"It is true that golf courses run by large corporations representing Korea are equipped with relatively good facilities and high-quality services. However, they all set a ridiculously expensive golf cost that ordinary golfers cannot afford, saying they provide the best services."
They don't care if it's expensive or not, but the problem is elsewhere. Because golf clubs in large corporations keep increasing the cost of golf because of their luxury, not only regular membership golf courses but also public golf courses raise various fees.
This is why only 6 million golfers in Korea are fighting."
As the cost of ultra-high golf has exceeded the limit, domestic golfers are finally heading to major golf courses. One of the major reasons for the outflow of valuable foreign currency by rushing to overseas golf courses, which are less expensive than in Korea, is that large golf courses provide clues.
If I were the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism <Planning Series> ⑧
Korean conglomerates stand tall in the world... with great pride of the people
The names of Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, SK, Lotte, Doosan, GS, and LG are some of the world's leading companies representing the Republic of Korea. Koreans feel such a strong sense of pride that they can even nod their heads just at the sight of these groups. In addition to providing quality jobs to young people, it is contributing to the development of the country and the welfare of the people by exporting top-quality jobs to overseas markets and paying huge taxes to the country. That is why it deserves to be evaluated and praised as a national enterprise.
Whether it is a domestic or an overseas trip, I am so proud to see the logos of these companies. Taking this opportunity, I would like to applaud them by calling the leaders of these companies one by one.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics! Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK Group! Chairman Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Group! Chairman Koo Kwang-mo of LG Group! Chairman Shin Dong-bin of Lotte Group! Chairman Kim Dong-kwan of Hanwha Group! Chairman Huh Tae-soo of GS Group! Chairman Lee Jae-hyun of CJ Group, Chairman Cho Won-tae of Hanjin Group, Chairman Park Jung-won of Doosan Group, and so on. The honorifics were replaced with exclamation points (!). As the global economic situation is getting more and more difficult, I hope each group company will unite around the chairman to further nurture the national prestige of the Republic of Korea.
38 conglomerates with 2,021 holes in 90 golf courses
According to Golf Magazine Korea, the number of golf courses in Korea as of 2021 totaled 9,930 in 505, which translates to 551 in 18 holes. However, 38 business groups, which are more than half of Korea's 76 largest companies, have 2,021 holes in 90 golf courses. Converting this to 18 holes makes it 112, which means that large companies have more golf courses than 18 holes. It also means that 20.3 percent of golf courses in Korea are owned by large companies.
By company, the number of holes owned by Booyoung, Samsung, and GS among large companies exceeds 100, with the largest number of golf courses being Booyoung, the 19th largest construction company in the business world, with 171 holes in eight places, including six in Korea and two overseas in Laos and Cambodia. Samsung, the No. 1 in the business world, has 162 holes in six golf courses, and GS has 105 holes in four places, including Sandfine, which is classified as an affiliate, and Samyang International's South Seoul, in addition to Elysian Gangchon/Jeju.
Hanwha and Bando Holdings have five locations, and Lotte has a total of 99 holes in four locations. Taeyoung has 96 holes in four locations and commissioned operation of Anseong Luna Hills (18 holes). Eugene Group has 81 holes in three locations, and Kolon has 80 holes in four locations, including Woojeong Hills. After acquiring 63-hole Oak Valley (Wonju, Gangwon Province) in 2018, Hyundai Development HDC has established an 18-hole public golf course and is planning a 90-hole resort by adding nine more holes in 2022.
Golf courses, ultra-high-cost golf courses lead... Golfers don't like it
With the opening of Solar City in 2021, Boseong, a construction company in Jeolla Province, operates 63 holes in three locations, including Pine Beach and Pine Hills, while Taekwang has 63 holes in two locations, Whistling Rock and Taekwang. CJ Group opened Club Nine Bridge in 2001, and Hyundai also acquired Dynasties in Jeju, changing its name to Hae Beach in 2001.
To support business activities such as employee welfare and overseas buyer entertainment, large corporations have started building golf courses with separate affiliates or acquiring golf courses that are suffering from financial difficulties. Major corporations are also making huge profits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is highly likely that large corporations will be able to enter the golf course business competitively going forward after confirming that the golf course business is profitable.
However, it is not welcome for a large company to expand its presence in golf courses. The problem of ultra-high cost of golf courses, which is a problem now, is that large companies tend to lead the way. I heard a story from my companions when I just started playing golf. Dongnae cc (currently Dongnae Benest), known as a prestigious golf course in Busan, raises green fees and caddies, and other golf courses with poor service also raise costs.
"For employee benefits? Then, don't let the public in."
In fact, Dongrae cc continued to raise the cost for one reason or another, and each time in Busan, there was a strong complaint that Dongrae cc tarnishes Samsung's image. Dongrae cc is an example, but as one of the major golf courses nationwide, green fees, cart fees, caddies, food and beverage costs are high. Major golf courses have taken the lead in making it a country where you have to pay more than 300,000 won to 500,000 won for a round of golf.
This is for the welfare of employees? This is to support businesses such as entertaining foreign buyers? Are golf courses at large corporations only used for that purpose? If so, ordinary golfers should not be allowed in. Why do you charge ordinary golfers five to ten times more expensive golf fees than Japanese golf courses when you put up a sign of a large corporation? Did you know that if large corporations increase the cost of golfing, it will spread to all golf courses in Korea?
To be honest, executives of large corporation affiliates have nothing to do with the expensive golf costs applied to the general public. This is because executives can use the golf course with corporate membership and corporate card without burden. If you ask executives with hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in annual salary to do a round there, they will jump up and down, asking what you are talking about. I'm sure it's the same for ordinary employees of affiliates that earn hundreds of millions of dollars. But it's okay for ordinary people who pay their own money? How ugly are these things.
"It should be cheaper than a large company golf course or a regular golf course"
"I'm worried about being greedy and bad at companies... The chairman will be criticized"
At the end of the year, the golf club president would have given the prize to the golf club president for his capacity to manage the golf club even though he only made a lot of operating profit by spending a lot of money on golf clubs, not through business improvement. This means that he doesn't care about the situation of the six million golfers. It is a serious moral hazard. The worst people in the world would enslave my country as a servant. Joseon's leadership did this. People became even more impoverished and the country was eventually deprived. There is no country without its people. How can there be a golf course without a golfer?
Golf is no longer a luxury sport. Golf has firmly established itself as a popular sport enjoyed by 6 million people, or more than 10% of Korea's 50 million people. Wouldn't a large corporation that cares about the public have to offer a cheaper price than a regular golf course to its customers? By the way, they seem to be trying hard to rob golfers of their wallets, so they are labeled as "greedy companies" and "traitor companies" among golfers. Would it be okay if the previously famous presidents became the leaders of "greed" and "traitorious countries"?
There is a way that golf clubs at large companies are not subject to criticism. The golf cost is set at 2 Korean won (approx. Since most of the expenses are borne by the company for employees who enter the golf club in accordance with the company's needs, such as welfare benefits for employees and marketing support, the company can set the expenses at the level of golf clubs. However, ordinary golfers should be able to enjoy golf without burden by offering the most reasonable price.
"The cost of golf should be set at a level where there is no burden on ordinary golfers"
To do so, golf clubs at large companies must set prices through thorough management analysis. We must establish a basis for confidently presenting golf no matter who asks. We need to set an appropriate level in terms of profit margin. The current structure of producing 30-50 percent or higher operating profit is not reasonable. If a company makes 50 percent profit this year, chances are high that the company will try to make 51 percent profit next year and 52 percent the year after. To do so, we need to increase green fees, cart fees, and food and beverage counters again. We don't care about the situation of golf clubs.
The standard for setting golf prices should be the pocketbooks of ordinary customers who enjoy golf with their own money. Ordinary customers feel very burdened if the price exceeds 100,000 won (approx. By switching electric carts to self-carts and adopting a no-caddie system, the company should lower costs so that anyone can enjoy golf without burden through its own management improvement strategies. Golf courses at large corporations should take the lead in the process. We hope that the day will come soon when golfers who are enjoying the round at large corporations praise their chairman, executives and employees and appreciate their corporate culture and consideration.
Taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, as domestic golf courses have become more common to set ultra-high-cost golf costs, many golf courses are seeking cheap overseas golf courses. You have to accept that large corporation golf courses are at the forefront of that super-cost. Now all golfers are very angry. It should be noted that the moment golfers' anger moves toward large corporation golf courses, the image of the entire company will eventually deteriorate.
A story of a friend who lives in Jeju is hitting me in the ear. CJ's Nine Bridges and SK's Finks said they did not look like golf courses, but rather like "their own strong walls." It is not a prestigious golf course that ordinary golfers visit without burden, but has become a wall that is difficult to even treat because all costs are too high. It is showing that the policy of a golf course is raising anti-emotional sentiment against the rich and chaebol companies. They are bringing themselves to investigate. Group PR offices should review these aspects from various angles, come up with a comprehensive plan, and report it to the chairman.
If I were the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, I would immediately call the heads of golf courses of large corporations to convey this sentiment and urge them not to hesitate to transform them into golf courses that are applauded by the people.
Today, we talked about pointing out that Korean golf courses set the cost of ultra-high-priced golf and that large golf courses are lurking in the forefront of golfers' resentment.
The Story of Maudae’s life and golf continues.
