Greater Seoul golfers increasingly play in other regions or abroad; researcher says actual shortage in capital area may be worse than figures suggest

Share of golf courses and golfer visits by region nationwide [Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute]
Share of golf courses and golfer visits by region nationwide [Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute]

The Yeongnam and Greater Seoul regions face a shortage of golf courses relative to the number of golfers using them, while Jeju Island and the Honam region are oversupplied, according to a new industry report.

The Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute's "Leisure White Paper 2026," recently published by institute director Seo Cheon-beom, found that Yeongnam has the most acute shortage nationwide. Last year, Yeongnam accounted for 21.1 percent of all golf courses in the country but 25.6 percent of total golfer visits — a gap of minus 4.5 percentage points, the widest in the nation.

Greater Seoul, home to the largest golfing population, recorded a course share of 33.9 percent against a visitor share of 34.6 percent last year, a gap of minus 0.7 percentage points — the second-largest shortfall after Yeongnam.

However, a significant number of Greater Seoul golfers travel to neighboring Gangwon Province and the Chungcheong region, or head abroad to Japan and Southeast Asia, to avoid booking difficulties and high green fees. Seo said the actual shortage in Greater Seoul may therefore be more serious than the arithmetic gap suggests.

By contrast, Jeju Island and the Honam region are dealing with oversupply. Both areas have been hit hard since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, as overseas golf travel surged. Jeju Island posted the largest oversupply gap last year at plus 2.3 percentage points, followed by Honam at plus 1.3 percentage points.

Nationwide, the excess demand for golf courses — a trend set off by the pandemic — is unlikely to ease for some time. Around 60 courses are scheduled to open between 2026 and the end of 2029, but slowing profitability and tightening construction permit regulations mean the actual number of openings could fall short of that figure.

Seo called for targeted regulatory relief to address the imbalance. "In the Yeongnam region, where the shortage is most severe, construction regulations should be significantly relaxed in areas facing population decline or recent wildfire damage," he said. "Permit regulations in Greater Seoul should also be eased to expand supply."


yjc@heraldcorp.com