California has enacted a new law targeting the problem of tee time brokers at municipal golf courses. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1954, known as the PAR Act (Protecting Access to Reservations), on September 27, 2026. This legislation bans third-party websites and brokers from selling or transferring tee times at public golf courses without written permission from the course itself. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Chris Ward and sponsored by the California Alliance for Golf, aims to ensure fair access to tee times for the public rather than allowing brokers to monopolize and resell them at inflated prices.

The issue of tee time brokering drew national attention in 2024 after golf content creator Dave Fink revealed brokers buying large amounts of public tee times and reselling them on social media platforms with added fees of $30 to $40 per booking. This practice prompted an investigation by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. In 2025, the FBI indicted two brokers for failing to report over $1 million in income, with around $700,000 coming from reselling tee times between 2021 and 2023. Despite one broker's defense that he was simply using technology to book for himself, authorities deemed the actions unlawful.

Assemblymember Ward emphasized that municipal golf courses belong to local communities, and residents should not face competition from brokers aiming to profit unfairly. The PAR Act places a prohibition on unauthorized resale, ensuring that tee times must be booked directly through authorized channels to protect access for residents, seniors, students, and families. Alongside banning tee time brokering, the law also tackles consumer protection by including provisions that outlaw the resale of restaurant reservations.

The new law exclusively targets public golf courses owned by municipalities and does not affect private golf clubs, resorts, or daily-fee courses operated outside the public sector. While it doesn’t increase the availability of tee times at crowded courses, it simplifies the process by mandating direct booking and authorized partnerships. Selling municipal tee times without proper authorization now qualifies as illegal activity under California law, marking a significant shift in regulating access to public recreational resources.