Black Market Tee Times

Last week, a story came out that tee times at Los Angeles municipal golf courses were being bought up and sold through a popular Korean messaging app called Kakao. It was first reported in the LA Times (paywalled article) and then Golf Digest boiled it down for free.

The tee times were sold at a higher price and were also given with prejudice.

Whoa…

Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.

In his excellent weekly newsletter, Jared Doerfler dove into golf’s continuing growth both on green grass courses and off-course options like Top Golf.

What was also interesting in the newsletter is the fact that golf courses are closing faster than they are opening. I’m no economist, but the supply and demand isn’t adding up. The National Golf Foundation provided this nice little visual in their Golf Supply Update: More Openings, Fewer Closings article.

Closer to home in the Bay State, I have noticed golf courses advertising various ways to lock in tee times. Courses like Mt. Hood posted a month ago that players can book a weekend tee time for the season.

I posted this on my IG and called it “clever.” Some folks complained that courses can be ruthless if weather or life gets in the way and people have to cancel those times. It feels like a money grab for courses to lock people in and also block others out who can’t plan that far ahead.

The value of attracting “regulars” is probably very real for courses. Create an atmosphere like Cheers and people will come back every week because people know their names and they feel comfortable. Given the insane prices to join a private course these days (and the waiting lists), public courses have a chance to create a sense of belonging for those seeking that type of golfing experience.

Shaker Hills in Harvard, Mass., offers a head-spinning buffet of options for people hoping to book tee times without becoming a member of the public course. Five levels, to be precise, that are not memberships but privileges and perks (The course also offers a host of membership choices.).

Level I is $99 bucks. What does a golfer get for $99?

The opportunity to book tee times eight days in advance instead of seven days in advance.

Level V is $299

This is a pretty sweet package if you live in the area and love Shaker Hills. It’s also a no-lose situation for Shaker Hills because they get the money upfront and it’s on the person to cash in all these goodies over the course of the season.

I repeat, I am not an economist, but given the fact that golf courses are closing and the game is growing, clubs are making hay where they can. They’re hoping people are desperate for tee times and fearful that looking at the weather seven days in advance and texting some buddies isn’t good enough anymore.

Clubs are also probably nervous that this bubble is going to burst at some point. Again, generating a community and being a place where people regularly play is one way to avoid disaster if tee sheets aren’t filling up seven days in advance.

Over the last four years, I have made the desperate “Screw it, I’ll book a foursome and figure it out later” tee time on a Saturday evening as I scroll through my weather app and see “75 and sunny” the following weekend. Sometimes, I have to call on Thursday and give them tee times back. I hate doing it, but the system has created this cycle of making tee times before you might be ready to make a tee time. Clubs always appreciate when you call and give the times back because they can still fill them. Showing up 20 min. before your tee time and saying, “Yeah, it’s just two of us” when a foursome was booked is bad form.

It’s wild to think that tee times in Los Angeles were being snapped up and sold for a profit. It’s also incredible to think that golfers have to consider paying extra money for the opportunity to make tee times one day earlier than the general public or that people can book the 8 am tee time at Mount Hood for the entire season.

As someone who is bouncing around and playing wherever I can, it’s not a big deal, but for folks with limited time to play and a desire to play a number of courses instead of the same place on repeat, it’s getting harder. I’m just glad I don’t have to download an app to get in touch with public golf’s Wizard of Oz for a tee time like in LA.

Double Click(s)

I’m going to use this section to “Double Click” on something I discovered or thought about this week.

1. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur kicks off next Wednesday. It’s a very cool event, and provides a chance to watch golf at Augusta National next Saturday, April 6. I wrote a preview for AmateurGolf.com.

2. Chris DiMarco, everyone… He had this to say on the Sub Par Podcast…

3. This boils it all down quite nicely…

4. JT just helping remind everyone that golfers are not cool…

Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a bunch of new IG golf accounts popping up. Vintage_Valley_Golf has a plethora of old-school hats for sale. A few sweet Masters hats went for sale this week. Give him a follow.

When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

• A pretty great article about Ian Eagle, who is the new play-by-play announcer for The Final Four. His parents were performers in the Catskills. He his became famous when he played a monk in a Xerox commercial in the 1970s.

• Stanford superstar, Rachel Heck, will not turn pro. She explains why in a column posted on No Laying Up.

• Also enjoyed this piece from Princeton golfer Connor Belcastro about his putter.

• I mentioned it above, but Jared Doerfler’s newsletter, Perfect Putt, about business and golf is excellent. 

I’m listening to…

• Hughes Norton helped usher Tiger Woods into the world of professional golf. He just wrote a book and is on the podcast circuit. He told some great stories on Fried Egg Golf.

• The World Corrupt Podcast spent the first season diving into the murky waters of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The season season is looking at Saudi Arabia’s involvement in world soccer. A very interesting listen as a golf fan.

I’m eating…

• Oven-Braised Guinness Beef Stew With Horseradish Cream is delicious. Don’t think I have never made a stew in the oven.

• I went to Rail Trail in Hudson, Mass. this weekend. Very good pizza; they also sell New City Ice Cream by the pint.

I’m watching…

• Still on The Gentlemen series.

• Homicide: New York on Netflix is very good. A little bit of NYPD propaganda mixed in, but the stories are excellent. Produced by Law and Order mastermind Dick Wolf.

PLUGS

New stuff:

• I interviewed Wake Forest star Rachel Kuehn last week for the Amateur Golf Podcast. She was recently on Full Swing Season 2 because she is dating Alex Fitzpatrick. She’s an incredible golfer, who will be playing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur next week and has won two Curtis Cups and an NCAA team title with Wake Forest.

• I broke up Massachusetts into seven “regions” and picked one course people should play in that region. Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Old stuff: 

• I made a map of all the courses I’ve played so far in Massachusetts.

• A list of golf courses open in the winter.

• Bay State Picks: Best courses you can walk for less than $60.

• Bay State Picks: Nine-hole courses to play before or after work

• Bay State Picks: 18 public golf that is worth your time

• Bay State Picks: Easy 18-hole public walks

• Bay State Deep Dive: Myopia Hunt Club

   

• "On Course" New England Journal Podcast

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• Amateur Golf Podcast

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