Twins charged with running tee time brokering scheme

A federal grand jury has charged two brothers in Southern California with tax evasion on more than $11 million in income they allegedly received in part from a years-long scheme selling tee times on local golf courses.

- By Matt HAMILTON

A GOLF course brokers booking site on a phone.

Se Youn “Steve” Kim, 41, and his identical twin brother, Hee Youn “Ted” Kim, 41, were arrested last week by federal authorities and pleaded not guilty.

From 2021 to 2023, the Kim brothers’ tee time brokering business scooped up thousands of reservation slots at golf courses across the U.S,, including at least 17 public golf courses in Southern California, according to the indictment filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The brothers used online platforms including KakaoTalk, a Korean instant messaging app, to reach their customers. Federal prosecutors say that by quickly nabbing popular early morning tee times almost immediately after they were available to the public, the brothers “created a monopoly” of Southern California golf courses.