When South Gyeongsang Province disclosed the usage fees and food prices for 42 local golf courses on the provincial government website starting in September, golfers gave relatively positive reviews, while the golf course industry generally reacted with a lukewarm response.
According to Gyeongnam Province on the 25th, Gyeongnam is the only city among cities and provinces in the country that collects and announces golf course usage fees and food prices.
The province has established golf as a popular leisure sport, but there have been criticisms that usage fees and food prices at food and beverage facilities are expensive, so the province began comparing and disclosing usage fees such as green fees, cart fees and caddy fees and food prices at food and beverage facilities within golf courses such as clubhouses and shade houses.
However, about a month after the price was revealed, it still seems unclear whether Gyeongnam Province's policy had a direct impact on golfers' use of golf courses.
By clicking on the Gyeongnam Provincial Office website's information by sector - economy, entrepreneurship - price trends - golf course business usage fee trend, you can compare usage fees and food prices at food and beverage facilities for 42 golf courses, including 13 membership golf courses, 1 non-member golf course, and 28 public golf courses in 16 cities and counties in Gyeongnam.
As of August 31, the non-member course fee (18 holes) at 13 membership golf courses in Gyeongnam was 160,000 to 210,000 won on weekdays and 190,000 to 260,000 won on weekends.
Course usage fees for 28 public golf courses ranged from 55,000 to 190,000 won on weekdays and 70,000 to 247,000 won on weekends.
The cart usage fee for 41 golf courses, including membership and public courses, ranged from 80,000 to 100,000 won, and the caddy service fee ranged from 140,000 to 150,000 won.
Namhae South Cape Owners Club, a non-member golf course, was the most expensive, with course fees of 330,000 won on weekdays and 450,000 won on weekends, cart usage fees of 130,000 won, and caddy service fees of 170,000 won.
It is difficult to compare prices uniformly because the composition, amount, and level of service sold at each golf course are different, but soups and rice are 11,000 to 42,000 won, stews are 15,000 to 45,000 won, Jajangmyeon are 11,000 to 48,000 won, Jjamppong and noodles are 9,000 to 43,000 won, and mixed foods, fried rice, and rice bowls are priced at 10,000 to 45,000 won. The price was 15,000 to 45,000 won, snacks and fried foods were 29,000 to 52,000 won, and seasoned, stir-fried and cut meats were 20,000 to 72,000 won.
The province emphasized that disclosing golf course usage fees and food prices is not a one-time thing, but will regularly update the latest information by investigating monthly price changes.
All golf courses across the country are required to display fees in an easy-to-understand manner for consumers on their websites based on the golf course usage fee display management standards announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, but food prices are not subject to disclosure.
An official from Gyeongnam Province said, "We expect that the policy of disclosing golf course usage fees and food prices together will help in reasonable selection and consumption of golf courses," and "It is expected that it will not only have the effect of suppressing or lowering price increases to some extent by making it possible to compare and confirm food prices, which are incidental expenses, but also help in understanding the total cost in advance before a round."
Golfers also positively evaluate the disclosure of usage fees and food prices.
A golfer living in Changwon City said, "When making a reservation at a golf course, the biggest concern is how much the course usage fee and cart and caddy fees are. Food costs are a secondary consideration, but knowing the clubhouse and shade house food prices in advance can be an advantage in planning a round."
Another golfer commented, "Green fees, cart fees, and caddy fees cannot be ignored, but most people are of the opinion that golf course food prices are too expensive. If they are made public and compared, it will be difficult for one place to raise prices blindly due to the effect of perception."
Unlike golfers, there is an unwelcoming atmosphere in the golf course industry.
The CEO of a golf course in the province acknowledged that golfers have a wider range of choices, but expressed the opinion, "Golfers mainly consider course conditions, time zones, and travel times when making reservations," and added, "Comparing and disclosing usage fees and food prices is unlikely to have any effect on sales or the number of visitors."
He continued, "Most golf courses charge rent and outsource restaurant operations to outsourced companies. You can file a complaint with the restaurant about the taste of the food as a way to convey customer complaints, but it is difficult to intervene in price decisions because it could be seen as an infringement of goodwill."
Another golf course executive said, "Golf course restaurants have a limited number of customers, so food prices may be higher than outside restaurants," and "Gyeongnam Province's policy does not appear to produce meaningful results." Attention is being paid to whether the policy of disclosing golf course usage fees and food price comparisons will actually help with rational consumption and price stability.
