[Caddie Fee 150,000 Won Era] "Decide for Yourself" Prices Rise but Satisfaction Drops

Total Annual Payments Reach 1.6 Trillion Won... Annual Increase of 10,000 to 20,000 Won
Complaints Rise as Beginner and Foreign Caddies Increase Amid Supply-Demand Imbalance
Experts Advocate for Systematic Caddie Training and Regular Employment

Golf cart (Image source=Pixabay)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] '1.6 trillion won.' This is the scale of caddie fees paid by domestic golf users last year. It exceeds the annual budget (1.564 trillion won) of Anyang City, Gyeonggi Province, which has a population of 540,000.

According to the Korea Golf Consumer Agency on the 12th, the total caddie fees paid by domestic golfers last year were estimated at 1.5934 trillion won. Compared to 651.6 billion won in 2011, this amount has increased 2.4 times in 10 years. Considering that the domestic golf population was 5.64 million as of the end of last year, the average caddie fee paid per person annually is about 283,000 won. This does not include the so-called 'over-fee' paid by golfers as tips, so the actual scale is expected to be much larger. [Related article] 'Declining caddie applicants due to poor training environment'

The increase in caddie fees is mainly due to the rapid growth of the golf population, but the industry also diagnoses that competitive caddie fee policies raised by each golf course have had an impact. With green fees, caddie fees, and round-trip fuel costs all rising together, the cost per round per person is around 500,000 won. On one hand, the base of golf has expanded, but on the other hand, leisure costs have sharply increased.

"The trend is 150,000 won" Caddie fees rising as much as green fees

The Korea Golf Consumer Agency surveyed 242 public courses (18 holes or more) and 154 private courses and found that as of this month, 106 golf courses charge 150,000 won for caddie fees. This is an increase of 27 courses from 79 in May. In May of last year, only 9 golf courses charged this amount for caddie fees.

It is not just the number of golf courses with expensive caddie fees that has increased. The overall price distribution shows an 'upward leveling' trend. As of this month, 156 courses charge 140,000 won and 130 courses charge 130,000 won for caddie fees. This contrasts with May 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic fully spread, when 259 golf courses set caddie fees at 120,000 won.

The rate of increase by year is also steep. It took 11 years for caddie fees to rise from 100,000 won in 2010 to 130,000 won, but it jumped 20,000 won in just one year.

High caddie fees are not limited to the metropolitan area. As golfers flock to Jeju Island, many places there also charge 150,000 won. Recently, other regional golf courses are also showing a mood to join the caddie fee hikes.

Fees rise but service complaints increase

The increase in caddie fees is not unrelated to green fees. With the rapid increase in the golf population, the market shifted to favor golf courses as suppliers, leading to a shortage of caddies, and major golf courses raised prices as a measure to improve treatment for them.

A golf course official in the metropolitan area explained, "The industry has no choice but to raise fees to prevent the outflow of veteran caddies," adding, "Also, the overall shortage of caddies is due to younger generations avoiding hard work." In fact, caddies are not directly employed by golf courses but are special-type workers with the nature of individual business owners, so they tend to move more frequently than in other industries.

The problem is that as caddies become absolutely scarce, complaints arise that the quality of service is declining despite the high fees. As a desperate measure, some golf courses deploy caddies who have not been properly trained, or in some remote areas, foreigners who have communication difficulties are used.

Kim Dae-yeop (58), an executive at a small and medium-sized enterprise, said, "I went for a round with an important business partner but met a novice caddie and had a hard time throughout 18 holes," adding, "A driving caddie who just drives would have been much better." Office worker Lee Se-hyun (27, female) pointed out, "When I meet a caddie who is a beginner and tells me to 'judge on my own' throughout the round, I feel like I wasted money."

Golf courses also have their say. An official from a golf course in Gyeonggi Province explained, "Since last month, employment insurance for caddies has become mandatory, and this has been passed on to caddie fees."

Seo Cheon-beom, director of the Korea Golf Consumer Agency, stated, "Caddies are scarce, but since accompanying rounds are mandatory and caddies are outsourced, working conditions are poor and caddie fees are soaring," adding, "It is desirable for golf courses to systematically train the necessary number of caddies and employ them as stable regular employees."