Why can’t I get a 10 a.m. tee time?

It’s one of the most common questions we receive, and the reason late morning tee times aren’t available is because the majority of Myrtle Beach golf courses utilize a double tee, meaning players start their round on either the first or 10th hole.

Why?

The simple answer is because the overwhelming majority of courses turn at the clubhouse, creating a two-hour window with the double tee that maximizes the most desirable tee times. For most courses that window is 7:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Some golfers grumble that maximizing desirable tee times is a euphemism for what they would otherwise call greed. Let’s debunk that myth now.

Double-teeing doesn’t increase the number of tee times available to sell each day. However, it does double the number of highly sought-after tee times. The tee times golfers most want to play.

Put another way, the most popular tee times are, without fail, between 8-9 a.m., and the decision to double-tee means there are two 8:30 a.m. times instead of one. Make sense?

While some people occasionally want a late morning start, the vast majority of groups would rather go off No. 10 at 8:30 than No. 1 at 10:30.

Myth #2: Double-teeing slows pace of play. Not true. Pace of play is generally better with a double tee as slow play, if it occurs, is often confined to one side of the course. A slow group or two on a single tee can ripple throughout the course and the day.

Utilizing a double tee also allows courses to reset in the afternoon, which can be helpful.

Those are the primary reasons many courses prefer to double tee (and you should too), but courses that don’t turn at the clubhouse have to single tee. If your group wants a 10:15 tee time, here are 3 layouts that are single-teeing this fall:

— Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood
— Wild Wing Avocet
— Arrowhead Country Club (27 holes)

Hopefully that helps explain the reasons behind the double tee!