One of the most important things to know when looking for a public golf course to play a round of golf is to figure out the appropriate tee times. Golf tee times are the specific times set up for you, and any friends, family, co-workers, or anyone else you are golfing with, plan to show up and begin your game. To make sure that the course isn't overcrowded, golf courses will demand reservations ahead of time. The time you and your group is expected to start is your tee time. Golf tee times allow the different groups of golfers to be separated so they don't end up running into one another, thereby making a morning, afternoon, or evening of golf more enjoyable and efficient for as many people as possible.

The options you have for golf tee times will depend on the individual areas and courses. In the United States tee times can vary widely from as early as 4 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m. Most courses will have more moderate and reasonable hours between these two extremes, but a lot depends on environment. In Alaska, for example, in the summer there is nearly 23 hours of light a day, making early and late tee times perfectly viable. In other parts of the country the latest tee times are often 7 or 8 p.m. and the early times start around 6 a.m. Once again, the variety of golf tee times will depend strongly on each individual course and area of the country, but there are some general guidelines. No matter where the course, there will almost always be open times from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. if not longer.

Golf tee times help to keep every course organized, and make sure that individual parties will not be played into, or play into another group – a major breech of golfing etiquette. By keeping the groups spread out over an appropriate range, this helps golf courses to make sure their customers remain happy, and coming back for more.