136 Nighttime Operating Golf Courses in Korea... '34% of the Total'

Korea Leisure Industry Institute Leisure White Paper 2023 Released
Public Golf Courses Operate 38.3%, Membership Courses 26%

Among the total 402 golf courses operating at night in Korea, 136 are open for nighttime play.

According to the Leisure White Paper 2023 recently published by the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, 136 golf courses operate at night, accounting for 33.8% of all 402 courses with 18 holes or more. Among public golf courses, 95 out of 249 courses, or 38.2%, offer nighttime operations. Only 41 out of 153 membership-based courses, or 26.8%, operate at night. Public golf courses are actively pursuing nighttime operations to improve profitability.

By region, the metropolitan area has 49 courses, Daegu-Gyeongbuk area 24 courses, and Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area 23 courses with nighttime play available. Jeju Island has one course, while Jeonbuk, which lacks its own golf demand, has none. With the scorching heat expected this summer, nighttime golf courses are likely to see increased demand from golf enthusiasts. The Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute analyzed that "membership-based golf courses tend to avoid nighttime operations due to reasons such as turf damage and difficulties in manpower management."

In Hoengseong, Gangwon-do, Bellastone CC implemented a nighttime marshal caddie system (a system where caddies carry golf bags on electric carts, requiring less work and thus lower caddie fees compared to regular caddies) from April to mid-November last year. It attracted about 20,000 users and generated sales of 2.4 billion KRW. On Saturdays in June, the daytime green fee is up to 219,000 KRW, but at night it is 129,000 KRW, allowing use with a marshal caddie or no caddie, making it more affordable.

At a golf course in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, the second session green fee on Saturdays in June reaches up to 280,000 KRW, but at night it is 170,000 KRW with no caddie. This is about 130,000 KRW cheaper than daytime. Seocheonbeom, director of the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, said, "Nighttime golf allows players to enjoy cool games in summer and offers opportunities to play at affordable prices," adding, "For these reasons, it is welcomed by both golf courses and golfers."