Man’s Reckless Golf Practice in Daejeon Park Sparks Outcry, but No Direct Penalty Exists

A man practicing golf in a public park near Daejeon’s Hanwha Life Eagles Park has drawn criticism after he was filmed striking real golf balls without any visible safety barrier.

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Golf should be played at a golf course.

The footage, posted on the online community Bobae Dream under the title “Golf should be played at a golf course,” shows the man swinging a club on the park lawn. He was practicing approach shots, short strokes used to bring the ball close to the hole. Pedestrians continued to walk nearby.

Users reacted angrily. “If you cannot afford to go to a practice range, you should quit golf,” one comment said. Others questioned whether golf belonged in a park next to a baseball stadium and argued that public order should come before the sport.

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If you cannot afford to go to a practice range, you should quit golf.

The controversy is not new. As golf’s popularity has grown, people have increasingly practiced in parks and on beach sand, prompting concerns that passersby could be injured. Yet the current Urban Parks and Green Areas Act does not specifically prohibit activities such as golf or baseball that involve striking a ball and potentially endangering other park users.

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Is it appropriate to play golf in a park near a baseball stadium?

A bill introduced during the 21st National Assembly expired without passage. In the 22nd Assembly, Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Kun-young proposed an amendment that would ban activities in urban parks and green areas posing a serious risk to life or physical safety, with fines of up to 1 million won. The bill reached the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee in November 2024 and was referred to a subcommittee, but has not passed.

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Shouldn’t people learn public order before golf?