Tabbing to a Tee Time

Getting a decent tee time could soon be as easy as turning on the computer.

Preferred Tee Times, a Costa Mesa-based firm that installed computer systems at golf courses so operators could communicate with one another, is launching a site on the World Wide Web that will let players book their own reservations.

The site, www.playerscard.com, will open during the next few weeks, company President Howard Kelly said.

Users log onto the site and can browse through the tee sheets of at least 32 courses in Southern California and Baja, including Tijeras Creek in Rancho Santa Margarita and Los Serranos Golf and Country Club in Chino. Find a good time? Then punch in a name and a credit card number. Preferred Tee Times’ computer server immediately updates the tee sheets so others can’t call later and grab the spot.

Another helpful hint: The site will let people book times up to 30 days in advance at some courses. Normally, the public can reserve a slot only a week ahead.

The online service costs $10 a month per user, or a $2 service fee per player per reservation, said Kelly, whose firm already handles tee time reservations by phone.

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P.J. Huffstutter covers high technology for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at p.j.huffstutter@latimes.com