Golf in Korea – Fairway Journal

 

Koreans Play Golf, in Rain or Shine If you call a Korean golf course on a rainy morning and say, “It’s pouring where I live, can I cancel my tee time?” the answer is almost always the same: “It’s not raining on our course. Please come anyway.” And if you don’t show up, you might even be blacklisted for a year. No Rain Checks in Korea Unlike in the U.S., where rain checks or refunds are common, golf in Korea rarely allows weather-related cancellations. Unless there’s a thunderstorm or a flood, players are expected to show up. If you don’t, you’ll face a hefty penalty fee—or worse, be blacklisted from booking again. Why? It’s Not About Etiquette, It’s Economics So why does this happen in Korea? It’s not really about “etiquette.” The real reason is economics: Too many golfers, too few courses. Tee times are sold out weeks in advance. If a course allowed rain cancellations, it would lose revenue instantly. High fixed costs. Every round in Korea comes with a caddie and a cart, pl...