Los Angeles County's large 20-course municipal golf system is adopting new reservation policies effective Aug. 1. The purpose: to counter tee time brokering. The details: a $10 nonrefundable deposit in conjunction with a newly created $10 no-show fee for reservations not cancelled within 48 hours. An added wrinkle: the county system will now open Internet access at eight p.m. eight days out to make it more convenient for working persons.
The County’s new protocol mimics what the City of Los Angeles adopted earlier this spring, both in terms of avoiding any greens fee increases and restoring integrity and equity to the system.
The early returns from the City have been positive in terms of facilitating access – both anecdotally and statistically.
In comparing May/June 2024 with 2023, the City reported a 94-percent decrease in web-booked cancellations, a 57-percent reduction in staff/call center cancellations, a 100-percent reduction of golfer profiles with 60+ cancellations, a 98-percent reduction in golfer profiles with 10+ cancellations and a median cancellation timeframe that has increased by 20 hours. The initial 60 days of data confirm the anecdotal reports of golfers who now have access to tee times that were previously impossible to secure.
There is every reason to believe that the County’s 20 golf facilities will enjoy the same success.