The number of golfers in South Korea has decreased by over 400,000 in the past two years. The purpose of playing golf has shifted from personal hobby to social and business interactions, with more golfers opting for weekday rounds instead of weekends.
The Korea Golf Association (KGA) released the results of its 2025 Korean Golf Index survey on November 2, which surveyed 10,000 adults aged 20 to 60 in June and October.
The survey found that in 2025, approximately 5.81 million people, or 15.9% of the adult population aged 20 to 60, participated in golf activities. This marks a 1.0 percentage point decrease and a reduction of about 430,000 individuals (7.0%) from 2023, when participation was around 6.24 million (16.9%).
The number of potential non-golfers who expressed interest in taking up the sport also fell sharply, from about 10.01 million (27.1%) in 2023 to approximately 8.02 million (22.0%) in 2025, a decline of 198,000 (5.1 percentage points). Conversely, the number of individuals with past golf experience increased from about 6.78 million (18.3%) to approximately 7.66 million (21.0%), indicating a simultaneous trend of existing golfers discontinuing play while new entrants are slowing.
In terms of participation patterns, 85.9% (about 4.99 million) of golfers in 2025 still primarily enjoyed rounds on golf courses, although this figure decreased by 3.0 percentage points from 2023 (88.9%). More than half (52.4%) of new participants who started playing golf in 2025 began at driving ranges (29.1%) and indoor simulators (23.3%).
Golf course usage frequency and spending have actually increased. The average number of rounds played per year by golfers rose from 6.8 in 2023 to 11.2 in 2025, an increase of 4.4 rounds. Monthly spending at golf courses also grew from 458,000 won to 509,000 won, an increase of 51,000 won.
Changes in the motivations for playing golf and the types of companions have also been observed. Personal motivations such as hobby (59.0%) and stress relief (31.9%) decreased by 14.3 percentage points and 20.4 percentage points, respectively, compared to the 2023 survey. While socializing (63.3%) declined from 67.7% in 2023, it still surpassed hobby as the primary reason for playing, and business needs (19.0%) increased by 2.3 percentage points. The proportion of companions during rounds who are business associates (11.5%) or members of clubs (9.4%) has risen, highlighting golf's role in social networking.
There is also a growing trend of 'value-conscious consumption,' with golfers preferring weekday rounds to avoid the high costs associated with weekends. The proportion of weekday usage increased significantly from 48.1% in 2023 to 62.2% in 2025, with notable increases in weekday morning (31.1%) and early morning (11.6%) rounds.
Among those with overseas golf experience, 63.5% played golf abroad in 2025, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from 2023 (65.8%).
The top destinations for these golfers were Thailand (41.8%), the Philippines (32.8%), Japan (32.4%), Vietnam (30.6%), and China (18.1%). Notably, the proportions of golfers visiting Japan and China increased by 6.3 percentage points and 3.8 percentage points, respectively, compared to 2023. Japan rose from the fourth to the third most popular destination.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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