Park Cheol-seong, the great journalist<Break News Research Center Director/Columnist>
Soaring public golf course “Green fee (golf course fee) domineering”, where is the end?
When the tax was cut to lower the green blood, it increased significantly. It is pointed out that the government's “tax reduction policy” was miserable.
In order to popularize golf in 2000, the government led the transition of membership golf courses to the mass system. The benefits were unprecedented.
The individual consumption tax and special agricultural tax and education tax received from golf course visitors were exempted. Now this amount is 21,000 won per person. As of last year, 21.9 million users of the popular golf course (estimated by Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute). This means that only admission-related taxes were reduced by 460 billion won per year.
Greater tax benefits come from land taxes. When switching to the mass system, the land tax was reduced to 1/10.
“In the case of the metropolitan area, you can save about 3-4 billion won in tax per golf course,” said one manager who actually runs a golf course made by the public in the metropolitan area. As of last year, there are 310 golf courses made by the masses, and this amount alone amounted to hundreds of billions of won.
◈ The tax that was reduced to lower the “green blood” should be added to the golf course!
However, the government's efforts were in vain. The golf course made by Daejung-je reversed the government policy and was trampled recklessly. Only the owner of the golf course was called. Therefore, there is a loud voice that the tax cuts in the past should be added to the golf courses.
Even on weekends and holidays, even if three players play, it even came to a place where they charge four players. It is a hotbed of unfair rates and unreasonable marriage.
In addition, some golf courses made by the public are members, and anomalous and expedient operation were discovered, and suspicion of tax evasion was raised.
There is no way to avoid it, pointing out that ‘I was too scared’ A thorough investigation, management and supervision by the relevant authorities, including the National Tax Service, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and each local government and fair trade committee is urgent.
▲ In the Blue House National Petition, a complaint was posted on the golf course's ripped off marriage. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, petitions for improving the behavior of golf courses abnormally raising various usage fees, such as green fees, sprang up. Capture the national petition.
◈Golf course, Blue House national petition appeared
Golf course green blood, which was released, finally appeared in the Blue House national petition. It means that the golf course ball business has reached its peak. Their intention is that they will get wet when water comes in.
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, domestic golf courses urged the improvement of the behavior of abnormally raising various usage fees, such as green fees, and comments on participation sprang up.
On the 12th, a petition message titled 『Improvement of Golf Course Operation』 was posted on the Blue House National Petition Bulletin.
The number of participants in the petition for this article was 34,100 as of 6 am on November 2.
In the petition, the petitioner stated in the petition: ▲Excessive green blood hike for Corona Jungkook, ▲Cart usage fee equal to the foreign supercar rental fee only in Korea, ▲Calculated only in cash, (Furthermore) A caddy fee that does not pay a tax, ▲ Food and beverage in the golf course Pointed out the ridiculous price.
He said, “I request the government to change its effective policy in this area.” I was greatly concerned.
In addition, he said, "The Fair Trade Commission should investigate public golf course associations that are leading the price increase." It must be specified."
▲Golf course admission fee increase rate. Provided by Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute.
◈ Super booming domestic public golf course green fee amid the spread of Corona 19, twice that of Japan!
Despite the spread of Corona 19, the green fee of the Korean public golf course, which is enjoying an extremely booming, exceeded twice that of Japan.
According to a recent report by the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute,'Comparison of admission fees for golf courses in Korea and Japan', as of October, the average weekly green fee of public golf courses in Korea was 14,3,800 won, and about 2.3 times more than the weekday green fee of 61,300 won in public golf courses in Japan. Appeared to be high.
If you include a cart rental fee of 80,000~100,000 won on average and a caddy fee of 130,000~150,000 won, the fee per golfer per golf course will increase three times that of Japan.
Self-play is common in Japan, and the average cost of a caddy is 3,000 yen (about 35,000 won) per person. In addition, there are many golf courses that do not receive money even when using a cart. Leisure Industry Research Institute pointed out that it is cheaper than domestic golf courses.
As of the end of 2011, domestic golf courses increased by only 21% from 442 to 535 at the end of last year. However, during the same period, the number of golf course users increased by 46.8% from 26.54 million to 3896 million. The golf population also increased by 1.54 million (48.7%) from 3.16 million in 2011 to 4.7 million last year.
▲ Comparison between public golf course and non-member green fee. Provided by Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute.
The usage fees of Korean public golf courses have increased by 30.6% from 2011 to this year. However, Japanese golf courses fell 16.7% over the same period.
In particular, domestic golf courses have been booming since the coronavirus outbreak. This year alone, weekday rates averaged 7%, and Saturday 5.8%.
◈The operating margin of popular golf courses soared to a whopping 32%...
According to the report, the average operating margin of golf courses made last year reached 32%. On the other hand, membership golf courses, which are said to have recently increased profitability, are around 7.2%. For reference, the operating margin of 583 companies with December settlement in Korea was 5.1%.
The Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute warned, "If this phenomenon continues, Korea's public golf course usage fee could be up to five times higher than that of Japan within four to five years.“
◈Castle Pine CC, “Weekends and holidays, pay for 4 players for 3 player play”
Actually, the price tyranny of mass-produced golf courses is much more serious than this.
Castle Pine Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province (CEO Jeong Gwi-soo) switched from a membership system to a public system in August 2015. Of course, it is subject to the government's tax reduction policy.
However, Castle Fine CC received a maximum of 260,000 won per person last weekend. Compared to last May, it increased a whopping 60,000 won. It increased by 32%.
▲ The fee table posted on the website of Castle Pine Golf Club. Last weekend, the green fee per person was up to 260,000 won. Castle Pine CC website capture.
Even Castle Pine CC stated on the website's usage fee table that it is'required to play 4 players on weekends and holidays' and that '4 people fee applies when 3 people are embedded'. In this case, one person will have to pay about 350,000 won for green fees.
When the cart fee, caddy fee, and food and beverage costs are added, the cost per person exceeds 420,000 won. It has become an object of frown. It is pointed out that the management and supervision of related organizations is urgent.
▲ In the Castle Pine Golf Club usage fee table, he said, “4 players must play on weekends and holidays,” and that “4 players will be charged for 3 people.” It is pointed out that there is no Juanmuchi.
“Most of the golf course (green feet) market is like that,” said the head of Castle Pine Golf Club A, and said, “As we followed the market rather than raising the price, the price increased. That doesn't mean that all times are the same (expensive) rates.”
In addition, regarding '4 player fee applied when 3 people are embedded', team leader A said, "It was a dimension to guide 4 people in advance because 3 people should not play on the weekend." "Users cannot pay the fee. If yes, wouldn't it be possible to receive it forcibly.”
▲The green fee per person on the last day, posted on the Fortune Hills Golf Club website, received a maximum of 250,000 won. Pocheon Hills Golf Club website capture.
The green fee of Fortune Hills Golf Club (CEO Jeong Gu-hak) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do also increased by 27% compared to May last year. The weekend green fee from 220,000 won was raised to 280,000 won.
In the case of Golf Zone County Anseong W Golf Club in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, last September, the weekend green fee was up to 270,000 won. It increased a whopping 95,000 won, 54% from last May.
▲ Green Fee revealed on the website of Golf Zone County Anseong W Golf Club last September. On Saturday, I received a maximum of 270,000 won for one green fee. Golf Zone County Anseong W Golf Club website capture.
Seo Cheon-beom, director of the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, stressed, “The tax reduction for the settlement of the mass system has become a policy for the owners of golf courses, not for the general public.”
In particular, he said, “The behavior of secretly raising rates in the wake of the recent Corona 19 incident will be rather a boomerang,” he said. He criticized that it was Huanmuchi (厚顔無恥) that the golf course made by the masses would rather raise the green fee after the tax cut was given.
What to do with the loose foal. It is best to imprison the rice paddies and fields in a stable before further ruining them. The fact that there is no other way is the mobility of many golfers hoping to popularize golf.
pcseong@naver.com
※Information from readers on the premise of the public interest will lead a healthy Korea.
