This article was machine-translated from the Korean original. Read the Korean original
01Prologue: Tee-off is at 9 PM, no caddie called
At 9 PM, the lights are brightly lit at a night-opening golf course in the metropolitan area. Instead of familiar group customers, only two cars are parked side by side in the parking lot. The expressions on the faces of the two people taking their caddy bags out of the trunks are not just relaxed, but completely at ease. Since they didn't call a caddy, they load their bags onto the cart themselves and split the green fee equally between the two of them. It is a completely different atmosphere from the daytime, when boisterous four-person booking teams used to fill the clubhouse.
Until just a few years ago, golf was a "social gathering that was only complete when four people were present." It was the standard formula for a round to have a caddy accompany you to pick out clubs, read the green lines, and record your score. I mean that familiar scene where you awkwardly exchange greetings with unfamiliar companions and subtly gauge each other's skills while signing your name on the scorecard.
However, in recent years, golf course reservation managers have frequently heard that this formula is quietly breaking down, particularly among golfers in their late 20s to early-mid 30s with a so-called "quiet disposition." It is said that there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people seeking "night no-caddy two-person rounds" played alone without a caddy after sunset, instead of the noisy drinking parties in Gangnam or entertainment rounds tied to personal connections.
Traditional media outlets, bound by advertising and sponsorships and merely repeating the outdated formula that "golf must be unconditionally flashy and social," have never properly captured this quiet trend. Club14 is different. Today, we delve into the real reason why golfers these days are choosing a round of golf for two in the dark instead of boisterous group rounds.
02Why 'No Caddie' of All Things? — Moments When Kindness Becomes a Burden
Caddies are clearly professionals who exist to facilitate the round of golf. Their role of reading the slopes of the green and assisting with club selection remains essential for the vast majority of golfers. However, the reason golfers who recently prefer playing without caddies unanimously cite is not a lack of skill, but rather a "psychological distance."
"It is subtly burdensome to see the caddie make a disappointed face every time I make a miss-shot," said a golfer in their 20s who works in an office. The very situation of having to share scores on every hole, discuss club selection, and keep the conversation going throughout the round accumulates as subtle fatigue for golfers who are shy.
Furthermore, caddie fees range from 120,000 to 150,000 won per team, which is by no means a small amount even if split between two people. Choosing to play without a caddie not only saves on this cost but is also considered appealing because it allows you to fully take control of the game as "your own" by making your own decisions, from club selection to reading the green lines. In essence, the responsibility for the score and the pride in your judgment fall entirely on you.
03Why 'Night,' of all times? — People who only find peace when the sun sets
A change just as noticeable as the shift to no-caddie golf is the 'time of day.' An increasing number of players are deliberately choosing night rounds that start after the sun has completely set, instead of teeing off in the middle of the day. If asked why, the answer is surprisingly simple: there are fewer people.
During the day, a golf course is a social stage in itself. From encountering faces in the clubhouse and seeing photos posted on social media to coincidentally playing the same course with an acquaintance of an acquaintance—all of this can be a subtle source of fatigue for those who wish to enjoy golf in quiet. On the other hand, many reviews indicate that golf courses open at night see a significant drop in visitors, making the courses uncrowded, and that the atmosphere of walking quietly under the lights actually helps with concentration.
There is also the issue of fees. Since green fees for night rounds are typically set 20–30% lower than during the day, the fact that one can enjoy both a quiet atmosphere and affordability is cited as a practical reason why young golfers prefer night rounds.
04Rounding with Just Two — Better Than Four if You're in Match
While the biggest advantages of booking in a group of four used to be cost sharing and socializing, recently, these very factors are being cited as a source of fatigue. The pressure to be mindful of manners with strangers, have your score compared to theirs, and keep pace is considerable. On the other hand, a two-person round with just one like-minded person allows for freedom in both conversation and silence. If you want to play slowly, you can do so; if you want to repeat practice swings as many times as you like, you can do so without feeling self-conscious around anyone.
However, there are essential items you must bring for a no-caddy night round. Since visibility is limited, it is easy to lose track of the ball's direction, so it is advisable to prepare golf balls specifically designed for night play. If you are unfamiliar with the course layout, it is safer to use a cart navigation system or check course information in advance. Most importantly, since the operating hours of clubhouses and front desks are often shorter than during the day, you must check the golf course's closing times for night operations before making a reservation. The absence of a caddy also means that it is difficult to receive immediate assistance in dangerous situations, so it is better to take a leisurely approach rather than rushing through the course.
It is also said that an increasing number of golf join platforms and bands are reflecting this demand by separating "nighttime no-caddy 2-person matching" into a distinct category. This is a method where people who want to play quietly at their own pace, rather than joining a noisy group, arrange conditions in advance to meet.
05Editor's Note — Quiet golf is also golf
While golf was originally a social sport, not all golfers go out onto the course for the purpose of socializing. On the contrary, there are certainly those who seek out the green to escape the noise of the day and focus entirely on themselves. For them, the fairway at night without a caddy is not a luxury, but a necessity.
There is no reason to feel self-conscious when I am paying my own money to enjoy the game the way I want. It is not unusual for golfers these days to choose quiet night courses over glamorous entertainment venues in Gangnam; rather, it is a rational choice to enjoy the game longer and more authentically. It wouldn't be a bad idea to try walking a quiet night course without a caddy on your next round, accompanied by a like-minded person.
In the next issue of [Off the Field], we return with "What Happens When Your KakaoTalk Profile Picture Is a Golf Course," a unique Korean culture of showing off golf that begins with a single KakaoTalk profile picture.
