Regional meetings review property tax surcharges, labor issues, safety compliance, dispute standards and autumn course strategies.

The Korea Golf Course Management Association is taking coordinated action on several pressing industry issues, including potential property tax increases for membership courses, labor regulations, consumer disputes and course safety.

Chairman Choi Dong-ho announced that the association held intensive discussions across eight regional councils—Gyeonggi Southern, Gyeonggi Eastern, Gyeonggi Northern, Yeongnam, Honam, Chungcheong, Gangwon and Jeju—throughout September. The meetings focused on tax and legislative responses, on-site safety inspections, improvements to consumer dispute standards, and autumn course management strategies.

The most urgent topic was the proposed property tax surcharge on membership golf courses. Although the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s current legislative notice excludes golf-course-related clauses, the enforcement decree (Article 109) is expected to be revised in October or November. The change would raise the land fair market value ratio from 70% to 100%, increasing property tax burdens by approximately 42.9%.

In response, the association plans to submit a formal opposition statement to the government after completing legal reviews with the law firm Yulchon. The review will examine potential procedural flaws and questions of delegated authority. Members were also urged to check the consistency of their outsourcing and caddie operation contracts in light of updates to the Basic Act on Workers, the Worker Presumption System, and the first application of the “yellow envelope” act to golf courses.

Safety and consumer protection received equal attention. The association reviewed progress on corrective actions for 204 issues identified in the first half of the year during provincial safety inspections of 157 golf courses in Gyeonggi Province. Operators were advised to prepare documentation in advance for facilities, fire safety and sports equipment, and to complete the mandatory three-hour safety management training certificates. Participation in self-regulatory measures was recommended following recent personal information leaks and website hacking incidents.

On the consumer side, the association will request the Korea Fair Trade Commission to revise standards governing rain-related cancellation disputes. Current rules only exempt operators for temporary closures. The proposed changes would introduce clearer criteria based on objective indicators such as weather advisories and rainfall data. The association also intends to note that Korea’s existing penalty framework is already more consumer-oriented than practices in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan, where same-day cancellations typically result in full fee forfeiture.

Separately, the Korea Turfgrass Institute, an affiliate of the association, presented its October Course Management Guide. The guide advises completing recovery from summer stress by early October and shifting to winter preparation by mid-October. Recommendations include maintaining putting quality on bentgrass greens, building carbohydrate reserves in Korean turfgrass fairways, mapping areas prone to winter damage in advance, and beginning winterization one to two weeks earlier than usual.

“The industry faces significant challenges due to abrupt tax reforms and strengthened regulations,” said Chairman Choi Dong-ho. “We will focus not only on protecting members’ rights but also on reducing consumer disputes by establishing reasonable reservation cancellation standards and creating a safe environment for users.”

For the original story please visit The Chosun Daily.