 1m krw and consist of high quality Korean beef or sashimi as well as lots of alcohol flowing late into the night, etc.
3. Treat your foursome to a round of golf. You will pay for everything in this round…green fees, cart fee, caddie fee, food, etc.
4. Send a commemorative gift to your friends and co-workers. Usually this is something like a golf umbrella or golf balls or something golf related that is engraved with your name, date, country club, and hole that you made your hole in one.

You will sometimes get a gift from the country club for your hole in one as well. This could be a golf and boston bag set or something else. You might also get your name engraved on a wall in the club house or at the hole. You will receive a certificate from the country club and you can use this certificate to make your claim if you have hole in one insurance.

Probably obvious but a hole in one only counts if it’s on a legitimate hit off the tee so does not count if you had a mulligan, etc.

Some country clubs have cc cameras at their par 3s for proof of the hole in one. You cannot lie about a hole in one because it would be considered insurance fraud and the caddie will need to corroborate your hole in one. If you play at a course with no caddie, you cannot get an official hole in one certificate from the golf course.

In some ways, it’s probably better for your wallet if you don’t get a hole in one. But supposedly it’s also good luck to get a hole in one so you should see some better luck in your future and the more you pay out, the more you will receive so in this sense there’s no reason to skimp out on hole in ones!

Shadow House (그늘집)

After the front 9, you will be taken to a small snack bar / restaurant where you can have a snack. You usually have around 20 minutes to get some rest, get a soft drink, drink some beer or makgolli, eat a snack (soon dae, ddukbokki, fried chicken, watermelon, etc.), and use the restroom.

Sometimes the caddie will ask you to place an order for food with her after hole 8 so that they can be ready for you as soon as you arrive after hole 9.

It is customary to let your caddie know that she can order a little something for herself as well on your bill. Usually they will just order a drink or something small like that.

Sometimes this rest period is skipped if you have a late tee time and it’s going to be dark before you end (since you’re racing against the sun to finish your round), etc.

After your round

After hole 18, the caddie will start packing up your clubs and will ask you to verify that all of your clubs are still there. You should count your clubs and make sure none of your clubs are missing and then confirm with the caddie that your clubs are all there. You will sign a tablet to confirm. You should pay the caddie her fee at this time as well. Usually the fee is around 150k krw but you can tip her a little bit if you want to. You must pay cash (can’t charge it to your bill).

The caddie will then drive over to the parking lot. You should remember where you parked your car and you should have your car keys with you! It’s a rookie mistake to leave your car keys in your locker! The caddie will unload your clubs for you and you can put them in your trunk.

After everyone has their clubs loaded into their cars, the caddie will drive you back to the clubhouse.

After you get off the cart, there is usually an air blower area where you clean off your shoes with the air blowers. Now that your shoes are clean you can go into the clubhouse.

Head over to the locker room and shower, change, etc. After you’re done you will usually meet back at the restaurant again for a quick post golf meal. Sometimes the group will decide to meet up at a local restaurant in the neighborhood rather than eat in the country club. The local restaurant food is almost always better and cheaper than country club food.

When leaving, head back to the check in counter and hand in your locker room key and check out. You can pay for your round then. Sometimes to make life easy, the group will just pay 1/N so just divide the bill by 4. If you bought anything at the pro shop, they will usually just automatically have you pay for it since it was on your locker. If the host says that he’ll cover golf for everyone, you should offer to pay for your pro shop stuff at least since you bought that stuff on your own.

Walk over to your car and go home! You’re done and you just successfully completed a round of Korean golf!

Unique Golf Courses

Most golf courses in Korea run the way that I explained above. Golf courses in Korea are mostly similar in that they are 18 hole par 72, built in the mountains so there are many hazards and OB areas, have mandatory caddies who drive carts (that also self-drive), etc. But there are a few courses with some notable exceptions that make them somewhat unique.

Luna-X (Gyungju) – This course is located in the southern city of Gyungju. It is unique in that they have 24 holes and give players the opportunity to book tee times for 6, 12, 18, or 24 holes. I don’t think many people book 6 holes but 12, 18, and 24 seem to be common here.

Anyang CC – This is one of the best private courses in Korea but unlike the typical course, there are no golf carts! Instead you get 2 caddies and everyone must walk the course. The 2 caddies push your bags via a fancy push cart (fancier than any push cart that I’ve seen at least).

Trinity – This is also one of the best private golf courses in Korea and one of the best features is that they have a practice range before hole 1 so you can get warmed up for about 15 minutes or so. It is a real grass range (the only one I’ve seen at an actual course (Club 72 dreams has one but that’s a practice facility)).

Cascadia – This is the most expensive public golf course in Korea with green fees costing 510k. Cart is also expensive at 220k because they use limousine carts (3 rows and each player gets their own bucket seat with drink holder, etc.)

Sagewood, Rock Garden, etc. – There are some courses that also give you the option to drive your own cart without a caddie. Sagewood offers caddies as well but you can save some money by not having one. You cannot drive onto the fairway though.

Korea Public – This is a low cost budget course and in the evening, you can just walk the course with no caddie and rent a push cart. They also allow you to book tee times with less than 4 people (although others can join you). This is a no-frills course with many beginners.

123 Golf Club (goyang) – I haven’t been here but I heard that it’s a 6 hole golf course that only costs 28,000 KRW for green fees + 10,000 krw for the caddie fee. It’s first come first served and you can go as a single player (they will just pair you into a foursome). I have heard that lines are long and people go an hour or so before they open to get in line, etc. Not sure if it’s worth it as the course looks kinda crappy and short but it’s cheap.

Yongin CC, Sunning Point – These are 2 courses that have a par 6 hole. Yongin is a really crappy golf course and I refuse to play there but they do have a par 6 hole which is kind of interesting. I suppose if you’re lucky and you are a long hitter you can in theory get a condor!

Osan, Humphreys, etc. – If you know someone with access to the US military bases, these golf courses are run more like US golf courses with carts that seat 2 people, you drive your own cart, etc. You cannot drive onto the fairway unless you are handicapped though. Courses are decent but prices are expensive if you are a guest (around $150 or so per round for non US citizens, $60 for US citizens) but there are some discounts for twilight, etc.

Well Being Country Club (Ganghwa Island) – This golf course is just north of the Incheon airport and costs around 110k for 18 holes on weekdays so it’s cheaper than most. There is a caddie though so you will need to add cart and caddie fees.

Gamgok Country Club – This golf course is a little further south in the Choong-ju area but only costs 100k for 18 holes and they allow 2 people groups in December, etc.