Why OK is Not Okay When Playing Golf in Korea

⛳ OK is a Gimme in Korea!

When foreigners play golf in Korea for the first time, one cultural detail often causes confusion: the little word OK.

If you blurt out this harmless word, OK on the green, you’re allowing your playing partner to waive that putt—however far away it is. So in Korea, OK on the green may not always be okay for you.

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📌 So, What Is an OK Putt in Korea?

Simple definition: If your ball is within a short distance of the hole (usually inside the length of a putter shaft—or even more, depending on the handicap), your partner says OK, and you pick it up without putting.

Examples:

• 30cm tap-in → “OK!”

• 50cm downhill slider → “OK!” (sometimes too generous!)

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💡 Why Koreans Use It

Korean golf culture emphasizes speed and group harmony. Courses are busy, tee times are tight, and rounds are always in foursomes with caddies.

Reasons for the OK putt rule:

• Pace of Play → Keeps the game moving smoothly.

• Social Courtesy → Seen as polite and generous to your partner.

• Caddie System → Caddies often encourage OKs to keep everyone on schedule.

• Beginner-Friendly → Saves embarrassment and frustration over a missed 30cm putt.

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👍 Pros

• Speeds up the game.

• Keeps the mood light and friendly.

• Saves mental energy (no more triple-lip-outs on a 1-foot putt).

👎 Cons

• Inflates your scorecard — your “90” might secretly be a “95.”

• Can confuse foreigners who expect to putt everything out.

• Can also cause tension when you hand out generous OKs, but don’t get any back.

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🏌️ My Experience

In Korea, OK putts are normal golf etiquette. So my score looked better than it really was — great for my ego, terrible for my actual improvement.

But when I played in the U.S. and Japan, where you must hole out every putt, I realized how much difference that little word makes. The game felt slower, but more authentic. BTW, my first “all strokes counted” score in Japan was 130. The shock…

And yes, OKs can backfire.
They can be good for your mental game — less stress, no pressure on the short ones. But sometimes, it works the other way around.

One round, I was in a great mood (I had scored +4 on the front nine), so I handed out every short putt like candy: “OK, OK, OK!”

By Hole 18, my score was 85. If I made a par, it would have been my first time to break 90. I hit my drive straight, landed on the green in two, and drained a 9-meter putt. Only a 40cm putt was left.

I walked to my ball, fully expecting someone to “OK” that putt. Of course, I would have holed it anyway — but still, the silence was deafening.

No one said a word.
Even a 40cm straight putt wasn’t given back.

…And I missed it.

I didn’t break 90 that day — in fact, not for the next two years.
True story. Also one of the reasons why my ex is an ex. 😅

TL;DR 📝 

• In Korean golf culture, “OK putt” = a gimme rule where you can pick up the ball without holing out.

• Used for pace of play, social courtesy, and caddie-managed foursomes.

• ✅ Pros: faster golf in Korea, less stress, smoother rounds.

• ❌ Cons: unrealistic scorecards, confusion for foreigners, possible frustration.

• My tip: if you want an accurate score, don’t rely on OKs — especially when chasing a milestone like breaking 90.