Solo tee times?

[RetiredBoomer]

1 minute ago, Golf2Much said:

At my home course, no singles are allowed.  In fact, there's has to be a minimum of three players in order to book and/or tee off.  As a member, if I show up, want to play and there's no one on the course, they say I need to wait an hour or two until the next available single spot.  If I book for three and only I show up, I'll automatically be charged for the other two golfers.  

 

That doesn't sound good to me.
I'm not sure how dues-paying members tolerate that unless there are no better near-by alternatives.

I play golf socially with the same friends all the time.

On the very rare occasions that I go out alone,
I don't carry a scorecard and I regularly replay shots.
I'm essentially practicing.

If I'm paying dues, and dues are never cheap,
I wouldn't be happy to be told I couldn't do that.

 

[Golf2Much]

5 minutes ago, RetiredBoomer said:

That doesn't sound good to me.
I'm not sure how dues-paying members tolerate that unless there are no better near-by alternatives.

The next closest 18 hole golf course is about 130 miles away, so they have what most would say is a monopoly.  

As members, we used to be able to walk the back nine early in the day before the first hole tee times made the turn.  Now, it's $500 extra a year for members if we want to walk.  

Welcome to my world!

[RetiredBoomer]

1 minute ago, Golf2Much said:

The next closest 18 hole golf course is about 130 miles away, so they have what most would say is a monopoly.  

As members, we used to be able to walk the back nine early in the day before the first hole tee times made the turn.  Now, it's $500 extra a year for members if we want to walk.  

Welcome to my world!

My sole journey to Key West was MANY decades ago when I was ten-years old.

I apparently have forgotten how remote it is.

Very pretty but remote, I guess.

Florida doesn't work for me anymore.
No more Boom Boom Room at the Fontainebleau. 
No more Hialeah racetrack.
Spring training baseball, but the kids are middle aged now so they're not coming.

I did, over the years,  definitely have fun there, though.

 

 

[RyldupGolf]

41 minutes ago, Golf2Much said:

At my home course, no singles are allowed.  In fact, there's has to be a minimum of three players in order to book and/or tee off.  As a member, if I show up, want to play and there's no one on the course, they say I need to wait an hour or two until the next available single spot.  If I book for three and only I show up, I'll automatically be charged for the other two golfers.  

 

I don't think there's that many singles on a course to worry about ticking groups off with getting played through. Ridiculous business practice to turn away a customer. And they wonder why courses are losing money. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Just ran into this no booking singles a week or so ago when I was meeting up with JP @JohnSmalls. We decided on 12:30 tee time on Golf Now. I went to book mine and it said tee time was not available and I’m looking right at it. JP then went in and booked the two of us and it worked.

Courses just are getting greedy. But in this case the course wasn’t busy at all. Why would you turn down a single when your tee sheet is wide open is just plain dumb.

At a minimum the course should have a check box on the system to either allow or not allow singles. When you’re not busy you allow. Maybe there is such a feature. I don’t really know. But loosing business is bad business.

 

[Prodigal Duffer]

My home course just added online booking a few months ago. Fortunately, I can book solo times there, but most other courses around me, I cannot.

Before the online booking became available, I would just call the pro shop in the morning and ask if there were any times I could get out there that day. I never had an issue getting on, although it usually meant playing during the hot afternoon.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

I will try to provide a different viewpoint. 

As some of you know, I operate a semi private facility in Oregon. I have been in the golf business for nearly 30 years. I think that I have a different perspective on some issues, and sharing that perspective might be helpful for some. If you have questions, please DM me and we can discuss....

• Overbooking your group with the intention of showing up with fewer than booked. - Please stop this immediately. I know that you only want to play with your own group. However, golf course inventory is perishable. Every time you overbook a time, knowing that fewer players are going to show up, the course loses the opportunity to sell those times. Forever. That is revenue that can NEVER be recovered. The end result is higher green fees and more restrictive booking policies, like no singles, no show fees, ect...
• When I travel, I will always play as a single. I have never, and I mean NEVER had trouble getting a spot. I just call the pro or shop staff and am cordial. It is amazing what a little kindness does. 
• GolfNow. - I don't want to disparage their business model. I think there are many positives that GN brings to the market. Be aware that in certain circumstances, the money you pay GN to book a time does not go to the course. IME, a call to the shop inquiring about booking a "Hot Deal" time directly can pay benefits. Again YMMV.

As an operator, I will do my absolute best to accommodate groups of all sizes, from 1 to 288. Every player is valuable to us. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Have a great September!

 

[Watty149]

So many great tips and so many tough places to live to book as a single. I have been looking at every course in my area and I found 3 that will let be book as a single. I found one about 25 minutes away that let me book and I was the first one off the tee as a solo played 18 in just over 2 hours.

[sp0rtsfan86]

I have played as a single most of my adult life.

I don't mind when a course asks me to wait for another group and pairs us off especially if a course is busy. My home course in NJ had that unofficial policy although they would wave it especially if there were gaps I could get through. If it's super packed, I get a course saying we don't want a single, then a two some, then another single having to be jammed behind a group of 4 and all asking to play through. It's easier to pair them all together and have pace be equaled.  I mainly walked on, even though they had online reservations back then.

I will never understand a course turning down a single golfer reservation. I played a ton of single golf in AZ/CA when I was there and almost always they let me play alone when the course is empty even if there was a twosome behind me. Maybe once did they ask if I wanted to wait and hit balls, but that's about it.

To say sorry you need more people to even make a reservation seems disrespectful to those that don't have any playing partners that day or may be on a trip. Especially those like me that don't mind being paired up.

 

[Rob Person]

21 hours ago, MmmmmmBuddy said:

I will try to provide a different viewpoint. 

As some of you know, I operate a semi private facility in Oregon. I have been in the golf business for nearly 30 years. I think that I have a different perspective on some issues, and sharing that perspective might be helpful for some. If you have questions, please DM me and we can discuss....

• Overbooking your group with the intention of showing up with fewer than booked. - Please stop this immediately. I know that you only want to play with your own group. However, golf course inventory is perishable. Every time you overbook a time, knowing that fewer players are going to show up, the course loses the opportunity to sell those times. Forever. That is revenue that can NEVER be recovered. The end result is higher green fees and more restrictive booking policies, like no singles, no show fees, ect...
• When I travel, I will always play as a single. I have never, and I mean NEVER had trouble getting a spot. I just call the pro or shop staff and am cordial. It is amazing what a little kindness does. 
• GolfNow. - I don't want to disparage their business model. I think there are many positives that GN brings to the market. Be aware that in certain circumstances, the money you pay GN to book a time does not go to the course. IME, a call to the shop inquiring about booking a "Hot Deal" time directly can pay benefits. Again YMMV.

As an operator, I will do my absolute best to accommodate groups of all sizes, from 1 to 288. Every player is valuable to us. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Have a great September!

 

Great insights! 

[AJB33]

If a single books a tee time online before anyone else, that may turn off someone from selecting that tee time knowing they will be with a stranger. Causing a loss of profit for that tee time. I don't understand why a course wouldn't allow any singles at all.

[JayDub1954]

I think Pro Shops need to be more proactive in monitoring tee sheets. Tee times are becoming harder to get with the popularity of the game. It is very frustrating to try to get a tee time for a foursome and only find a slew of twosome taking up times. They should combine these groups when possible to free up times.

[rhaze91]

As someone who also plays as a single most of my rounds due to my work schedule not correlating with most everyone else I am forced to get a round in when I can which is difficult to find others to play with.  

For some to say singles shouldn’t be allowed I am kinda shocked, am I only to pay 3-4 rounds a year in a northern climate?

I understand why they don’t allow a single to book a time and accept it.  I also look at the tee sheet and see when I could likely squeeze in with another group or for big gaps.

It’s frustrating though like yesterday for me when I look at the tee sheet and it’s wide open pretty much all day.  I go and the staff says they are booked al day, but maybe 3 hours from then they could squeeze me in.  I have a membership at this public course and thankfully the pro whom I have decent relationship with said to go to the starter to squeeze me in.  Now what was frustrating is behind me the nearest group didn’t start until I hit 4th hole.

If anyone has a solution to not playing solo to get rounds in I’m open ears.

[Rob Person]

The pro shop tells singles or walk ins all the time where they can get them in with a twosome or 3some, or any gaps where they can get out. I'm tasked with pushing twosome together. Recently we were given an iPad that allows us to see who has checked in, and if I have 2 2somes show up, I group them and adjust the slots accordingly.   This also connects to the main shop booking tabs and allows them to add more people quickly.

[KC Golf]

1 hour ago, Rob Person said:

The pro shop tells singles or walk ins all the time where they can get them in with a twosome or 3some, or any gaps where they can get out. I'm tasked with pushing twosome together. Recently we were given an iPad that allows us to see who has checked in, and if I have 2 2somes show up, I group them and adjust the slots accordingly.   This also connects to the main shop booking tabs and allows them to add more people quickly.

This all leads to better course utilization and better consistent pace of play.  All are great if there is proper pace monitoring.

I think I learned to play solo more often during Covid.  

While on vacation, I find sometimes I play alone at a very early tee time.  The course can be quite peaceful and you only shared see the turf care people, so you feel like you are the only one there is nice too.  Doesn’t happen often, but it’s cool.

 

[Rob Person]

12 minutes ago, KC Golf said:

This all leads to better course utilization and better consistent pace of play.  All are great if there is proper pace monitoring.

I think I learned to play solo more often during Covid.  

While on vacation, I find sometimes I play alone at a very early tee time.  The course can be quite peaceful and you only shared see the turf care people, so you feel like you are the only one there is nice too.  Doesn’t happen often, but it’s cool.

 

We get a number of solos that prefer to play with others.  There are those that play alone because they are preparing for a tournament or event and want the solo thought process.

[chris51]

I am from maryland and as far as a tee time go for solo during weekdays usually have no trouble placing a time at any time of the day. But if you try to do solo tee time on a weekend in the mourning most golf courses make you play with either two or four depending on the group they pair you with. I like solo tee times in the afternoon later evening  because I can play 18 holes in about 3 hours with nobody holding me up.  

[MrJG300]

Where I'm at, we allow singles to book tee times. We even have times where a tee time can just have one person. If there were to be a uniform policy for all courses regarding singles, I would say if you know you'll be a single, just call the clubhouse and see what's available. I've done that with courses in Coralville, IA and Iowa City, IA and feel it works quite well. The only thing I would want to change is booking for a foursome as a single, and knowing you'll be a single. Theres no reason for it.

[EugeGall]

Regularly play as a single at my home course - how else do you get to practice, not the same as using the range. They are great and actually have it on the booking system that you will never be paired up with anyone else.

I like playing with people mostly, but I enjoy my solitude to play myself and try things out.

[PrayingForPar]

I play as a single at least once a week but walking 90% of the time. For some reason, the courses here are all booked up till you say you're walking, then miraculously they say "Oh, then just come on down" and they let you out. Apparently, they don't care about pace of play or the tee sheet, it's just a matter of cart inventory.

Many of the courses here have gone to charging a green fee and a cart fee separately, so if you're alone you are paying for the full cart fee with can be $15-25 depending on the course. In my experience, the courses in Southern California have no problem with you coming as a single, they will gladly take your money.

When it comes to GolfNow(TeeOff has been cheaper lately), I always take time to read the reviews on the specific course through GolfNow, many are notorious for extra "fees" and rules that weren't in the app, but the reviews will help you steer clear of those courses.