Tee time
The tee time is your reserved slot for the first tee shot.
The tee time is your booked starting point on hole 1. Courses allocate the times at intervals of eight to ten minutes per group. Without a tee time you usually miss out at popular facilities. Booking is done online via the club's website, by app or by phone at the club office. As a guest you book it together with the green fee. Members often book through a dedicated portal with earlier booking windows.
In practice this means: be at the tee fifteen minutes before your time. If you arrive late, your slot lapses and the next group moves up. Example: your tee time is 9:20. At 9:05 you check in at the club office, at 9:15 you are standing with a ball on the tee. Punctuality is not courtesy but operating logic, because every delay pushes back all the groups after you. At weekends the early and late times go first.
Two tips from everyday golf: first, for guest rounds online booking pays off — it is often cheaper than the price on site. Second, flexible players can find remaining slots on the same day. How to find rates like these is explained in the guide on saving on green fees. You can recognise facilities with online booking in the golf course search by the corresponding feature.
FAQ
How early should I be at the course before my tee time?
Plan on about fifteen minutes before your time: ten minutes before you check in at the club office, five minutes before you are standing with a ball on the tee. If you arrive late, your slot lapses and the next group moves up. Punctuality here is not a matter of courtesy but of operating logic — every delay pushes back all the groups after you.
How do I book a tee time as a guest?
Most easily online via the club's website or by app, alternatively by phone at the club office. As a guest you book the tee time together with your green fee, and online booking is often cheaper than the price on site. At weekends the early and late times are allocated first, so book in good time.
Can I get onto a course without a tee time?
At quiet facilities at off-peak times it sometimes works, but at popular courses you usually miss out without a booking. Some clubs offer remaining slots on the same day if you are flexible. You only have certainty with a reserved tee time, especially at weekends or in high season.