The Korea Consumer Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated on the 30th that 111 out of 355 public golf courses nationwide, accounting for 31.3%, did not comply with related standard contract terms such as cancellation penalties. All 111 golf courses have stated that they will use the standard contract terms.
According to a survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism from September of last year to February of this year, consumer complaints about public golf courses that failed to comply with standard contract terms were primarily related to cancellation penalties and refund rejections. Fifty-nine golf courses imposed excessive penalties compared to standard contract terms when reservations were canceled due to individual circumstances of users. Forty-three golf courses provided lower refunds than the standard contract terms when rounds were unavoidably interrupted due to heavy snowfall, heavy rain, or fog.
According to the standard contract terms, if the reservation date is on a weekend or holiday, no penalty is required if the reservation is canceled up to four days before the use of the golf course. A 10% penalty of the team's golf course usage fee applies for cancellations made 2 to 3 days prior, 20% for cancellations made one day before, and 30% for same-day cancellations.
If using the golf course on a weekday, there is no penalty for cancellations made up to three days prior. Cancellations made two days before incur a 10% penalty of the usage fee, 20% for cancellations made one day before, and 30% for same-day cancellations. However, in the event of interruption due to natural disasters such as heavy rain, settlements are to be calculated per hole starting from the second hole.
The Korea Consumer Agency urged golf course users to carefully review transaction conditions when using online reservation platforms. A representative from the agency noted, "It is also important to secure evidence in case of disputes related to golf course use."