The golf business is a competitive industry these days, and golf courses can ill afford to lose tee times because frustrated customers have trouble getting through on the telephone.
Which is why several courses in Snohomish County and elsewhere in the country have gone to systems of online tee reservations. It’s quick, easy and efficient, and it’s becoming increasingly popular with course operators and the public alike.
Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville began offering online tee reservations last month, joining a handful of other courses in the county already doing the same. And after only a few weeks, Cedarcrest head pro Dave Castleberry is already sold on the new system.
“If people call on the phone and nobody answers, then they’ll just call the next place,” Castleberry said. “So we knew we had to give them another avenue to make it easy to make tee times.”
In recent years, he went on, “lots of other courses have been going to it. And it’s the type of thing where if you’re not moving forward, then you’re kind of moving behind. You’re never really standing still in this business. You’re going to get passed if you don’t move forward.
“A lot of people are sitting in front of their computers at least half their workday,” he said. “And they don’t have to stop what they’re doing. They can just click on a Web site and set up (a round of golf) that way …. It’s kind of the convenient age, and they’re going to go with what they think is the most convenient.”
In Snohomish County, online tee reservations are also available at Everett’s Legion Memorial and Walter E. Hall golf courses, the Golf Club at Echo Falls in Snohomish, Mukilteo’s Harbour Pointe Golf Course and Stanwood’s Kayak Point Golf Course.
Everett’s two public courses have had online tee reservations for years, though the current system started when Premier Golf Inc., took over management at the courses in October.
The new system “works terrific,” said Rex Fullerton, general manager at the two Everett courses. With the exception of one overnight hour each day, when the system is down for daily maintenance, golfers can go to the Web page and select the tee times they want. And if their preferred time is not available, the next two nearest available times are offered.
“They can choose what they want to sign up for, how many players, and then book it and get a confirmation e-mail,” Fullerton said. “They can even go back in and cancel or change it if they want to. And they don’t have to worry about getting put on hold.
“It’s amazing,” he added, “how many tee times are made at midnight when we’re not here.”
Likewise, Echo Falls head pro Caleb Kraus said his facility’s on-line tee reservation system “works great.” It is, he said, particularly helpful “for people who may be traveling (out of the area) and want to make a time.”
If there is a downside to online tee reservations, it is the inability for customers to get some of the same information they might with a phone call. As Kraus explained, golfers who get starting times on their computers might not be aware of a tournament taking place that same day, or that the course had recently aerified its greens.
Castleberry agrees. “We can convey that information over the phone,” he said. “But when we’re interacting over the Web, that’s a little harder. So I guess that’s the negative.”
At most courses, there are certain restrictions about online tee reservations. For instance, Everett’s two courses will make tee times two weeks in advance, but not on the same day.
Also, customers generally need to provide a credit card number, though courses have different policies about charges for cancellations and no-shows. Legion Memorial and Walter Hall have one of the most generous policies; the system requires a credit card because that was the way it was designed, but those credit cards are never charged, even in the case of no-shows, Fullerton said.
Castleberry and Kraus estimate they take about 10 percent of their tee times via the Internet. At Everett’s two courses, Fullerton said, the figure is probably closer to 20-25 percent. And everyone agrees those percentages should climb in the future as more golfers discover the ease and convenience of online tee reservations.
Still, not everyone will be a convert. Which means golf courses will also continue to make tee times the old-fashioned way.
“There are some people who still like to talk to a person,” Fullerton said. “And maybe that’s because they’re not comfortable with the computer.” Regardless of the reason, he said, “the telephone is still there for them to do it.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
