How to use discount tee time sites

[avrag]

Newby question

I am planning a vacation to the southwestern US and I want to use the sites which offer discount tee times, ezlinks, golfhub, golfnow and standbygolf, maybe others I am not aware of yet.
Being from Europe, I have no experience with the US sites and the way this sytem works. I will only be able to use my laptop while I am there, and obvioulsy, I won't have a printer with me.
Question is, when I book tee times using these sites, how does the confirmation work?
I will obviously receive an e-mail which confirms the booking, but will I need to print this and present it at the course or does the system work in a different way? As I do not have a printer with me, the need to produce some sort of confirmation on paper at the course would pretty much take this option away for me. I could only book for the first 10 days or so, when I am still at home and can use a printer.
So, can you please tell me how this works?
Thank you.

[goplutus]

For golfnow, no need to print anything. You can book online, and, depending on the course, you'll be billed online, or they'll charge a small booking fee, and you'll pay the balance at the course.

[teejaywhy]

I have never been asked to produce a printed confirmation or even a confirmation number. Just the name it was booked under.

Also - I like to book directly with the course and they will almost always match the golfnow price if you ask. You do have to call in advance.

[puttingmatt]

For EZLINKS, just follow the website. it really is easy !!
You will get a confirmation number with your selected
tee time. Copy or write the confirmation number , give
the number to the pro shop at check in, and thats it.
You pre pay with credit card through the EZLINKS site.
Generally, EZLINKS prices are less than other sites,
but only lists participating golf courses.

[reywalwen]

I have never been asked to produce a confirmation number, email or anything. I typically avoid booking when I have to pay the entire amount, non-refundable up front. I echo what was said about courses being willing to match the online prices if you call and tell them about the online price.

if you're worried about having a confirmation number, you can also book online, then call the course to confirm they have logged the tee time.

Have fun on your trip!

[avrag]

Thank you very much.

[sabram]

In December I had anexperience where the printed confirmation was important. The course I booked on an online site (Don't remember if it was Golf now or EZ-Links) had a mini tour event on the day I had booked. The on-line site however didn't know that the course was closed to the public that day, so I showed up at the course and was told it was a mistake and they could not honor the reservation. Initially, they thought I had mixed up the day of my resrvation. It was only when I produced the printed confirmation that they realized it was the on line site that had made the mistake. The pro shop was extremely nice but if I hadn't produced the confirmation I doubt that they would have believed me. They let me play the next day for cart fee only. That is the only time I needed a confirmation. I suppose if you have a mobile device that can show e-mails, that would work as well.

[asong77]

I am planning a vacation to the southwestern US and I want to use the sites which offer discount tee times, ezlinks, golfhub, golfnow and standbygolf, maybe others I am not aware of yet.

Being from Europe, I have no experience with the US sites and the way this sytem works. I will only be able to use my laptop while I am there, and obvioulsy, I won't have a printer with me.

Question is, when I book tee times using these sites, how does the confirmation work?

I will obviously receive an e-mail which confirms the booking, but will I need to print this and present it at the course or does the system work in a different way? As I do not have a printer with me, the need to produce some sort of confirmation on paper at the course would pretty much take this option away for me. I could only book for the first 10 days or so, when I am still at home and can use a printer.

So, can you please tell me how this works?

Thank you.

 

Not sure if your vacation involves California, but another website that you haven't mentioned that I think has great deals is www.underpar.com. I've used them for a few different courses on the East coast, and basically, you buy a certificate through them, and then make your reservations directly through the course. Then you just bring the printed certificate as form of payment for your greens fee at your scheduled tee time. They have saved me a large amount of money this past summer...

 

There's also lots of Groupon-like websites that have deals on tee times, depending on which area you're visiting.

 

EZ-Links is a great site for deals...make sure you click on the "Tee Time Specials" section of the website and then navigate to the correct state. Otherwise, you're going to pay just rack rate for all the courses in the US that use EZ-Links as their reservation system. The best deals is usually the "Name Your Price" section...kind of like Priceline.com, except that you know exactly which course, date, and tee time. If they don't accept your price, you can't make another offer for like 2.5 hours...that's what multiple accounts are for.... I've found that if you offer just above half of the rack rate, they'll usually accept the price.

 

I've never been asked for a confirmation email booked through EZ-Links or GolfNow, but since you're visiting from Europe, just print a copy before you arrive...no big deal. Or like sabram said, you can just show them the email on your mobile device.

[asong77]

And I forgot to mention, golfzing.com. That's the booking website for a golf management company called American Golf that operates about 110 golf courses throughout the U.S. They usually have some good deals too. And lastly, unless specifically mentioned/excluded on GolfNow.com, all the rates that you book for specials include a cart. Good luck, and have fun!

[avrag]

Thank you for all the input. My problem, which is why I asked originally, is that I leave home on April 1st, so that would be my last option to print something. The first opportunity to play will be April 5th to 8th (Palm Springs), and then April 11th to 13th and again April 16th to 19th (Phoenix/Scottsdale). So I have to do some of the booking while I am on the road, in various hotels, probably without the option of printing receipts and confirmations.

[asong77]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1328563935' post='4224945']
Thank you for all the input. My problem, which is why I asked originally, is that I leave home on April 1st, so that would be my last option to print something. The first opportunity to play will be April 5th to 8th (Palm Springs), and then April 11th to 13th and again April 16th to 19th (Phoenix/Scottsdale). So I have to do some of the booking while I am on the road, in various hotels, probably without the option of printing receipts and confirmations.
[/quote]

Shouldn't be a problem...virtually all hotels have a business center where you can print email confirmations. If they don't, I'm sure the first desk can help you out. If in the unlikely event that they can't or won't, you can easily go to any Kinko's or Internet cafe or other commercial places where you can access your email and print confirmations. And again, if you have a smartphone that you're going to use stateside, it's a non-issue.

[avrag]

[quote name='asong77' timestamp='1328564393' post='4225005']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1328563935' post='4224945']
Thank you for all the input. My problem, which is why I asked originally, is that I leave home on April 1st, so that would be my last option to print something. The first opportunity to play will be April 5th to 8th (Palm Springs), and then April 11th to 13th and again April 16th to 19th (Phoenix/Scottsdale). So I have to do some of the booking while I am on the road, in various hotels, probably without the option of printing receipts and confirmations.
[/quote]

Shouldn't be a problem...virtually all hotels have a business center where you can print email confirmations. If they don't, I'm sure the first desk can help you out. If in the unlikely event that they can't or won't, you can easily go to any Kinko's or Internet cafe or other commercial places where you can access your email and print confirmations. And again, if you have a smartphone that you're going to use stateside, it's a non-issue.
[/quote]

Thank you again. Smartphone is no option, I'm afraid, because the only one in the family belongs to my wife and I have staunchly refused to adapt so far . I would have thought that the hotel business centers were an option as well, but all the hotels I am staying in only state that they have wifi, but nothing about any hardware of their own, like it used to be ten years ago. So I was under the impression, that that means "bring your own machine, we only provide the internet connection".

[asong77]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1328564844' post='4225071']
[quote name='asong77' timestamp='1328564393' post='4225005']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1328563935' post='4224945']
Thank you for all the input. My problem, which is why I asked originally, is that I leave home on April 1st, so that would be my last option to print something. The first opportunity to play will be April 5th to 8th (Palm Springs), and then April 11th to 13th and again April 16th to 19th (Phoenix/Scottsdale). So I have to do some of the booking while I am on the road, in various hotels, probably without the option of printing receipts and confirmations.
[/quote]

Shouldn't be a problem...virtually all hotels have a business center where you can print email confirmations. If they don't, I'm sure the first desk can help you out. If in the unlikely event that they can't or won't, you can easily go to any Kinko's or Internet cafe or other commercial places where you can access your email and print confirmations. And again, if you have a smartphone that you're going to use stateside, it's a non-issue.
[/quote]

Thank you again. Smartphone is no option, I'm afraid, because the only one in the family belongs to my wife and I have staunchly refused to adapt so far . I would have thought that the hotel business centers were an option as well, but all the hotels I am staying in only state that they have wifi, but nothing about any hardware of their own, like it used to be ten years ago. So I was under the impression, that that means "bring your own machine, we only provide the internet connection".
[/quote]

No problem. By the way, you can most likely access your email through your wife's smartphone via the mobile browser.

The WiFi does mean bring your own machine, but that's just for the rooms and the lobby/common areas. The business centers will have PCs and printers and all the hardware. Most of them are complimentary to hotel guests, and if not, it'll just be a nomial charge to access the Internet and/or print.

[drake47]

In the phoenix area I have never had to print anything when booking on Golfnow. But just call the course after you book to verify they got it and you should be good.