The golf industry is facing a growing and troubling trend: third-party tee time resellers using bots and AI-driven tools to grab valuable tee times, only to resell them for profit. The result? Increased no-shows, lost revenue, and serious disruption to golf course operations and customer trust. Sound familiar? New York’s restaurant industry has been fighting a nearly identical battle, and last year they just scored a major win.
On June 6, 2024, the New York State Legislature passed the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act (S.9365/A.10215), becoming the first state in the nation to take legislative action against this kind of predatory activity. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law on December 6, 2024. Its intent and implications are already sending ripples through industries dependent on time-based reservations, including golf. Where the state legislature has filed a bill ( the Birdie Act) preventing unapproved third-party resellers from selling tee times for all their state owned golf courses.
Understanding the Law
New York State Senator Nathalia Fernandez summed up the problem: “The rampant exploitation of online restaurant reservations by predatory third-party platforms has inflicted undue hardships on consumers and small businesses for long enough.” The law aims to stop unauthorized resellers from flooding reservation systems, double-booking, creating phantom reservations, and charging diners excessive fees.
The solution? Any third-party reservation platform must have a written agreement with a restaurant before listing its reservations. The goal is clear: empower business owners, reduce fraudulent reservations, and restore fairness to the marketplace.
The bill has received strong endorsements from industry leaders. OpenTable CEO Debby Soo said it “will help protect [restaurants’] bottom lines by reducing the ‘no shows’ caused by fraudulent reservations.” Resy CEO Pablo Rivero called it “a significant step forward to protect restaurants and diners from reservation fraud.”
Parallels to the Golf Industry
The golf industry is no stranger to these same harmful tactics. Unsanctioned third-party operators are deploying bots to block off popular tee times, creating an artificial shortage and then reselling those tee times at inflated prices. Often, these bookings go unused when resellers fail to secure a buyer, causing a spike in no-shows and lost revenue for courses.
The damage to golf course owners and operators mirrors what restaurants have experienced in New York. Customers become frustrated with limited availability. Operators are left scrambling to fill empty tee times that should have never been blocked in the first place.
A Blueprint for Golf
New York has provided a template. The Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act’s framework could be tailored and applied to golf:
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Require written agreements between golf courses and any third-party platform before tee times can be listed or resold.
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Prohibit bots or automated systems from mass booking tee times without course consent.
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Penalize fraudulent activity with meaningful fines to deter bad actors.
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Create a consumer complaint process for players who encounter phantom or double-booked tee times.
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Collaborate with legitimate booking platforms to ensure fair access and transparency for golfers and operators alike.
Taking Action at the State Level
To protect golf course owners and operators nationwide, we must take proactive steps to educate and engage lawmakers:
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Build coalitions with allied golf industry organizations, state golf associations, GMS providers, and tee sheet management companies.
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Document the financial impact of no-shows and fraudulent bookings at local courses to create a compelling case for legislation.
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Leverage New York’s legislative success as a model when approaching lawmakers in other states.
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Position the issue as a small business protection effort, focusing on fairness, transparency, and consumer choice.
The NGCOA is deeply concerned about this growing trend and its impact on golf course owners and operators. We are actively working to bring all stakeholders to the table to explore collaborative solutions. Our goal is to develop an effective industry-led response before legislation, like what New York enacted for the restaurant sector, becomes necessary.