I have started a new hosting service targeting foreigners who wish to play golf in Korea! My service is not a “booking” service as in me booking tee times for you and that’s it. I’m more of a white glove full hosting service where I pick you up from your hotel or airport, drive you to the golf course, play a round with you, and drive you back to your hotel or airport. Of course we can also get a bite to eat before and/or after the round if you wish, etc.
As you know, there are many hurdles that prevent foreigners from playing golf in Korea such as:
- Many country clubs are for members only and it’s not always easy to figure out which clubs are public vs private
- To book a tee time, you need to register on the golf club’s website and registration is usually not possible unless you have a local mobile number that is authenticated with your national ID card
- Most tee times require a foursome and it’s difficult for foreigners to find 3 others to play with. There are “join” websites but it’s difficult for foreigners to navigate these sites.
- Golf courses are never close to Seoul or major hotels so transportation to / from the golf course is difficult.
I am here to solve all of these issues and more!
I:
- Have access to many private country clubs as well as all of the public courses
- Can book tee times as a local
- Have a large golf network to fill up foursomes as needed
- Have played almost all of the most popular courses in Korea so can provide advice on course selection
- Can arrange transportation to/from the course
So how do you get started? Here’s an FAQ:
Q: I would like to book a tee time. How do I contact you?
A: The best way to contact me is via email danpaik AT gmail DOT com or via kakaotalk “rvd90277”
Q: How much do you charge?
A: I charge the standard rate that the golf courses charge (no markup) but also charge a service fee that typically ranges from around 300k-400k krw depending on the date/time/location of the round. In general, this fee is set to cover my cost of hosting and attending the round as well as round trip transportation to/from the course (from a designed location in Seoul (you will usually be responsible to get to the location on your own via taxi, etc.)). Your charge will be for green fees per person + your portion of the cart fee and caddie fee for the foursome. Not included is any dining, pro shop, caddie tip, incidentals, etc. Payment can generally be made via paypal, venmo, etc.
Q: Will you personally join me in my round?
A: Yes. Korean golf courses generally do not allow me to reserve a tee time for other people and no-show myself. So I must show up and play if I am the one making the reservation. If I am not available, I have others in my network that can sometimes host. If you have a host preference, please let me know and I will see what I can do (e.g., you are a group of 3 women and would prefer the host to be a woman). Please note, that this is the furthest thing from a dating service.
Q: What if I need a reservation for 4 people?
A: I can sometimes find a course to book where I do not need to show up. This limits the course availability though and is difficult but not impossible.
Q: Cancellation policy?
A: Payment must be made in full 10 days prior to the reservation date. Unfortunately, no refunds can be guaranteed for cancellations less than 10 days prior to the date (e.g., your flight gets cancelled, sickness, etc.) but I will try to find last minute replacements and if I can find some others to take over your spot(s), I can usually provide some partial refunds. Up to 10 days prior, you are free to cancel with no penalty, etc.
Q: Can you book transportation for me?
A: My service typically includes transportation to/from your hotel or airport on the day of the round. Fees depend on distance, etc. but generally run about 1/4 to 1/2 of the cost of what it would cost to take a taxi. I drive an electric car with a comfortable range of about 300km so I try to keep the total distance driven in a day to under 300km.
Q: Which courses do you typically book?
A: My favorite mid to high end public courses are Bear Creek Pocheon, La vie est belle (Old or Dunes course), Sagewood Hongcheon, Shinedale, Club 72, Bears Best, Cascadia, Sung Moon An, The Crosby, The Heaven, etc. For private courses, I typically book Ansung Benest, Gapyeong Benest, 88cc, New Seoul, Hansung, etc.
Q: What is the process like?
A: First you contact me with dates, times, # of people, desired location (e.g. within 1 hour of Seoul), target budget, etc. and I can send you a list of some options. Tee times do get booked up quickly so sometimes tee times will not be available for booking if we go back and forth for too long. I can generally book tee times 4-10 weeks prior to the desired date. If you email me <10 days prior to your desired date, I usually am unable to help since I am usually already booked so the earlier you email me, the better. I am also friendly with plan changes so no need to have a fully solid plan when you email me…happy to just discuss and provide thoughts, etc.