The Tee Time Office

[maclanewon]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

[BrianL99]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

Works great for me, what's your issue?

[dewilson58]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

Please expand & explain.

:popcorn::popcorn:

[golfing eagles]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

OK, I'll bite. To what tyrannical law is one referring?

PS: Nice first post, welcome to TOTV. Based on its content, you'll fit in nicely :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Pugchief]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

OP's first post and under "Attorneys" category. Huh?

[BrianL99]

OK, I'll bite. To what tyrannical law is one referring?

PS: Nice first post, welcome to TOTV. Based on its content, you'll fit in nicely :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

12 years in the making, this should be good.

[Snakster66]

Can't say I'm familiar, but I DO think it's high time we deal with the tyrannical law of the Tea Time Office. This is the US of A...we call a it a cookie here. Take your 'biscuits' back the King.

[kkingston57]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

Met one of the writers of the Tee TIme Law 3 years ago and he told me that a new program was going to be up dated but powers to be could not find anyone to create a new one. It has too many what ifs. Can;t disagree and it does seem to work good.

[golfing eagles]

Met one of the writers of the Tee TIme Law 3 years ago and he told me that a new program was going to be up dated but powers to be could not find anyone to create a new one. It has too many what ifs. Can;t disagree and it does seem to work good.

I'm pretty sure The Villages Tee Time Office can't make laws. I think what is being referred to is a policy, and I'm pretty sure they can make whatever policy they want to, as long as it is not discriminatory.

[BrianL99]

Met one of the writers of the Tee TIme Law 3 years ago and he told me that a new program was going to be up dated but powers to be could not find anyone to create a new one. It has too many what ifs. Can;t disagree and it does seem to work good.

I have heard the exact same story.

OK, with the preamble that paragraph in italics is speculation, rumor or otherwise:

The Tee Time system uses a modified "Chelsea" system, which a huge number of clubs use, around the country. I've played at least 20 golf courses in Naples, every one I've played uses the Chelsea system.

There are a number of "off the rack" Tee Time systems available, most of which would need some modification, based on the shear volume of TV Tee Times & Golf Courses.

It's illogical to me, why the Executive Courses & Championship courses are linked together. The Championship courses are privately owned ... why are they "sharing" a system?

GolfNow booked +/- 3.5M rounds last year, on over 10,000 courses. We're not re-inventing the wheel here.

The Developer is one of the largest contractors to the District (shocking?) and they provide almost all the computer needs for TV/District. The District pays them to manage their systems and to provide software & support. You can find the #'s on the District financials and it's staggering.

The current software was (I'm told) was created from an off-the-shelf system they bought and modified ... & they now lease it to The Villages/District and presumably, pay some sort of fee for the Golf/Tennis Office to handle the Championship Courses ... or vice versa, the Developer still owns the software and the District pays the Golf/Tennis Office to handle the Exec courses).

[Rainger99]

Will we have to wait another 12 years for a follow-up post?

[MsPCGenius]

Can this be done online or is the phone system the only available option? There is mention of using the Internet, but I'm only able to find info regarding phone requests.

[BrianL99]

Can this be done online or is the phone system the only available option? There is mention of using the Internet, but I'm only able to find info regarding phone requests.

MsPCGenius, you can find it on your PC, right here: TheVillages.net - Login - Email, tee-times, computer support - serving The Villages, Florida and the Tri-county area. (https://www.thevillages.net/)

[Stu from NYC]

The village of Stu has an office to handle this but does not have a record of a single complaint.

Wonder who we could license this too?

[Rwirish]

They do a very good job.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Can't say I'm familiar, but I DO think it's high time we deal with the tyrannical law of the Tea Time Office. This is the US of A...we call a it a cookie here. Take your 'biscuits' back the King.

LOL!


:bigbow:
:mademyday:

[TVTVTV]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??


First time post and joined in 2013... hmm... scroll past this troll.

[DonH57]

Will we have to wait another 12 years for a follow-up post?

I may only find out what tyrannical law the poster was talking about from my pall bearers!

[Pinball wizard]

The village of Stu has an office to handle this but does not have a record of a single complaint.

Wonder who we could license this too?

But you have no courses.

[jimmy o]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??
You just need to learn to use it. I find it to be a very fair system. Although they could use better web based instructions on use.

[georgefloto]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

1. Go back to Shotgun starts

2. Give a weight to people requesting tee time, based on the time and date they request tee time, favoring those who request earlier than others.

A full assignment of tee times has about 72 tee times, weight could be assigned as 72 points for first request, 71 for second and so forth thru out the rest of the requests .

Currently you can be the first one to submit for a tee time and end up being assigned the very last tee time.

If the current system doesn't provide that adjustment, then a software change should be contracted for and made.

[BrianL99]

1. Go back to Shotgun starts

2. Give a weight to people requesting tee time, based on the time and date they request tee time, favoring those who request earlier than others.

A full assignment of tee times has about 72 tee times, weight could be assigned as 72 points for first request, 71 for second and so forth thru out the rest of the requests .

Currently you can be the first one to submit for a tee time and end up being assigned the very last tee time.

If the current system doesn't provide that adjustment, then a software change should be contracted for and made.

As someone who's been in and around the golf business for 40+ years, that's the worst group of suggestions I've ever heard.

In regards to #1: So people only get to play golf, at specific times, twice a day? That makes no sense ... & you completely fill the course, every time groups go off? You couldn't have a start before 8:30 am or after 1:00 pm. Everyone would have to play in less than 4.5 hours, with a full golf course ... won't happen ... can't happen ... & the 1 pm Shotgun wouldn't finish before dark.

#2 So if you want a Tee Time, you need to book a month in advance and assume you & your group will all be available and the weather will cooperate? & if you don't decide a week in advance, you don't get a Tee Time? & what about all the Tee Times that are booked a month in advance and they start cancelling them at the last minute ... or don't cancel them. What happens to those Tee Times? They just get wasted?

Where do you come up "a full assignment of tee times has about 72 tee times" ?

IF you run 8 minute Tee Times (which doesn't really work), you have about 60 Tee Times per day, 240 players max ... but of course, that doesn't matter, because you already just want to run Shotgun starts.

[kkingston57]

I have heard the exact same story.

OK, with the preamble that paragraph in italics is speculation, rumor or otherwise:

The Tee Time system uses a modified "Chelsea" system, which a huge number of clubs use, around the country. I've played at least 20 golf courses in Naples, every one I've played uses the Chelsea system.

There are a number of "off the rack" Tee Time systems available, most of which would need some modification, based on the shear volume of TV Tee Times & Golf Courses.

It's illogical to me, why the Executive Courses & Championship courses are linked together. The Championship courses are privately owned ... why are they "sharing" a system?

GolfNow booked +/- 3.5M rounds last year, on over 10,000 courses. We're not re-inventing the wheel here.

The Developer is one of the largest contractors to the District (shocking?) and they provide almost all the computer needs for TV/District. The District pays them to manage their systems and to provide software & support. You can find the #'s on the District financials and it's staggering.

The current software was (I'm told) was created from an off-the-shelf system they bought and modified ... & they now lease it to The Villages/District and presumably, pay some sort of fee for the Golf/Tennis Office to handle the Championship Courses ... or vice versa, the Developer still owns the software and the District pays the Golf/Tennis Office to handle the Exec courses).

Golf Now and TV are worlds apart. Pick your course, and find open tee times on Golf Now. In wintertime hundreds of requests hit at the same time and there can be groups of 4-24 people wanting to play a certain course during a time period and all of those will pick at least 3-4 courses. Priority and points also are a consideration. Personally it is a cluster(you know what)

[BrianL99]

Golf Now and TV are worlds apart. Pick your course, and find open tee times on Golf Now. In wintertime hundreds of requests hit at the same time and there can be groups of 4-24 people wanting to play a certain course during a time period and all of those will pick at least 3-4 courses. Priority and points also are a consideration. Personally it is a cluster(you know what)

If GolfNow can manage 10,000 courses and 3.5 million rounds of golf, with barely a blip, their software is pretty sophisticated.

There are plenty of other courses & resorts that have 3 or more golf courses and they don't have any problems.

People make the TV system out to be something overly complicated. It's a simple variation of the Chelsea system. Maybe it was a big deal before the days of computers, but any competent programmer could take an "off the shelf system" and modify it for TV. It's not brain surgery, it's a progression of "yes"/"no" answers.

[MSchad]

If GolfNow can manage 10,000 courses and 3.5 million rounds of golf, with barely a blip, their software is pretty sophisticated.

There are plenty of other courses & resorts that have 3 or more golf courses and they don't have any problems.


Not sure what the problem is with the logic, functionality or dependability of the current system. Works as designed, does a great job and is easy to use. Granted it doesn’t have the modern flashy interface.

[BrianL99]

Not sure what the problem is with the logic, functionality or dependability of the current system. Works as designed, does a great job and is easy to use. Granted it doesn’t have the modern flashy interface.

You're right. It's not flashy, but it's ridiculously simple to use and seldom has a glitch. It has a couple of minor deficiencies compared with more sophisticated system, but it gets the job done.

[georgefloto]

As someone who's been in and around the golf business for 40+ years, that's the worst group of suggestions I've ever heard.

In regards to #1: So people only get to play golf, at specific times, twice a day? That makes no sense ... & you completely fill the course, every time groups go off? You couldn't have a start before 8:30 am or after 1:00 pm. Everyone would have to play in less than 4.5 hours, with a full golf course ... won't happen ... can't happen ... & the 1 pm Shotgun wouldn't finish before dark.

#2 So if you want a Tee Time, you need to book a month in advance and assume you & your group will all be available and the weather will cooperate? & if you don't decide a week in advance, you don't get a Tee Time? & what about all the Tee Times that are booked a month in advance and they start cancelling them at the last minute ... or don't cancel them. What happens to those Tee Times? They just get wasted?

Where do you come up "a full assignment of tee times has about 72 tee times" ?

IF you run 8 minute Tee Times (which doesn't really work), you have about 60 Tee Times per day, 240 players max ... but of course, that doesn't matter, because you already just want to run Shotgun starts.


This was referring to only Executive golf played on Tuesdays and Wednesday, Mens and Womans dyays. in the morning between 7:45 am and 11:00 am which is currently reserved for Mens and Womans Executive and Championshio course play on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

These play before covid was always Shotgun starts.

[BlueStarAirlines]

These play before covid was always Shotgun starts.

I hate the "before COVID" comments. Why stop there? Lets go all the way back to "before there was Lake Sumter Landing"....

The tee time system works good, its fair, and isn't complicated if a minimal effort is put in to understand it. TV offers free classes that cover both the phone and online scheduling.

[golfing eagles]

This was referring to only Executive golf played on Tuesdays and Wednesday, Mens and Womans dyays. in the morning between 7:45 am and 11:00 am which is currently reserved for Mens and Womans Executive and Championshio course play on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

These play before covid was always Shotgun starts.

Just to clarify: Not on the championship courses

[Stu from NYC]

But you have no courses.

you have to purchase the premium package to use them.

[justjim]

This subject has been discussed before (in another Thread) on TOTV. The $8 cost has been the same for years. You can’t say that about many things. The tee time program works. It’s been said before - if it’s not broke why fix it?

[MSchad]

You're right. It's not flashy, but it's ridiculously simple to use and seldom has a glitch. It has a couple of minor deficiencies compared with more sophisticated system, but it gets the job done.
Would you care to expand on these minor deficiencies that more sophisticated systems have?

[BrianL99]

You're right. It's not flashy, but it's ridiculously simple to use and seldom has a glitch. It has a couple of minor deficiencies compared with more sophisticated system, but it gets the job done.

Would you care to expand on these minor deficiencies that more sophisticated systems have?

As I said, they're minor.

The system's interface is a very "clunky", awkward and non-intuitive, in comparison to most modern websites.

I'm not sure I'm thrilled with the whole "M/F" thing. That creates some complications. Women always seem to have a problem playing with men ... and vice versa. I think male players out number women players in TV, about 2:1 perhaps 3:1. I see women (& some men, I'm sure), booking Tee Times for 2 people and no one of the other sex wants to join that group.

Also, if a Male books a female "Guest" or 2, the Tee Sheet still shows the time as "3 M's".

Most Tee Sheets show names. If I'm searching for a Tee Time as a single and see people I know with an opening, I'd book that rather than booking with strangers. I'm not necessarily advocating names, because I'm sure there are plenty of arguments against showing names.

Just a couple of examples. Once you get to know the system, it works perfectly well.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

The system's interface is a very "clunky", awkward and non-intuitive, in comparison to most modern websites.

Once you get to know the system, it works perfectly well.

fact check:TRUE

and to add insult to injury: Foreup software which is cheap for booking tee times is 10 times worse with its requirement of a unique password for each course, even though the email address is the same. . makes autofill impossible and requires a separate list of passwords saved to refer to each golf course. . . total SS!

[jimhoward]

One feature I would like to see is the ability to make same-day on-line tee times. I can do that at other clubs, but I guess the Villages is too big to allow that.

Even if booking same-day on-line tee times is not practical, it would be nice if you could at least see the same day tee sheets. That way, if it looked pretty open, you could just head over there or call but already know how busy it is before you call.

But, the system as is works.

[golfing eagles]

Has anybody had any success fighting the tyrannical law of the Tee Time Office?? Any suggestions??

Still waiting to hear just what "tyrannical laws" the OP is referring to.

[biker1]

One feature I would like to see is the ability to add to an existing reservation. Often, I will put in a request for a group and get assigned a tee time (a reservation) and then someone who didn't think they could play finds out they can. Assuming an open spot exists, it would be nice to be able to just add them to the existing reservation. Currently, you can effectively do this but it is a two step process requiring the creation of a new reservation (or the new player can just do it themselves). This is a relatively small inconvenience and overall the system works well. On those rare occasions I need to call the tee time office, the nice ladies there are very helpful.

One feature I would like to see is the ability to make same-day on-line tee times. I can do that at other clubs, but I guess the Villages is too big to allow that.

Even if booking same-day on-line tee times is not practical, it would be nice if you could at least see the same day tee sheets. That way, if it looked pretty open, you could just head over there or call but already know how busy it is before you call.

But, the system as is works.

[DeafDeaf]

Currently, the Tee Office utilizes a modified commercial off-the-shelf application, incurring a charge of $8 per month per household payable to The Villages Computer Services. (Estimated one third of households, 50,000 pay $8, making $4 million a month - does the computer services need that substantial amount?) The current telecommunication system is inefficient, and operators experience significant complexity in its use. In contrast, comparable golf courses offer integrated online reservation platforms that enable real-time booking and user-friendly interfaces at no additional cost. This raises the question of why we are compelled to either rely on an unsupported, cost-free telephone reservation method or incur an $8 monthly fee for online request processing. It appears that the system's The Villages developer has optimized their revenue generation strategies at the expense of operational efficiency.

[golfing eagles]

Currently, the Tee Office utilizes a modified commercial off-the-shelf application, incurring a charge of $8 per month per household payable to The Villages Computer Services. (Estimated one third of households, 50,000 pay $8, making $4 million a month - does the computer services need that substantial amount?) The current telecommunication system is inefficient, and operators experience significant complexity in its use. In contrast, comparable golf courses offer integrated online reservation platforms that enable real-time booking and user-friendly interfaces at no additional cost. This raises the question of why we are compelled to either rely on an unsupported, cost-free telephone reservation method or incur an $8 monthly fee for online request processing. It appears that the system's The Villages developer has optimized their revenue generation strategies at the expense of operational efficiency.

There aren’t 150,000 households in TV, so divide that $4M by 3

[biker1]

Well, no. First of all, 50,000 x $8 per month is $400K per month, not $4M per month and there are other problems with your numbers. There are about 75,000 homes in The Villages. I would guess that about 20,000 (being optimistic) subscribe to thevillages.net tee time system for $8 per month (it is per home). That would work out to be about $2M per year, not the $48M per year that you claim.

Currently, the Tee Office utilizes a modified commercial off-the-shelf application, incurring a charge of $8 per month per household payable to The Villages Computer Services. (Estimated one third of households, 50,000 pay $8, making $4 million a month - does the computer services need that substantial amount?) The current telecommunication system is inefficient, and operators experience significant complexity in its use. In contrast, comparable golf courses offer integrated online reservation platforms that enable real-time booking and user-friendly interfaces at no additional cost. This raises the question of why we are compelled to either rely on an unsupported, cost-free telephone reservation method or incur an $8 monthly fee for online request processing. It appears that the system's The Villages developer has optimized their revenue generation strategies at the expense of operational efficiency.