Columnist Victoria Sun: Website caters to local golfers

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, July 12, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

Victoria Sun covers golf for the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com.

Getting out to play a round of golf has become a serious challenge for many local golfers.

Not because there aren't enough courses, but because the prices keep going up.

KVBC-TV Channel 3 personalities John Fredericks and Scott Haws have come up with a solution to benefit both golfers and course owners.

The partners have launched www.lasvegasteetimes.com, a website devoted to Southern Nevada golf.

What makes the website unique is the make-a-bid program in which golfers can bid for tee times that would otherwise go unused because of last minute cancellations or just a slow day at a particular course.

This way, a golfer ends up paying less than the usual greens fees and the course still makes some money.

"We did it because we're avid golfers," said Fredericks, the morning and noon weatherman on Channel 3. "We love golfing in Southern Nevada and we wanted to give locals a shot to play courses they wouldn't normally be able to play at a reduced fee.

"There are a million golfers in Southern Nevada, but unless you're making a lot of money, you're limited to where you can play. This is a win-win situation for everyone."

Here's how it works.

After logging on to the website, click on the make-a-bid icon.

There you will be given instructions on how to bid to play at seven courses. You get to specify the day and time you can play up to seven days in advance.

The best part about the service is that it's free. The deadline to make a bid is midnight the day before you want to play and the minimum bid is at least half of what the course would normally charge. If your bid is accepted, the course will call you at least two hours prior to your tee time.

Currently, you can bid to play at the Revere at Anthem, Las Vegas Paiute Resort, Rhodes Ranch, Palm Valley, Highland Falls, Eagle Crest and the Casablanca.

Fredericks and Haws hope that more courses will be offered in the future. On Aug. 1, the Siena Golf Club will be added to the list.

"We'd love to have 10 to 15 or 20 more courses," Fredericks said. "We're dealing with tee times that golf courses couldn't normally fill for various reasons.

"Every day the golf course is basically getting a list of golfers that want to play at their course and yes, they are getting a reduced rate. But they are still getting some money for the times that would otherwise go unfilled."

Sounds like a great deal for both golfers and course owners, right?

Surprisingly, Fredericks and Haws have been rebuffed by courses which have been either wary of the Internet or think that if they sign on, players might stop making reservations and try to get a deal instead.

Fredericks said both ideas are ridiculous.

"We just figured everybody would sign on with us with no questions asked," Fredericks said. "Still, we're dealing with large corporations who are taking a standoff-ish approach and want to see what happens with those already involved before making a move."

And for those who think the site is doing a financial disservice to courses, Fredericks had this to say:

"A tourist who is planning a trip months in advance isn't going to use our site, they're going to book their times as usual. And the players who know they want to play on a Saturday morning are not going to cancel their reservations and risk not getting a tee time because they were outbid.

"The people that can and are willing to pay to play will continue to do so. This is merely for people who have extra flexible schedules. Or who are retired and would like to play at a reduced rate."

The fee for the courses to be included in the make-a-bid program is nominal -- about the equivalent of a foursome per month -- considering the profit it could make in return.