How to get a tee time at Van Cortlandt Golf Course
Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course, in the Bronx, is often cited as the oldest public golf course in the United States. It is also one of the harder NYC Parks tee sheets to land a good weekend time on, for one structural reason: the booking window.
The window
NYC Parks opens online reservations a set number of days before the tee date, at midnight Eastern, through its own system — not at the course, and not by phone at that hour. Whoever is online and ready at midnight gets first look at the day’s best times. NYC Parks publishes the current window on its booking site.
What it costs
Reservations carry a non-refundable per-player fee on top of the green fee, plus the city’s advance-booking surcharge — published on NYC Parks’ own site, which is where to check current amounts.
If you miss the release
The window is not a closed door. NYC Parks’ published cancellation policy gives golfers a set period before their round to cancel — and every one of those cancellations quietly reopens a slot on a sheet everyone else has stopped checking. That is the gap Birdie Recon is built for: you set a watch on Van Cortlandt for the date range and time window you would actually play, and when our recon spots an opening we tell you. We are watching this sheet now — the telling is the part that is not working yet.
We alert; you book — on NYC Parks’ own site, at NYC Parks’ own price. We are not affiliated with Van Cortlandt or NYC Parks, and we cannot promise a time will still be there when you get to it.
Frequently asked
How far ahead can I book a tee time at Van Cortlandt?
NYC Parks opens online reservations a set number of days before the tee date, at midnight Eastern, through its own booking system. Confirm the current window on NYC Parks’ site before you plan around it.
What does it cost to reserve?
NYC Parks charges a non-refundable per-player reservation fee on top of the green fee, plus the city’s advance-booking surcharge. Confirm current amounts on NYC Parks’ own site — fees change.
What if I miss the release?
Cancellations happen inside NYC Parks’ published cancellation window, long after the release-morning rush is over. That is exactly what Birdie Recon is being built to watch for. We are watching this tee sheet now, though alerts are not going out yet.
Does Birdie Recon book the tee time for me?
No. We alert; you book, on NYC Parks’ own site, at NYC Parks’ own price.
Is this an official Van Cortlandt or NYC Parks page?
No. Birdie Recon is an independent service and is not affiliated with Van Cortlandt Golf Course or NYC Parks.
Birdie Recon is watching courses now — alerts aren’t going out yet, so set a watch up and it’s ready the day they start. See where things stand, or mail us if you want to hear when recon starts flying. See also how the booking window works system-wide and the Fair Use Credo.