Golf Courses with Caddie Selection System Increased to 41%

Out of 562 Golf Courses Nationwide, 231 Have Adopted the Caddie Selection System
Seven Courses, Including Gunsan and Golfzon County Yeongam45, Operate Fully No-Caddie
Labor Shortages, Rising Caddie Fees, and Value-for-Money Rounds Are Influencing Factors

The number of weekend golfers playing without caddies is increasing. Due to rising caddie fees and labor shortages, more golf courses are adopting a caddie selection system.

Golfers are playing self-rounds without caddies at Pine Beach Golf Links. Photo by Pine Beach Golf Links

Recently, the YouTube channel ‘Leisure White Paper TV,’ operated by the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, released data on the status of golf courses adopting the caddie selection system. As of October last year, out of 562 golf courses in Korea, 231 courses, accounting for 41.1%, had introduced the caddie selection system, including no-caddie or marshal caddie options. This is nearly double compared to 2019. For reference, in Japan, 90% of all golf courses have adopted the caddie selection system.

No-caddie means playing a round by oneself without a caddie, while a marshal caddie, unlike a regular caddie, drives the golf cart and provides only minimal conveniences such as the remaining distance to the hole. Playing without a caddie may cause issues with game progress and safety, but it reduces the cost burden on golfers.

The proportion of golf courses implementing the caddie selection system was overwhelmingly higher among public golf courses. Out of 367 public courses, 171 (46.6%) operate the caddie selection system. In contrast, private golf courses implement it only for weekday members at 42 courses. Military golf courses (fitness training centers) have about half of the total 35 courses, with 18 offering the caddie selection system.

By region, Yeongnam had the highest number with 56 courses. The metropolitan area had 47, Chungcheong region 41, and Honam region 39 courses, in that order. Gangwon Province had the highest ratio nationwide, with 36 out of 63 golf courses (57.1%) adopting the caddie selection system. Metropolitan area golf courses had the lowest adoption rate at 25.8%. This is attributed to better welfare conditions for caddies compared to local areas and easier caddie supply due to proximity to large cities.

There were also 52 golf courses (with 9 or more holes) that adopted a full no-caddie system. Among golf courses with 18 or more holes, seven courses including Gunsan CC, Golfzon County Yeongam45, Cosmos Links, Golfzon County Gumi, Hillsky, Wolsong-ri, and Hildesheim CC have adopted this system. Among the 87 golf courses operated by large conglomerates, only 23 courses, including 8 private and 15 public courses, have implemented the caddie selection system. This accounts for only 26.4% of all golf courses, falling significantly short of the national average of 41.1%.

Due to the caddie labor shortage, caddie fees have risen 52.5% over the past 14 years. The caddie fee per team, which was 95,000 won in 2010, increased by 49,000 won to 145,000 won as of 2024. The Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute analyzed, "The number of golf courses adopting the caddie selection system is steadily increasing," adding, "This is because the caddie labor shortage continues, and the surge in green fees due to the COVID-19 special situation has increased golfers' demand for the caddie selection system."