This article was machine-translated from the Korean original. Read the Korean original
The most superficial capital driving the world of influencer golfers is 'marketing sponsorship' from brands. The golf wear market these days is truly a period of warring states. From high-end brands where a single top easily exceeds 400,000 to 500,000 won, to emerging designer brands emphasizing a hip vibe, a fierce battle is being waged to capture the attention of consumers.
In this war, the most cost-effective weapon brands utilize is beautiful female influencers with tens of thousands of followers. Brands provide them with new clothing worth millions of won for free, and they upload high-definition photos of themselves wearing the outfits taken on the field to their feeds.
Up to this point, it falls within the realm of healthy influencer marketing commonly seen in a capitalist market. However, the real problem arises when descending to the lower levels of this pyramid—the world of 'informal sponsorship.'
While golf wear can be secured through sponsorship, brands cannot resolve the real barriers to golf: green fees and booking rights (tee-off times). Visiting the country's few ultra-prestigious members-only courses during prime time every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to fill one's feed is not something made possible simply by having a large number of Instagram followers. This is where the curtain rises on "personal sponsorship"—the clandestine dynamics of capital connecting wealthy middle-aged individuals with money and power with attractive influencers.
01A deformed contract concluded on the fairway
"We have completed the setup for a prestigious stadium this weekend. We provide full care, including carts and a clubhouse. Stylish influencers, please DM me."
Every week, such clandestine offers pile up in the direct message (DM) inboxes of golf communities and influencers. The senders are primarily high-income professionals from Gangnam, cryptocurrency millionaires, or senior corporate executives and wealthy individuals. Although they are overflowing with money, they need "accessories" to highlight their wealth and status during weekend rounds of golf.
To them, "Instagram golf princesses" are the perfect target. Men leverage their memberships at prestigious courses and immense financial resources to pay the full cost of their rounds. Furthermore, going beyond simple expense reimbursement, it is common practice to enter into regular golf partner contracts in exchange for providing a fixed monthly allowance for maintaining their lifestyle or gifting them expensive designer bags.
Women use the capital from these 'personal sponsors' to update their Instagram feeds more lavishly. Photos taken while visiting high-end stadiums for free attract followers again, and the increased follower count serves as a stepping stone to securing official sponsorships from larger brands.
Ultimately, men's desire for entertainment and women's desire for ostentation form a perfect symbiotic relationship disguised as the luxury sport of 'golf.' In this deformed ecosystem, the number of strokes recorded on the scorecard is meaningless. What matters to men is the beauty and number of followers of the woman sitting next to them in the cart, while what matters to women is the efficiency of how luxurious the photos taken today will look.
02"Don't bump into me, I need to take a photo" — The runway that became a nuisance
As these purpose-driven rounds flood the golf courses, the majority of ordinary golfers who quietly enjoy traditional golf suffer unexpected consequences. This is because teams consisting of influencers and their sponsors frequently turn into the worst kind of "game-stopping villains" on the course, offering absolutely no help to the flow of the game.
Their goal is not to safely complete the 18 holes, but solely to capture the 'shot of a lifetime' to post on Instagram. When they step onto the teeing ground, before swinging the driver, they hand a smartphone to a male sponsor or a caddy and ask them to take photos and videos.
"Oppa, did my head shake during the backswing just now? Take it again. The composition isn't good."
Tee-off times are bound to drag on as they stage five or six tee shots on a single hole. Whether walking down the fairway or checking the putting line on the green, they pay no attention to the game's progress and are only conscious of the camera lens. Even when the group behind them sighs in exhaustion while waiting for the green to clear as they shoot, the male sponsor accompanying them shouts back, "I'm a member, so why should I be so self-conscious?" It is a bitter scene where the golf course, once a symbol of sportsmanship and etiquette, has degenerated into a distorted studio designed to satisfy someone's private vanity.
03Editor's Note: Looking at the filter-free fairway
Instagram's flashy filters cannot last forever. A sleek body retouched by beauty apps and the turf of a prestigious stadium borrowed with others' capital are merely illusions that vanish like a mirage the moment you turn off your smartphone screen.
The true charm of golf lies in honesty. The ball travels exactly as much as the sweat you pour into practice, and no matter how wealthy a person may be, the moment they sink the ball into the hole on the green, they must prove themselves solely through their own skill. You can buy a tee time with money, but you cannot buy a perfect swing arc or the true dignity of a golfer.
If there are any beginner golfers out there who can't sleep tonight out of envy as they gaze at the dazzling smiles of golf princesses on their Instagram feeds, there is no need to feel discouraged. This is because the shots you, as a beginner, hit with your own money and sweat in due course are far more valuable and dignified than the distorted birdies performed on the runway by those women, held hostage by the desires and capital of others.
