Is summer '21 as crowded as summer '20 ?

[mangohead]

Summer '20 was crowded.   

Not all courses were open.

Lockdown.    Courses were packed.

 

Are they still packed?

 

I play as single on weekdays, so I don't really see the reality.

Does not feel crowded to me.

 

[woods991]

Depends at my home course cc new member count is higher than ever but the course not to busy.  Some public courses are jammed pack that I have been at.  So maybe not as high at ‘20 but certainly higher than years past. 

[Shushwap]

I think it's worse in my area as everyone is coming here to play golf 

I have to book 2 weeks out to get a time and even at that I can't get on some courses 

[kftgolfer]

More crowded than ever. Almost every course has every tee time booked 7am-4pm. Looked at private clubs and all have waiting lists and high initiations where as 2 years ago could have got right in without any initiation. 

[capking]

Usually have to plan to book a week out or your options of where to play are limited. I think here anyways they’re having more tournaments since I don’t think they were Allianz last year

[leekgolf]

FWIW we belong to two private clubs. Before Covid, I could easily go out almost any afternoon, even weekends and have the course almost to myself. I would play alone and have a four ball scramble, trying all kind of trouble shots and greenside recoveries.

 

This year, both clubs book every single tee time on the sheet and even the evenings are busy.

 

And oh, yes as @kftgolfermentioned above, initiation fees have gone way up AND at my home club our membership is full, we have a waiting list.

Edited August 1, 2021 by leekgolf

[golfandfishing]

Just did a peruse of teeoff.com to check rates, the easiest indicator of traffic. Last summer most courses were asking rack rate in the summer, even after 10:00am which previously was about when the fire sales started (Phoenix). Aguilla municipal is near me and I could play on a July Sunday at 11:00 for around $15 2019 and previous. Last summer was rarely even available and when it was the rate was the full $35. Today it is $25. Similar courses out in the burbs are less, the resort courses hovering in the $50 range which I seem to recall as normal. Demand has definitely lessened from last summer, but I hope the amount of play has increased over 2019 levels. I’m thankful we couldn’t rake bunkers and had those pool noodles stuffed in the holes, without them there might not be any golfers left alive to play now. 

[Ric0485]

I was just thinking about this the other day. It seems like the last year and a half rates were up and couldn't find a tee time unless I looked 2 weeks out minimum (Bay area). But it seems the past month or so it's been easing up a bit. The rates have gotten more reasonable and tee times have been slightly easier to get. Don't get me wrong courses are still packed but not like they were last summer and this spring

[miamistomp]

 Getting a little better but still way busier than a normal summer

  South Florida is seeing a lot of tourists this summer - way more than usual slow season ( covid is on the rise too again because of this )

  Rates have really not gone to off season level and course maintenance is not great

 

Maybe it will get better when school reopens and NFL resumes to get the covid clowns off the course

[Wjt619]

I'm in Boston and yeah, it's just as packed and difficult to get tee times as last year. Most courses are 7 days in advance. You better hop online 7 days before you want to play or the only available time will be 450pm. And I'm talking weekdays, not even weekends

[phil75070]

It is hard for me to tell as I joined a different course this year that is somewhat remote. Yet, I am still amazed how empty the course can be, especially on a Friday. I do go by the course I played last year and the driving range seems as busy as ever as they have a huge number of people that pay into that program, but I don't see a lot of people and carts just waiting to be called to the 1st tee. They also raised their rates due to how in demand the course was last year and that may be affecting the numbers.

Edited August 1, 2021 by phil75070
added info

[lefthack]

I didn't start playing regularly until September, I'll let you know then.

[lefthack]

6 hours ago, Wjt619 said:

I'm in Boston and yeah, it's just as packed and difficult to get tee times as last year. Most courses are 7 days in advance. You better hop online 7 days before you want to play or the only available time will be 450pm. And I'm talking weekdays, not even weekends

 

Wow, I booked a 6:04 for Monday on Saturday. I just called and moved it to Tuesday and had no issues. It helps being early, I'm sure. But a week out would suck.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I'm seeing it ease up, very slightly. 

 

My preferred time is the busiest possible--weekend mornings (8-9 AM preferred). I'm playing the busiest courses--SoCal (Orange County) munis at well under $100/round, usually shooting for courses in the $50 range. So these courses are ALWAYS full. 

 

Saturdays are still brutal--unless you're awake and searching times 1 week prior to the desired day, at midnight, you're not getting a good time. Sundays, however are starting to open up. The tee sheets will all be full by the end of the morning on the first booking day, but waking up and walking the dog at ~6 AM I'm actually able to find a decent time or two for a foursome.

 

I'd expect as we get into fall, it'll start to ease up even more. 

[KBong]

Nope not as busy as last summer here.

[MtlJeff]

Still very busy but not as much as last season based on what i hear. Right now we are allowed to have festivals and various sports that weren't there last year

 

Mid-last summer many of our restrictions had been lifted but many sports had already cancelled their seasons. So golf was popular all season. A bit less so this season but still popular

[RainShadow]

Yes, and worse. A couple of courses I play regularly are well booked most days.

Also the higher end courses here have higher rates for summer play than past years.

Before Covid, I could get on a few of the more expensive courses for $35-50, past two years they are still charging $70-90 for midday (100*+ temps) 

 

[Abh159]

I think you're looking at this time next year before the crowds start to dwindle away. It's going to take a full 1-2 years for all those people who decided to pick up the game last year to call it quits. 

 

Even though they can now go out and do other things besides golf, I'm sure they are going to keep playing at least through this year in an attempt to justify all that money they spent on new clubs 🤣.

[vandyfan]

#ShrinktheGame

[mangohead]

I'm having zero crowding issues. 

In fact, I went out as a single today, at 10am.

I only golf on weekdays

[jimb6golf]

I would say in my area near Boston the courses are just as crowded as last year.  Getting a tee time at a public course is pretty difficult if you don't call 7 or more days in advance.  Good for the game but not much fun when some courses are booking 8 min intervals (wow does the course slow down with any poor players in front of you).

[caniac6]

Mornings are busy. Pretty open in the afternoon.

[sprcoop]

Here in Tucson I never saw a Covid effect.  I saw that GolfandFishing saw some in Phoenix but nothing here, winter or summer.  Could just be the cheap courses and times I play.

[PhilsFanDrew]

 

3 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

Still very busy but not as much as last season based on what i hear. Right now we are allowed to have festivals and various sports that weren't there last year

 

Mid-last summer many of our restrictions had been lifted but many sports had already cancelled their seasons. So golf was popular all season. A bit less so this season but still popular

 

Pretty much exactly like this is Eastern PA right now.  The courses are definitely busier than they were pre COVID but not as busy as last year.  Last year if you wanted an early morning Saturday round you had to book at minimum a week in advance.  Now if you want a Saturday morning tee time you are generally good at most courses if you book it by the Wednesday before.  You can also walk on in the later afternoon for twilight.  Even last year if you were a single looking to get a twilight round in you needed a tee time at least a day or two in advance.  There was also no such thing as a "quick 9" for twilight last year.  A lot of newbie golfers around slowing up the courses.  It's not as quick and open as it once was but it's trending that way.  

[Carl Spackler3]

 More, people need to go back to work

[pktaske]

Definitely busy but nothing like last year. Central NJ.

 

Last year and into Jan 2021 (!!), any nice day was booked solid. My Monmouth county courses have a special starting at 4pm and they were filled up solid a week out till 5:30 almost every day. This year you can wait till day of and you and a buddy can get out no problem most of the time. Note that prior to last year, you'd have the course to yourself a lot of weekday afternoons. 2.5 hour rounds. Etc...

 

Again,busy, but last year was brutal.

[Tax77]

Only get out after 4pm in Detroit burbs, courses are empty. Played 36 in 4 hours today solo.

[tatertot]

Full tee sheets all day, everyday, 7 days a week.

[miamistomp]

 School starts Wednesday--that, hopefully. will get some people off the course

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Still very busy here in Switzerland. No chance to book a foursome on a weekend if you don’t go online as soon as they unlock it. As a single, you can jump in here and there.

 

Also, there’s loads of 40-54 handicaps that fill up tee sheets, and slow down pace of play. Greens look bad, too, nobody fixing pitch marks (but I wonder if that’s the beginners, they rarely hit greens from outside 100).

Fortunately, you can see everyone’s hcp in the online booking system that’s prevailing here, so I can somewhat pick who I play with. 

 

Interestingly, the German courses (I live close to the border) have way less guests filling up the tee sheets, so there’s better chances to find open spots there. The wage gap is real between🇨🇭and 🇩🇪.