How to Book a 1-Some Tee Time When the Foursome Sheet Looks Full

A 1-some is a pairing problem, not a leftover problem. Some shops let you reserve one name and fill the hole later. Other shops refuse the reservation and put you on a singles list. Read that shop's rule before you refresh a grey foursome sheet.

The empty hole is not always for sale

A 7:36 with three names is a hole. That does not mean the public book will sell you the fourth slot. A shop that pairs singles will often take your name. A shop that bans singles reservations will keep that hole for a walk-up or a list.

If the date itself is not released yet, that is the 7-day or 14-day public book problem. If Saturday is already grey and you need any start, the last-minute Saturday guide covers cancellations and shop holds. This guide is for joining as one player.

Three shop rules for a single

Do not guess. Named public shops publish opposite 1-some rules.

City of Rochester, Minnesota accepts reservations for twosomes, threesomes, or foursomes — not singles — across Eastwood, Hadley Creek, Northern Hills, and Soldiers Field. Foursomes have priority. Twosomes and threesomes can expect to be paired on busy days.

Los Angeles County Parks answers the same question the other way: a single player may reserve, and the shop will pair that player with other reservations when it can. The same FAQ lists the 7-day how-to for groups of two, three, four, or five. Ask the shop how a 1-some lands on that book.

Spokane County Golf sells reservations to two or more players. Singles call the pro shop to join the wait list. The county says it will do its best to get you on, and that singles typically wait less than 30 minutes even on busy weekend mornings.

Pairing is the shop filling the hole

When a shop does take a 1-some, the deal is usually pairing. You are filling a hole, not buying a private start.

City of Madison Golf says singles and twosomes may be paired to fill out the foursome, and golfers must play in foursomes at the direction of clubhouse staff. Reservations there open 14 days out and require a card at booking.

Casper Municipal in Wyoming tries to fill every tee time with four players. Book fewer than four and expect to be paired. If fewer than four check in, the shop may still pair you with walk-up players.

Some shops use a singles list instead

A day-of singles list is not an online 1-some. You buy a ticket, stay put, and wait for a hole.

Monmouth County Parks, in procedures effective 13 July 2026, says single golfers may not select an available tee time on the day of play. A single buys a greens fee ticket that day, goes on the singles list, and remains on stand-by at the course until called and assigned a time. Groups of two, three, or four may pick a same-day walk-on time at least 30 minutes ahead. Read the Monmouth County golf procedures before you assume a walk-on slot is yours.

Ask the pairing question, then call

Write down three answers before you drive:

1. Does this shop take a 1-some reservation, or only a singles list?
2. Will I be paired, and do I have to stay on the property?
3. Is the phone, the window, or the website the path that works for one player?

Then call. Ask for a 1-some, a join-on, or the singles list. Do not ask the shop to invent a foursome hold. If you are looking at a logged-out page, check whether you are even on the right book. That is the public versus member sheet problem.

Take the pairing

Take the pairing if you want the day more than a private start. A 1-some at 8:10 with three strangers still tees off. A leftover 1:40 that you booked alone may be slower to get and no more private once the starter fills it.

If you are still learning the booking flow itself, start with the beginner booking notes.

What not to do

• Do not book four names and show as one. The starter remembers, and shops such as Rochester and Madison already pair to fill holes.
• Do not treat a 2-or-more reservation page as a broken site. That may be the 1-some rule.
• Do not send a booking bot at a muny that bans them. You lose the account and the walk-up list.

FAQ

Can I book a 1-some online?

Only if that shop takes singles reservations. Los Angeles County says yes. Rochester says no. Spokane sends singles to the wait list. Ask the shop.

Will I get paired?

Often, when the shop takes a 1-some or a 2-some. Madison and Casper say so in policy. Expect it on a busy Saturday.

Do I have to wait at the course?

On a singles list, yes if that is the rule. Monmouth's 2026 walk-on policy keeps a single on stand-by until the starter calls.