I have started a new service targeting foreigners who wish to play golf in Korea! 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 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 Korean
- Have a large golf network to fill up foursomes as needed
- Have played almost all of the most popular courses in Korea
- Can arrange transportation
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. Charge will be for green fees per person + cart fee for the foursome + caddie fee for the foursome. Not included is transportation to/from the course, dining, pro shop, caddie tip, etc.
Q: Will you personally join me in my round?
A: Sometimes. 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 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 generally 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 within 24 hours once we decide on a date and time and the reservation is booked. If a cancellation is made 30+ days of the reserved tee time, a 90% refund will be granted. 14-30 days, a 50% refund will be granted. Unfortunately, no refunds can be guaranteed within 14 days for cancellations but I will try to find last minute replacements and if I can find some, I can give some partial refunds.
Q: Can you book transportation for me?
A: If you are in the Seoul area, then usually we can work out transportation for a small fee. It usually involves you taking a taxi or subway to a location for pickup, etc. 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.
Q: Which courses do you typically book?
A: My favorite 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), 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.