You can enjoy an 18-hole round of golf for 30,000 to 40,000 won. You don’t need a companion. You can enjoy golf freely anytime as long as you have a tee time. Of course, I’m not talking about Korea.
In Blacktown near Sydney, Australia, KBO League Doosan is digesting winter training. I was doing high-intensity training with a three-day training and one-day break schedule, and on the rest day, I looked for a driving range near the accommodation. After searching through a golf booking app introduced by an acquaintance 토토사이트, there are quite a few popular golf courses. There are also several golf courses near Blacktown, which has a population of 300,000. The price ranged from 20 Australian dollars to 65 Australian dollars (approximately 17,000 won to 56,000 won).
In Korea, it means that you can enjoy a round of golf at a public golf course. I made a simple reservation over the phone and found a nearby golf course. There was no caddy or companion, but there was no difficulty in the round. The slightly expensive (?) 60 Australian dollar golf course also has a distance meter, so it was not a big problem even without a rangefinder. The greens were fast enough to feel more than 3 steam meters. You may play from the next hole, except when the ball is lost in a pond or bush and cannot be found. During the round, quite a few citizens gave a light nod and shot their second or third shots from other holes toward their greens.
Mr. McCorvey, who enjoys playing rounds by himself for exercise whenever he has time, said, “Golf has been popularized in Australia for a long time. As it is a lifestyle sport, people will not be able to enjoy it if the cost is high.” Mr. Chen, who took part in a two-person round with his daughter, said, “Australia is in the southern hemisphere and now (February) is summer, so there are many office workers who go to work at 6-7 a.m. and leave at 3-4 p.m. Many people enjoy playing golf in the afternoon. There are times when I play rounds with family and friends, and often times when I enjoy alone.”
When the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism investigated the participation rate in national sports activities for one year from September 2021, 61.2% answered that they exercised for more than 30 minutes once a week. Due to the Corona 19 pandemic, borders were closed and group activities were restricted, and the golf population surged. Even in a government survey, golf was ranked number one (16.2%) as ‘the sport I want to do if I can afford it’. However, the golf industry said, “It feels like the bubble has burst,” and “Compared to other events, the cost of tools (clubs) is expensive, and the cost of one round is so high that the number of people in their 20s and 30s who are giving up midway is rapidly increasing.”
In Korea, golf has a strong image as an ‘expensive sport’ and an ‘aristocratic sport’, so it seems unlikely that it will become a lifestyle sport like Australia. According to the golf course usage status last year, which was investigated by the golf course booking app XGOLF, ‘men in their 40s and 50s enjoyed a round on Sunday with an average of 200,672 won per person (based on the metropolitan area)’. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has tried to catch the price bubble by setting an upper limit on public golf course fees to popularize golf, but it is unclear whether it will be effective.
Considering the situation in Korea, where you have to go round with a big heart, Australia’s recreational golf environment is nothing short of enviable.