Opinion: Longer lead time for reservations
Longer lead time for reservations has potential to change the golf industry
Golf’s narrow tee-time booking window is costing thousands of dollars annually.
Airlines, hotels, car rentals, theaters, sporting events and restaurants all share one thing in common: consumers can make reservations more than seven days in advance.
Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, movies and concerts all allow you to purchase tickets in advance on a non-refundable basis.
At most golf courses in the United States, however, golfers can only book tee times up to seven days in advance. Golf may be the only entertainment activity for which reservations are accepted during such a narrow booking window. Whether or not that policy is a hangover from the days of using paper tee sheets, a golf course’s adherence to its seven-day policy can cost it hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.