Golfers and other community members expressed their outrage Monday and demanded answers from city officials about a booming black market that has co-opted scarce tee times at Los Angeles city golf courses. The lone city official at the meeting of the all-volunteer golf advisory committee offered only brief remarks and did not answer questions from speakers about why the city has not stopped the practice of brokers buying up the tee times and charging up to $40 as a booking fee.
Joseph Lee, president of SoCal Dream Golf Club and an active member of L.A.'s Korean community, condemned the brokers and vowed to expose how they are monetizing a public good. 'We're chasing them til the end, and we'll keep you updated,' Lee said to cheers at the meeting. Nevertheless, longtime golf advisory committee member Anne Matthews questioned whether the existence of brokers has been proven.