On a Jeju green the putt that looks uphill is often running downhill. Korean golfers call it the Hallasan break: every slope on the island tilts away from the volcano at its centre, and the eye reads the ground wrong. It is one of the first things a caddie will tell you on Jeju, and you will need one, because almost every Korean course sends a caddie out with each group.
Korea has several hundred courses and one of the most golf-mad populations in Asia, yet a round here is unlike anywhere else. Courses are expensive, booked out weeks ahead around Seoul, and played in groups of four in carts, with a caddie handling clubs, yardages and reads. Millions more people play indoors on screen-golf simulators, which cost a fraction of a real round.
For visitors, the best golf trips centre on Jeju, where resort courses welcome non-members and the season runs all year, and on the south coast around Namhae and Yeosu, where fairways run along the sea.
At a Glance#
- Best for visitors: Jeju Island, with resort courses around Seogwipo and Jeju City, mild winters and hotel packages that include tee times.
- Near Seoul: hundreds of courses in Gyeonggi province, around Yeoju, Icheon and Yongin, plus Incheon’s courses near the airport and Songdo.
- South coast: sea-view courses on Namhae and around Yeosu, three to four hours from Seoul.
- Mountain golf: Gangwon’s ski resorts, such as Oak Valley near Wonju, run courses in summer and autumn, cooler than the lowlands.
- Costs: green fees of about 150,000 to 250,000 won, plus about 150,000 won per group for the caddie and about 100,000 won per group for the cart.
- Best months: April to June and September to November; Jeju plays year round.
Jeju Island#
Jeju has around 30 courses, more per head than anywhere else in Korea, and it is the easiest place for a foreign visitor to play. Most sit on the lower slopes of Hallasan, so you get views of the volcano on one side and the sea on the other, black basalt walls along the fairways, and wind that changes with every hole.
The Club at Nine Bridges, near Seogwipo, is the island’s most famous course and hosted the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup from 2017 to 2019, but it is a private members’ club. Visitors do better at the resort courses in the southwest and around the Jungmun tourist complex, where the big hotels can book tee times for guests and many packages bundle golf with a room. Fees are generally lower than near Seoul, especially on weekdays.
Jeju stays mild through winter, usually above freezing, so it is the place to play from December to February when mainland courses are frozen. The catch is wind and rain: club up into the breeze and bring a waterproof. Our islands and beaches guide covers the rest of the island.
Seoul and Gyeonggi#
Most of Korea’s courses ring the capital, in the hills of Gyeonggi province 40 minutes to 1.5 hours from central Seoul. Yongin, Icheon, Yeoju and Pocheon each have clusters of courses, both members’ clubs and public ones. Demand is huge: weekend tee times go to members and regulars weeks in advance, and weekday mornings are the realistic option for visitors.
Incheon has the courses closest to the airport. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo, near Songdo Central Park, hosted the 2015 Presidents Cup and is a members’ club, while public courses on Yeongjong Island beside Incheon International Airport are the classic choice for a round on arrival or before a flight.
The south coast#
The most dramatic golf in Korea runs along the island-studded southern coast. On Namhae, South Cape Owners Club, a Kyle Phillips design opened in 2013, puts several holes on cliffs above the sea and regularly tops Korean course rankings; access is mainly through members and the resort, so check before you plan around it. Ananti Namhae, also on the island, combines a seaside course with a hotel and spa.
Around Yeosu, courses cover whole headlands and islands in the bay, and Gyeongju has resort courses near the hotels of Bomun Lake, handy for combining golf with the city’s temples and royal tombs. Busan has courses within an hour of the city.
Gangwon#
Several of Gangwon’s ski resorts turn their lower slopes into golf courses from spring to autumn. Oak Valley near Wonju, Yongpyong and Alpensia in Pyeongchang and High1 in Jeongseon all have courses, cooler in July and August than anywhere near Seoul and a good match for a hiking trip. See our skiing guide for the same resorts in winter.
Green fees, caddies and carts#
| What | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Green fee, public course, weekday | about 150,000 to 200,000 won (about $105 to $140) |
| Green fee, public course, weekend | about 200,000 to 250,000 won |
| Caddie fee, per group of four | about 150,000 won |
| Cart fee, per group of four | about 100,000 won |
| Screen golf, per person | about 20,000 to 35,000 won |
The government caps the average green fee at designated public courses at 188,000 won on weekdays and 247,000 won on weekends, and non-members at private clubs pay more. The caddie and cart are charged per group and split four ways, so a full round near Seoul typically costs a visitor 250,000 to 350,000 won before food. Club rental is available at many resort courses but not everywhere; ask when you book.
Screen golf rooms, found on almost every Seoul block, put you on a simulator of real Korean courses for an hour or two at a fraction of a green fee. They are the easiest way to play if you cannot get a tee time, and many also have practice ranges.
When to play#
Spring, from April to early June, and autumn, from September to November, are the best seasons, with mild temperatures and dry weather. October is the busiest month. July brings the jangma monsoon and heavy rain, and August is hot and humid, so book early tee times. Most mainland courses stay open in winter but play on frozen, brown fairways and close after snow; Jeju and the south coast are the better winter choice. Our best time to visit South Korea guide has the weather by month.
Booking and etiquette#
Korean courses sell tee times through their own sites and booking apps that usually need a Korean phone number, so most visitors book through their hotel, a golf travel agency or a resort package. Groups of four are the norm; pairs may be joined with others or asked to pay for a full group. Allow about four and a half to five hours, including a short stop at the halfway house.
Dress codes are strict: collared shirts, no jeans, and some clubs expect smart clothes on arrival at the clubhouse. After the round, Koreans head to the clubhouse baths before eating, and the meal afterwards is part of the day. Caddies drive the cart, give yardages and read the greens; follow their pace, as courses send groups off every seven or eight minutes.
Book early
Weekend and autumn tee times near Seoul sell out weeks in advance. If your dates are fixed, book before you travel, or plan your golf for weekdays and Jeju.
Best places for golf in South Korea#
More Things to Do#
South Korea golf FAQs#
How much does it cost to play golf in South Korea?
A round near Seoul usually costs 250,000 to 350,000 won (about $175 to $250) per person once you add your share of the caddie and cart fees to a green fee of 150,000 to 250,000 won. Jeju and weekday rounds are cheaper, and screen golf costs about 20,000 to 35,000 won.
Can foreigners play golf in South Korea?
Yes, at public and resort courses, though booking systems are mostly in Korean and need a local phone number. Hotels, golf travel agencies and Jeju resort packages are the easiest way to get a tee time. Private members’ clubs need a member to sign you in.
Do you have to use a caddie in South Korea?
At almost every course, yes. The caddie fee of about 150,000 won is charged per group and shared among the players, and the caddie also drives the cart.
Where is the best golf in South Korea?
Jeju is the best region for visitors, with many resort courses and mild weather year round. For the most spectacular single course, South Cape on Namhae island sits on cliffs above the sea, and the Club at Nine Bridges on Jeju is the best-known members’ club.
When is the best time to play golf in South Korea?
April to June and September to November, with October the peak. Summer is hot and wet, and mainland courses are frozen in winter, when Jeju is the better choice.
What is screen golf in Korea?
Screen golf is an indoor simulator where you hit real balls at a screen showing real courses, usually in a private room with friends. Rooms are everywhere in Korean cities, cost a fraction of a real round and are a hugely popular night out.