Spending at park golf merchants has more than doubled over the past two years as the sport gains popularity, with park golf establishing itself as a leisure activity for South Koreans aged 50 and over.
Payments at park golf-related merchants in the first half of this year rose about 110% from the same period in 2024, according to an analysis of individual customers' credit and debit card transactions by Shinhan Card's Big Data Research Institute, financial industry sources said on the 22nd. The number of paying customers rose about 120% and transaction counts about 130% over the same period. The figures cover payments made at park golf courses, screen park golf practice facilities and park golf equipment stores.
Customers aged 50 and over drove the increase. The share of total transactions accounted for by those aged 60 and over climbed to 52.8% in the first half of this year from 33.6% in the first half of 2024, a gain of 19.2 percentage points. That means more than one in every two payments at these merchants came from customers in their 60s or older. The share for those in their 50s also rose to 29.6% from 28.2%, bringing the combined total for the two age groups to 82.4%.
The number of related merchants grew nationwide as spending increased. Merchant numbers in the first half of this year were up 200.5% from two years earlier. The Seoul metropolitan area posted a gain of about 290%, while the Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong region and the Gwangju-Jeolla region rose about 220% and about 210%, respectively. Merchant numbers also more than doubled in the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang region, the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region and Gangwon.
By region, transaction counts in Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong rose 331.6% from two years earlier, outpacing the Seoul metropolitan area at 144.3% and Daegu-North Gyeongsang at 122.8%. Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong was also the region where customers living in the Seoul metropolitan area most often used park golf merchants outside their home region. The institute attributed the pattern to rising use in areas that are easier to reach. Jeju Special Self-Governing Province surged 2,491.7%, though the jump largely reflected a very low base of transactions. Jeju accounted for just 0.5% of all transactions in the first half of this year.
Spending per person, however, declined. The number of payments per person rose 2.4% from two years earlier, but spending per person fell 3.9% and spending per transaction dropped 6.2%. The institute said the decline reflected an environment in which park golf can be played relatively cheaply as local governments expand facilities.
"Park golf is no longer the preserve of a small group of enthusiasts, and the consumer base is widening into a sport that more people can enjoy affordably and closer to home," Shinhan Card's Big Data Research Institute said. "We expect park golf's popularity to keep broadening across the board."