Will Tee Time Availability Improve [Public] Post-COVID?

[betarhoalphadelta]

So, full disclosure... I'm part of the problem. I've played golf since I was a kid, but had a very long layoff as life intruded, and returned to the game last summer. Just like everyone else, new or returning, that realized that golf was one of the few things that you could easily do in a COVID world. 

 

The downside of all the increased popularity of golf has been near-impossibility of finding tee times. Particularly since I work, so weekends are my usual time to play, and because my ideal tee time is between 8 and 9 AM, which is just about the most popular window for tee times that exists. 

 

Here in Orange County, that means if you're looking for a course with greens fees <$100 on a weekend morning, you probably need to be awake at exactly midnight 7 days prior to your date of play, online, and win the "tee time lottery" to get a slot before anyone else does. If you wait until you wake up [and I'm an early riser at 5:30-6 AM], all the times are already booked. Even then, it can sometimes be impossible, as many courses have some sort of "player's club" or other [paid] loyalty program that opens up times to members earlier than to the general public, so unless you shell out for that club dues, good luck... 

 

So, as the world starts to fully reopen, what do you think is going to happen to golf? Are we going to see the new people who were golfing because they couldn't do anything else leave the game, or are they now hooked and impossible tee times are the "new normal"? 

[MtlJeff]

I think the Covid Boom will be very similar to the Tiger boom. You might see elevated amounts of golfers throughout this year and even next --But will return back to normal after that barring there isn't any Covid 20, Covid 21 or Motaba Virus from the movie "Outbreak" (note, why did everyone watch Contagion this past year instead of Outbreak? --Outbreak is solid, but i digress)

 

I do think availability will open up slightly as the summer progresses. Here for example, golf was one of the only things you could do as an adult, so it was crazy busy.

 

If they start opening up softball leagues, indoor hockey, flag football ...less people will play golf

[Abh159]

I think it will persist for a little while (maybe another year or two), but then start to go back to pre-pandemic numbers. As the previous poster suggested, now that other activities are starting to open back up a lot of the "new to golf" crowd will start doing other things. 

 

I don't think they will all drop golf totally, but they will probably go from playing every weekend to every other, then once a month, and then a few times a year. 

 

Also, as other things like restaurants, bars, etc. start to open again people will go back to spending their money there thus leaving less in the golf fund. And we all know how expensive a golf habit can get....

[jvincent]

This year will definitely continue to be slammed. We've got a waitlist at our club. First time since I've been a member we've had that.

 

The question that all the club GMs are asking themselves now is how many of the new players are going to stick with it.

[nova6868]

Hate to say this, but frankly I'm hoping most of the new players quit soon. Haha.

[c_l_33]

Sadly agree. I liked the availability pre COVID where you could go out and play without being on the groups heels in front of you and also nobody on your heels watching you tee off every hole. 

[jorgesgolf2]

Golf is a tough game and in certain parts of this country, an expensive one (not even counting the significant investment in equipment).  I think it will taper off in the next couple of years for all the reasons that it was showing slight decreases in participation before COVID.  I'm not hoping to get a tee time this weekend, though.  

[Medson]

I agree with most of comments above. I think the boom will gradually fade. In term of tee time and club availability (everything seems to be on back order), my guess is we’ll go back to normal-ish by end of year. 

 

One thing that’ll stay is junior golf boom though. There are so many more juniors that participate in golf. They practice longer (nothing else to do), and quality of play is a lot better. I was talking to a high school player. He was very surprised how good the sub 10 yo are nowadays. 

[SwingBlues]

1 hour ago, nova6868 said:

Hate to say this, but frankly I'm hoping most of the new players quit soon. Haha.

 

Amen to that! It's still crazy here in Los Angeles City. Unfortunately, this busy does not mean quality players - we get idiots who have no idea on any etiquette playing on the most busy day of the week.

 

"Keep up with the group infront. What the heck is that?"

 

On the positive I suspect the numbers trying to hit the reservation has gone down just my observation of the response times from the web. I am praying after June 15 where there is no mask mandate, it will really drop down to true golfers. Fingers crossed.

 

As a side note - I am not liking the boom is having on 2nd hand club prices. It's ludicrous some of the prices being asked on sites like 2nd Swing. GG and 3balls is bad but not as bad. Roger Dunn has hardly any 2nd hand stocks. Don't even get me started on the new equipment order wait times...🤦‍♂️

Edited May 27, 2021 by SwingBlues

[str8up]

tbh i don't see the availability of booking prime early am weekend times easing up until the online booking engines do a better job at stopping bots/automation from flooding a site and grabbing up all the times.

1. multi-stage capchas
2. holding the time you select while you're in the final "checkout" step
3. require some kind of deposit towards the reservation

 

right now, it's way too easy for an automation script to go and book several times at several courses and then just return anything not wanted before the 24-48 hour cancellation window. i'm doing this with limited success using very rudimentary automation tools and iOS shortcuts.

 

la city course times? there's a pretty good bot that's running through that site and just grabbing up all the wilson, harding, rancho park times. i saw a youtube video a while back (can't find it now) that was a demo of a bot just barrelling through the ez tee times software (what la city uses). there's also comments on their fb page of bus loads of golfers getting dropped off at wilson/harding in the am - i don't know if that's actually true or not, just what i'm reading on the la city course fb posts.

 

looking for an am/late am/early afternoon time for this coming weekend? start checking your favorite courses today and tomorrow for cancellations.

 

bottom line? the courses don't care - they're selling out EVERY day and raking it in right now.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by str8up

[betarhoalphadelta]

1 hour ago, SwingBlues said:

 

On the positive I suspect the numbers trying to hit the reservation has gone down just my observation of the response times from the web. I am praying after June 15 where there is no mask mandate, it will really drop down to true golfers. Fingers crossed.

 

 

I will say I've had some better luck here in Orange County as well. I was able to get a tee time at Rancho San Joaquin 4 Sundays ago, 2 Sundays ago (which I gave up as schedule-wise I chose my local), and I have one for this coming Sunday. One of those was because I happened to wake up at 2 AM a week prior and got on my phone and booked it, but this last reservation I got it when I woke up ~5:30. 

 

I didn't want to mention that in my OP because I wasn't sure whether it was a blip that was just me, or whether other folks were seeing it ease up as well. 

[SwingBlues]

10 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

I will say I've had some better luck here in Orange County as well. I was able to get a tee time at Rancho San Joaquin 4 Sundays ago, 2 Sundays ago (which I gave up as schedule-wise I chose my local), and I have one for this coming Sunday. One of those was because I happened to wake up at 2 AM a week prior and got on my phone and booked it, but this last reservation I got it when I woke up ~5:30. 

 

I didn't want to mention that in my OP because I wasn't sure whether it was a blip that was just me, or whether other folks were seeing it ease up as well. 

 

5:45 AM Thursday for a 6PM "release", it's all gone by 6:05AM. I figured out a technique to get what I can. Plus my GC is often has a perception of "too easy" which is fine with me, you lot go play the "harder courses" aka these are the same golfers who wait at the 300 yard marker for the green to clear after their super long 140 yard drive off the Black Tee. Shudder.

 

Pre-COVID I could book a 1PM tee times 2 days before play on Satruday. I am hoping the summer heat will discourage these weak, feeble minded new golfers to do something less sporty and only leave us Diehard, Forged-in-115+ heat, fanatic golfers to play...

 

😋

Edited May 27, 2021 by SwingBlues

[Roody]

So I belong to a private club in the northeast. Before covid, we did not have tee times. People just showed up to play, and most of the time it wasn't too long of a wait. Once covid hit, everybody and their brother started showing up to the course at the same time. So we had to start using an online tee time system.

Now I, for one love the tee time system. But a bunch of the (mostly older) members hate it. What they seemed to ignore is our course EASILY broke the record for most rounds played in a season last summer. If we didn't have tee times, you'd be waiting 2-3 hours to tee off. 

 

Now that things are semi-returning to normal up here, I have noticed the tee sheets have died down a little. But this is the view from private course land. I did venture out and play one of our public courses last weekend. I didn't have trouble getting a tee time a week in advance, but I did notice that the course was very busy that day. 

I think it'll return to normal. If not this season, I bet it's better next year. 

[sittingbull]

 I have been trying to get a membership at 2 places and they are not taking anyone. But getting on public courses are not to bad if you book a few days in advance. Hell my gun club i been a member for 12 years has stopped takeing people also.. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by sittingbull

[betarhoalphadelta]

2 minutes ago, SwingBlues said:

 

5:45 AM Thursday for a 6PM "release", it's all gone by 6:05AM. I figured out a technique to get what I can. Plus my GC is often has a perception of "too easy" which is fine with me, go play the "harder courses".

 

Pre-COVID I could book a 1PM tee times 2 days before play on Satruday. I am hoping the summer heat will discourage these weak, feeble minded new golfers to do something less sporty and only leave us Diehard, Forged-in-115+ heat, fanatic golfers to play...

 

😋

 

I grew up in Chicago... Still prefer 35 degrees to 95... And 115 is time to sit in air conditioning with a beer and watch real golfers playing on TV.

 

I don't like late morning / early afternoon times for several reasons: it ends up impacting the entire day instead of leaving time to do something after playing golf, the round usually lasts 5-6 hours at that time of day, and especially because I like to be done before the heat comes on. 

[ctmason_98]

3 hours ago, nova6868 said:

Hate to say this, but frankly I'm hoping most of the new players quit soon. Haha.

Tell the truth. You don’t hate to say it…

[elwhippy]

It has in our club. No problem getting a time now a lot of people are back in work. 

[str8up]

12 minutes ago, elwhippy said:

It has in our club. No problem getting a time now a lot of people are back in work. 

 

also betting that once the econ stim checks stop, then that'll also thin out the herd...

 

[tehuti]

I suspect that as things start getting back to pre-pandemic "normal" there will be some easing up. Many people will be happy to get back to their other outdoor activities. That being said, I am sure many who really picked up the game in the last year will also stick around. So it won't quite be as crazy as now, but it will still be fairly busy for the next few years.

[bcski]

I am betting it will be better by Dec.  Once the Federal add on to unemployment runs our many ppl will have to go back to work.  Next summer should be back to the old normal for tee times.

[ArtMBgolf]

With things more normal, the work at home people may have to 
work more hours, either at home or in the office, so less golf for them. 
 
With beaches opening up, if your beaches are open, that will pull some 
golfers away.   And along with various other activities opening up.      

[Saltydawg15]

I think it is already tapering off at least here in South Florida, while there is still elevated play it is not at the level it was last year or even a few months ago. At my club Saturday’s were fully booked and now the tee times have tapered and it is much easier getting a tee time. I am also seeing it at the public courses. Let’s see if the trend continues. 

[Bonneville85308]

I play a lot on weekday mornings and I've noticed within the last 3-4 weeks the tee sheet availability seems to be about back to pre-COVID levels. Weekend morning play is probably still over 2019 levels but not as nuts as it was a few months ago. Weekday rush hour traffic is coming back around here. I suspect that a lot of people that were sent to temporary WFH in March-April 2020 are now back in the office and can't sneak out for a weekday round.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Bonneville85308