Will Revising Standard Terms for Caddies at Golf Courses Cut Round Costs?

Korea Golf Consumers Agency: Caddie Fees Up 79% Over 20 Years
From 80,000 Won in 2006 to 150,000 Won in 2026
Caddie Cost Cuts Expected if Mandatory Caddie Rule Is Revised

Weekend golfers are frustrated about the excessive cost of a round.

In particular, dissatisfaction over rising caddie fees is growing. According to the Korea Golf Consumers Agency on the 19th, caddie fees have risen 79% over the past 20 years. At public golf courses, the caddie fee per team increased from 81,800 won in 2006 to 146,300 won in 2026, a jump of 78.9% over this period. During the same period, green fees rose by 67.2% on weekdays and 53.1% on weekends.

By year, the caddie fee per team rose from 80,000 won in 2004 to 100,000 won in 2010, 120,000 won in 2014, and 150,000 won from 2023 onward. Citing reasons such as a shortage of caddies, the fee has nearly doubled. The problem is that weekend golfers are not receiving services commensurate with these higher costs.

It has been claimed that revising the "Standard Terms of Use for Golf Courses," which require caddies, could lower round costs. AFP, Yonhap News

Currently, the caddie fee per team is mostly 150,000 won, and since last year it has been raised to 160,000 won mainly in some parts of Gangwon Province and the Incheon area. Looking at the caddie fee per team at 406 golf courses (18 holes or more, as of February 2026), 150,000 won applies at 306 courses, accounting for 75.4% of the total. Sixty-four courses charge 140,000 won, and 18 courses each charge between 160,000 and 170,000 won. In the Yeongnam region, the caddie fee per team is mostly 140,000 won, but since the beginning of this year more courses have been raising it to 150,000 won.

As a way to address golfers’ complaints about caddies and to remove the drivers of caddie fee hikes, attention is focusing on revising the “Standard Terms and Conditions for Golf Course Use,” which currently mandate the accompaniment of caddies. This is what the Korea Golf Consumers Agency is strongly advocating. In fact, in November last year, People Power Party lawmaker Park Jeonghun formally requested that the Fair Trade Commission revise the “Standard Terms and Conditions for Golf Course Use.” The proposed revisions include banning the compulsory use of carts and caddies, and prohibiting the forced requirement of four-player groups.

In January this year, a draft revision of the “Standard Terms and Conditions for Golf Course Use” focusing on diversifying payment methods for caddie fees was submitted to the Fair Trade Commission. Until now, when using golf courses, caddie fees could only be paid in cash or by bank transfer, leading to continued complaints from golf consumers. If card payments become possible, golf consumers will no longer need to carry cash, which could alleviate this inconvenience. Total caddie fee payments made by golfers last year amounted to 1.78 trillion won, with each golfer spending about 320,000 won per year on average.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.