Why Is Booking a Tee Time So Frustrating? A Golfer’s Guide to Beating the System
I wake up on a Saturday to find out that the coming rainstorm never showed up, and by surprise it is a gorgeous sunny day! I take this opportunity to check out local tee times at a few of my favorite courses, and grab an available solo slot. Knowing there are no tee time hacks out there, I spend 20-30 minutes checking the clunky websites of my favorite public courses and the best (albeit frustrating) tee time apps. Sadly, I discover that all the tee times at courses I would actually like to play are gone, I’m too late. They have been gobbled up by tee time warriors who wait until the midnight of times being released, and people who set 4am alarms to grab any remaining tee times.
All too often golfers are hamstrung with the lack of availability on short notice, and the tiresome experience of navigating the tee time space. Tee time inventory is spread across many websites and apps, but hardcore golfers are tracking when tee times are released and gobbling up all the good weekend times. Nowadays there are even horror stories of bots hoarding tee times and reselling them for profit! The experience of booking a tee time is fraught with frustration and somethings got to give.
Golfers have been employing workarounds for years. Setting alarms, browser refresh extensions, third party apps, and more - all can be helpful, but none are a magic fix. There simply is not an option out there that alleviates the friction of the golf tee time booking experience. Other industries, like restaurant reservations, have had innovators like OpenTable or Resy to make the experience fun for restaurant goers. These are great examples of how technology can not only innovate a space, but improve the overall experience for customers and business owners. The days of calling restaurants to make reservations are over, as restaurant goers can do so with the tap of a finger. Restaurant owners also can more easily take reservations, and understand how to assign tables night to night. It has been a win-win for all.
The consumer golf industry is ready for a similar innovator, and luckily, there is some good news! This summer a new priority tee time booking app, The Cloud Links, is launching and aims to alleviate the tee time booking experience for golfers of all levels. By aggregating tee times across courses, and adding features like Standing Tee times which allow golfers to schedule recurring tee times, The Cloud Links hopes to let golfers focus on their game and not whether or not they will be able to play at all.
If, like me, you are frustrated with the experience of finding a tee time, join the waitlist and get 2 months free after launch!
