The PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) announced a partnership to form Golf USA Tee Time Coalition, which will provide education for golf course owners, operators and PGA members. It will serve as an industry monitor for compliance of third-party online tee time providers and will feature a compliance hotline to report violations against the NGCOA guidelines.
“The PGA of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association are aligned in the mission to create a more competitive and balanced marketplace in public golf that is both supportive of the PGA Professional, the golf course owner and the golf consumer,” PGA of America Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua said in a news release. “We believe that the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition is a pathway to bringing together supportive companies and our collective memberships to address vital issues and ensure the best customer experience.”
The Golf USA Tee Time Coalition will engage companies that publicly support Tee Time Guidelines, which were released last June by the NGCOA and endorsed by the PGA of America. The guidelines provide a framework for owners and operators that deal with online agents providing tee times.
“This coalition demonstrates a strong commitment to ensuring those who market our industry’s inventory are engaging in proper business practices that are helpful – not harmful – to those who supply the inventory,” NGCOA Chief Executive Officer Jay Karen said. “Course operators and online tee time providers need to operate in symbiosis, and having an education and ombudsmen entity will support that end. It’s a great first step.”
The Golf USA Tee Time Coalition will fund a dedicated compliance officer position based in NGCOA headquarters in Charleston, S.C. It will also feature an advisory council with representatives from supporting tee time companies.