How to Choose the Right Course and Book Your Tee Time

March 2, 2026

By Brandon Tucker

Golf courses can be an intimidating place, especially if you’re a nervous new golfer on the first tee of a challenging hole with onlookers milling about.

I’ve made a huuuge mistake!

If you live in a large metro area, chances are there is a course near you of just about every shape, size, price and exclusivity. Some of these facilities are going to be more suitable golf courses for beginners than others. The last thing any of us in the golf industry wants is for a new player to show up and feel out of place. But there are private courses and others that are geared more towards serious players.

In this guide I want to share with you how and when you should book a tee time, as well as provide some tips on the types of courses you should look for.

First off, is the golf course private?

Roughly 25% of the courses in America are fully private. And in 2020 as golf participation surged, some semi-private courses (courses with members but also take in limited public play) filled their membership rolls and closed off public access entirely. The first thing you need to determine is which courses in your area allow guest and public play and which do not. Our Course Guide here at GolfPass designates courses as Private, semi-private, public, municipal and resort. If the course is semi-private, you’ll just want to check for online tee times and call the shop to find out booking restrictions.