SACRAMENTO, CA — Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1954, the Protecting Access to Reservations Act, authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), cracking down on third-party brokers that buy up municipal golf course tee times and resell them for profit.
AB 1954 prohibits third-party golf reservation platforms from listing, advertising, selling, or transferring reservations at publicly owned golf courses without written authorization from the course operator.
“Public golf courses belong to the public, and residents shouldn’t have to compete with brokers buying up tee times just to turn around and sell them at inflated prices,” said Assemblymember Chris Ward. “AB 1954 puts an end to this unfair practice and helps ensure local residents, seniors, students, and families can continue accessing the public courses their communities support.”
California has more than 200 municipally owned golf courses, which often provide lower-cost access for residents, seniors, juniors, schools, and community organizations. The Legislature found that brokers buying reservations en masse and reselling them at inflated prices have reduced access to already limited tee times.
"We are thrilled the Governor signed AB 1954 and thank Assemblymember Ward for his leadership," said Craig Kessler, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Golf, the legislation's sponsor. "Municipal golf courses are integral to ensuring access to golf across the state for seniors, youth, and residents who might otherwise not have access to the game. AB 1954 enables cities and counties to combat booking practices that make access to public golf courses extremely difficult and costly for residents."