Golfers Sue Los Angeles Over Alleged ‘Black Market’ for Tee Times On Municipal Courses

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Five golfers allege in a proposed class action lawsuit that Los Angeles has failed to prevent so-called black market tee-time brokers from buying up and reselling tee times on the city’s golf courses for profit. 

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The 12-page golf lawsuit was filed on March 21 by members of the SoCal Dream Golf Club, who the suit says conducted “extensive research and investigation” into the alleged illegal tee-time bookings on Los Angeles public golf courses. The suit says that although the plaintiffs reported their findings to the city in detail, Los Angeles has nevertheless failed to take any action to stop the illegal tee-time bookings, which have blocked golfers who’ve purchased an LA City Gold Player Card from receiving the affordable tee-time benefits they paid for. 

“Accordingly, the situation has become worse than ever to the extent that it is now impossible for Player Card holders to book a tee time at LA City Golf Courses,” the complaint alleges, noting that local golfers have for years “suspected something shady going on behind the scenes” with regard to the tee-time booking process. 

Los Angeles owns 20 golf courses across 18 different sites city-wide, with the courses managed by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the case relays. The courses feature “a variety of beautiful and interesting settings,” offer affordable greens to the public and vary in length and difficulty, the filing shares. 

The lawsuit stresses that the city’s rules and regulations with regard to booking a tee time strictly prohibit the brokering or advertising of tee times for resale without permission from the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. 

Importantly, the case notes, a player card is required to book a tee time up to nine days in advance at all city courses and entitles the holder to book one foursome per day. Without a player card, the complaint shares, the general public can book tee times seven days in advance, meaning a player card affords the holder an advantage of two days for tee-time booking purposes. 

According to the lawsuit, Los Angeles has unlawfully allowed third-party brokers to snatch up “prime, affordable tee times” to resell with “premium booking fees.” This has forced paying player card holders who cannot book tee times online to pay additional costs to these brokers, the filing summarizes, claiming that this practice “has been going on for years” under the city’s watch. 

“As early as October 2023, LA City, by and through [the Department of Recreation and Parks], was informed of such illegal tee-time bookings at LA City Golf courses,” the suit claims. “But nothing has been done to ensure the booking process is fair to all golfers who wish to play at LA City Golf Courses.” 

As the case tells it, the failure of Los Angeles to stop the alleged illegal tee-time brokering means the player cards purchased by proposed class members “have no value for the purposes of obtaining affordable tee times” at city courses. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons who purchased an LA City Golf Player Card within the applicable statute of limitations period. 

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