Play the right tees guys

[Tanner25]

I don't always play the wrong tees, but when I do I wait for the green to clear from 230 out after driving it 200.

 

lol, that's exactly what I saw, a duffed shot off the tee and waiting for the green to clear from 230.

[Tanner25]

Tanner,

Nice thoughts, but I am afraid the beat of the drum will only resonate with a certain few, either those seasoned seniors, like ourselves, for whom golf can now be seen as a game to be played and enjoyed, or those who are social golfers.

The dyed in the wool, hardcore, full of testosterone's vim and vigor golfing male, will continue to puff out his chest and proceed to be beaten up by the game they claim so desperately to love.

The glory and the agony of youth.

 

Thanks, oldschoolrocker. Hopefully, some of our experiences can help the younger crowd. My son is 20 and at first he was afraid to join me on the

senior tees, now he is afraid to get off of them!

 

Great course!

 

It was.....but, very far away from civilization!

[scratch72]

I have no problem with anyone playing any tee they want as long as they keep up. If they've paid their money, play where they want. There's also nothing wrong with playing mixed tees in a group.

 

I agree with this, but therein lies the problem. The majority of people playing from the tips don't (or can't) keep up. They are still hacking it around, just from much further back. An extra shot or two doesn't sound like much, but over 18 holes, it adds up, and so does the time spent playing those extra shots.

 

I have rarely seen folks playing the tips that belong 2 or 3 tees up - but it happens and that's what rangers are supposedly for.

There lies the problem. Rangers, they either don't have one anymore or they have one for show only. Every time we complain about slow play in front of us even when they are two holes behind the ranger says nothing he can do about it. I can remember when slow players were made to pick up their clubs and move up to the next group.

[Golfrnut]

Yesterday, I played Cutter Creek in E. NC (nice course!) and it made me realize how many guys are playing the wrong tees - when they should be playing forward by atleast one tee, This course had many tee boxes for this reason. It looks like as an after thought, they added red tees - for even more choices. When the reds used to be beige. There are plenty of tee choices at most courses. Having played with my regular partners for many years, playing the same white tees. Not because I would have been embarrassed to move up, I just never thought about teeing forward. I always thought average men play white and better golfers play blue. Now, that I teeing it forward, I noticed how many people ahead of me were just getting beat up from the longer tee boxes, not having fun at all and for no good reason. And, I was having a great time from the green tees (no golds there). Just a thought from a senior golfer, especially to the younger golfers. Be brave to bring this up to your golfing buddies. You might even enjoy your day the next time out!

 

 

Sidebar to the thread ;)

 

Glad to see you made it out there and enjoyed yourself.

 

I did Golfrnut - thank you. The course was incredible. As a higher capper, I'll know the next time to not always cross the water going for the green. In many cases, it would have been a good idea to bale out away from the water and then have an easy chip. They did have a bunch of different tee box choices, which was great. Even from that perspective it was well designed. The shorter tee boxes also meant less trouble.

 

Yup...lots of boxes, opens them up when they host tournaments there too.

 

Undulating lies over water, etc.

 

There are a few holes on the back I am not fond of, just because the lengths seem to be a little offset. Many "target" golf holes on the front off the tees, but there are a few forced carries on the back that I can't say I am a fan of. Some are risk/reward, some are just necessary to have any kind of shot at the greens. I think 14 is like a 475 yd par 4 from their blue tees, and it's a forced carry over a bunker or a chute that's 15 yards wide in the middle of a dog leg on the right side of it. That one is one that really just irks me to no end. Overall, the course is very nice though.

[Ghost of Snead]

I have no problem with anyone playing any tee they want as long as they keep up. If they've paid their money, play where they want. There's also nothing wrong with playing mixed tees in a group.

 

I agree with this, but therein lies the problem. The majority of people playing from the tips don't (or can't) keep up. They are still hacking it around, just from much further back. An extra shot or two doesn't sound like much, but over 18 holes, it adds up, and so does the time spent playing those extra shots.

 

I have rarely seen folks playing the tips that belong 2 or 3 tees up - but it happens and that's what rangers are supposedly for.

There lies the problem. Rangers, they either don't have one anymore or they have one for show only. Every time we complain about slow play in front of us even when they are two holes behind the ranger says nothing he can do about it. I can remember when slow players were made to pick up their clubs and move up to the next group.

 

Could be ... but IMO, there is very little correlation to slow play and the tees you play. See Andrew Loupe and Bernhard Langer ...

[robrey85]

I don't agree with the tee it forward crowd in many cases. To me, it isn't really handicap based but how far you hit off the tee. I look at the course length to give me a gauge. I will play whatever tees get me closest to 7000 yds without going over. I also look at each individual hole to see if if there will be anything unreasonable (par 3s over 230, par 4s at 480+, par 5s at 600) then make the call. The problem is all courses aren't created equally. Some courses I wouldn't even consider playing from the tips. But on many courses I do. It just depends on the course.

 

It's all how far you hit your clubs. If your directional control sucks, does playing forward really help that massive slice/push/hook/pull?

 

This is exactly how I feel. I'll look at total yardage and then compare tees. For example, I'm playing Fossil Trace in Denver, CO for the first time and one up is 6577 and the tips are 6831 but there is a 230 Par 3, 659 Par 5 and a few 450+ Par 4s so that might deter me to play one up because that is just outrageous.

[Sean2]

Tees should be chosen based on how you derive your enjoyment from a round of golf. One person's "getting beat up" is another person's challenge. Of course, playing slow should not result from a need for a challenge.

 

A lot of golfers apparently like to be "challenged".

 

Personally, I think it has to do with ego. I have been an active promoter of teeing it forward on this board, and elsewhere for a long time. The majority of people I know who do tee it forward often remark that they should have done it sooner, as they found their rounds much more enjoyable.

 

I played a round a few weeks ago and watched a group tee it from the tips. A large pond was in front of those tees. All four put their tees shots in the water. Re-teeing they did the same thing. Losing two balls on the first tee and carding at least a quad, must have been a very enjoyable way to start the round.

[AndyC]

Tees should be chosen based on how you derive your enjoyment from a round of golf. One person's "getting beat up" is another person's challenge. Of course, playing slow should not result from a need for a challenge.

 

A lot of golfers apparently like to be "challenged".

 

Personally, I think it has to do with ego. I have been an active promoter of teeing it forward on this board, and elsewhere for a long time. The majority of people I know who do tee it forward often remark that they should have done it sooner, as they found their rounds much more enjoyable.

 

I played a round a few weeks ago and watched a group tee it from the tips. A large pond was in front of those tees. All four put their tees shots in the water. Re-teeing they did the same thing. Losing two balls on the first tee and carding at least a quad, must have been a very enjoyable way to start the round.

 

You are imposing your enjoyment qualifications on other people. Making a course easier to play is not synonymous with making it more enjoyable. Some people get enjoyment out of jogging at the beach while others find enjoyment in doing a marathon.

[MadGolfer76]

Tees should be chosen based on how you derive your enjoyment from a round of golf. One person's "getting beat up" is another person's challenge. Of course, playing slow should not result from a need for a challenge.

 

A lot of golfers apparently like to be "challenged".

 

Personally, I think it has to do with ego. I have been an active promoter of teeing it forward on this board, and elsewhere for a long time. The majority of people I know who do tee it forward often remark that they should have done it sooner, as they found their rounds much more enjoyable.

 

I played a round a few weeks ago and watched a group tee it from the tips. A large pond was in front of those tees. All four put their tees shots in the water. Re-teeing they did the same thing. Losing two balls on the first tee and carding at least a quad, must have been a very enjoyable way to start the round.

 

You are imposing your enjoyment qualifications on other people. Making a course easier to play is not synonymous with making it more enjoyable. Some people get enjoyment out of jogging at the beach while others find enjoyment in doing a marathon.

 

Take it easy. He's only sharing his opinion. If you knew Sean, you would be aware that "imposing" upon others is not what he is about.

[gsea33]

You have no business playing the tips if you are not a 5 cap or less. I don't care if you can drive it 300 yds. So you're hacking out from 150 instead of hitting from the fairway. You paid your money and can play from where you want but don't tell me a 94 from the tips is more enjoyable than a 79 from the tees a step up. All you're doing is looking like a weekend warrior and not impressing anybody with macho tees.

[Ghost of Snead]

You have no business playing the tips if you are not a 5 cap or less. I don't care if you can drive it 300 yds. So you're hacking out from 150 instead of hitting from the fairway. You paid your money and can play from where you want but don't tell me a 94 from the tips is more enjoyable than a 79 from the tees a step up. All you're doing is looking like a weekend warrior and not impressing anybody with macho tees.

 

What makes you think the same golfer from one tee up won't be hacking out from 125 ? One tee up makes his tee ball go straighter ?

[Kuuuch]

You have no business playing the tips if you are not a 5 cap or less. I don't care if you can drive it 300 yds. So you're hacking out from 150 instead of hitting from the fairway. You paid your money and can play from where you want but don't tell me a 94 from the tips is more enjoyable than a 79 from the tees a step up. All you're doing is looking like a weekend warrior and not impressing anybody with macho tees.

 

5 cap and less is a bit much to say the least. I think it depends on the course and many aren't playing 7000+ courses. You can be a good ball striker with a 8-10 handicap but bad short game, I have a lot of friends who fall into that category.

[wobgon]

I'm not sure anyone should tell anyone else what tee's they should play. Everyone is different and people play the game for different reasons and are looking for different forms of satisfaction........I have played for many years and have never been bothered by what tees anyone was playing just like it never bothered me when i used to play in a summer basketball league and had to play against former NBA players and future NBA players, and was expected to shoot at the same basket they did.

[Sean2]

Tees should be chosen based on how you derive your enjoyment from a round of golf. One person's "getting beat up" is another person's challenge. Of course, playing slow should not result from a need for a challenge.

 

A lot of golfers apparently like to be "challenged".

 

Personally, I think it has to do with ego. I have been an active promoter of teeing it forward on this board, and elsewhere for a long time. The majority of people I know who do tee it forward often remark that they should have done it sooner, as they found their rounds much more enjoyable.

 

I played a round a few weeks ago and watched a group tee it from the tips. A large pond was in front of those tees. All four put their tees shots in the water. Re-teeing they did the same thing. Losing two balls on the first tee and carding at least a quad, must have been a very enjoyable way to start the round.

 

You are imposing your enjoyment qualifications on other people. Making a course easier to play is not synonymous with making it more enjoyable. Some people get enjoyment out of jogging at the beach while others find enjoyment in doing a marathon.

 

Take it easy. He's only sharing his opinion. If you knew Sean, you would be aware that "imposing" upon others is not what he is about.

 

Thanks Dan, and too true. I couldn't care less where people tee it up, I only offer my opinion and what I have observed. If hitting hybrids and fairway woods into most par fours, and hybrids and woods into par threes is his thing, he is welcome to it. He can enjoy the "challenge". lol

 

ps: I never said anything about making courses easier either.

[Scottz]

I thought once I heard a formula like how far you hit your five iron x a certain number is the yardage you should play from. Anyone else heard this?

[AndyC]

Tees should be chosen based on how you derive your enjoyment from a round of golf. One person's "getting beat up" is another person's challenge. Of course, playing slow should not result from a need for a challenge.

 

A lot of golfers apparently like to be "challenged".

 

Personally, I think it has to do with ego. I have been an active promoter of teeing it forward on this board, and elsewhere for a long time. The majority of people I know who do tee it forward often remark that they should have done it sooner, as they found their rounds much more enjoyable.

 

I played a round a few weeks ago and watched a group tee it from the tips. A large pond was in front of those tees. All four put their tees shots in the water. Re-teeing they did the same thing. Losing two balls on the first tee and carding at least a quad, must have been a very enjoyable way to start the round.

 

You are imposing your enjoyment qualifications on other people. Making a course easier to play is not synonymous with making it more enjoyable. Some people get enjoyment out of jogging at the beach while others find enjoyment in doing a marathon.

 

Take it easy. He's only sharing his opinion. If you knew Sean, you would be aware that "imposing" upon others is not what he is about.

 

Bad choice of words on my part. Projecting might be better a better verb. No malice on my part.

[Sean2]

I thought once I heard a formula like how far you hit your five iron x a certain number is the yardage you should play from. Anyone else heard this?

 

Golf Digest: you take your 5-iron carry distance and multiply it by 36. This will give you the yardage you should play from.

[frequency]

the problem a lot of times is ppl of different skill level playing together. The lower skill level guys will just play the tees that the higher skill lvl guys play. their reasoning is that it will speed up play when it actuality it slows things down.

[stickner]

I played as a single a few days ago and was paired with 3 guys in their 20's. The conditions were brutal. The wind was HOWLING 20-25mph the entire round. I played the white tees at 6350 (rating is just over 70 and the slope is 129).

 

These guys were playing the blue tees at just over 6800. I shot an 86 (which I was THRILLED with in that wind). The lowest guy from the blues shot a "declared" 105. If they played it down, counted everything AND played by the rules, the lowest score would have been maybe 115. The highest would have been 130-140.

 

After 5 or 6 holes as politely and non-threatening as I could I invited them to come play the white tees as the conditions were so tough. They instantly shot me down and joked they prefer to play from where the men play from. I casually joked back we could play a "manly" 10 dollar skins game for the rest of the round if we all played the white tees. They stayed at the blue tees! :)

[stickner]

I thought once I heard a formula like how far you hit your five iron x a certain number is the yardage you should play from. Anyone else heard this?

 

Golf Digest: you take your 5-iron carry distance and multiply it by 36. This will give you the yardage you should play from.

 

The average golfwrx player would be at 7920 yard tees.. :taunt:

[Doc V.]

I pay for a chance to play the whole course. There are no extra fees for extra strokes or teeing it further. For every one of you who are now at single digits, you all were just hackers like I am. At some point p, I may get to single digits. When I do, I hope to enjoy watching somebody challenging the course like I used to. Just be quick about it.

 

I have also seen good players playing from the appropriate tees who take 5 practice swings in between shots and line up a putt after going around the entire green. Hell, he even makes that 15 footer. I'd still rather watch the hacker playing from the wrong tees who is considerate of others while trying to improve his game. And don't tell me to go to the practice tee. I'd rather play golf. Thanks, rant over.

[gsea33]

You have no business playing the tips if you are not a 5 cap or less. I don't care if you can drive it 300 yds. So you're hacking out from 150 instead of hitting from the fairway. You paid your money and can play from where you want but don't tell me a 94 from the tips is more enjoyable than a 79 from the tees a step up. All you're doing is looking like a weekend warrior and not impressing anybody with macho tees.

 

What makes you think the same golfer from one tee up won't be hacking out from 125 ? One tee up makes his tee ball go straighter ?

 

What I was trying to say and maybe I didn't get my point across was that unless you are a very accomplished player and can play from the fairway consistently why do you consider playing the tips being as faraway from the green and in the shite as possible. At 125 vs 150 bet your odds double for a GIR. But like I said hack away great entertainment. Plus I paid my money and I am seeing all of the course I bet you will. The left side the right side behind the green and the beach, don't forget that lovely lake front property.

[gsea33]

I pay for a chance to play the whole course. There are no extra fees for extra strokes or teeing it further. For every one of you who are now at single digits, you all were just hackers like I am. At some point p, I may get to single digits. When I do, I hope to enjoy watching somebody challenging the course like I used to. Just be quick about it.

 

I have also seen good players playing from the appropriate tees who take 5 practice swings in between shots and line up a putt after going around the entire green. Hell, he even makes that 15 footer. I'd still rather watch the hacker playing from the wrong tees who is considerate of others while trying to improve his game. And don't tell me to go to the practice tee. I'd rather play golf. Thanks, rant over.

 

Guess it is like the practice range. It would probably be like hitting a couple of large buckets maybe 95 balls.

[gsea33]

You have no business playing the tips if you are not a 5 cap or less. I don't care if you can drive it 300 yds. So you're hacking out from 150 instead of hitting from the fairway. You paid your money and can play from where you want but don't tell me a 94 from the tips is more enjoyable than a 79 from the tees a step up. All you're doing is looking like a weekend warrior and not impressing anybody with macho tees.

 

5 cap and less is a bit much to say the least. I think it depends on the course and many aren't playing 7000+ courses. You can be a good ball striker with a 8-10 handicap but bad short game, I have a lot of friends who fall into that category.

 

I agree if the tips are like 6500 or so. My club the tips go 7000 and change on one side and the other 18 is 7,100. About every 5th group goes to the tips. Now we are semi-private so daily green fees make up a lot of the players that hit 230 and leave another 200 yds to the green. 9 out of ten couldn't get there with a cannon, but they are having fun.

[RSinSG]

My course The Ledges) did a big update a couple of years ago, and one of the things they did was to eliminate one set of tees. We used to have black, blue, white and red. Now we have black, white and yellow. The change has encouraged many players to play whites or yellow. I guess the stigma of "ladies tees" is gone. The whites and blacks share what used to be the blues so the super has the ability to better maintain the boxes.

 

When traveling, I pick the tees based upon what approach shots I'm likely to have. I choose the yardage that will allow me to hit mid-irons most of the time. Makes for a more enjoyable time for me.

[lenman73]

A few years back I tried to get a buddy of mine to move up. I asked why he would rather shoot 99 from the tips and gave no real answer. I am a big fan of playing from the tees that fit my game. Last year, I was with the same buddy and we played a tough course from the whites, middle tees for the guys. Him, myself and another friend all shot horrendous rounds. Went back there a couple weeks later and moved up one set and the scores all around went down and the number of smiles and laughs went up.

 

I can only speak for myself, but I play to enjoy myself, not to punish myself.

[finleysg]

When I visit an unfamiliar course, I like to find the tees that measure out at 6400-6700, but you also have to look at where the distance is. Having one or two reachable par 5's is fun, and avoiding the brutally long par 3's can also help make it more fun. I also play a few tournaments a year that typically are played at 7000 or more. That's too much golf course for every day fun, especially is the wind is up.

[stryper]

There is no motivation for a hacker to tee it forward. First, they will spray the ball just the same, it's not like they will suddenly put the driver away. Second, no matter the approach distance that ball is not getting on the green. Third chipping and putting will be dreadful. I play the muni courses and see them all the time and I have witnessed those that tee it forward with the same issues as those that don't.

^^^This^^^

 

[bluedot]

I always find it amusing when someone speaks of "playing the whole course".

 

If you want to play the course the way the architect designed it, find a set of tees that bring as many of the design features into play in the way they were designed as possible.

 

For instance, if you can't reach any of the fairway bunkers off the tee, you are too far back. If you never have to decide about how much of a dogleg to bite off on your tee shot, you are too far back. If the risk-reward elements of a great par 5 aren't available to you, you are too far back. And so on...

 

If you think that playing the tips means playing the whole course, your understanding of golf course architecture and strategy is severely limited. Changing playing fields is one of the things that makes golf unique; learn to appreciate what the architect did, and play the course he designed for you, rather than the course that your ego dictates.

[wobgon]

You have no business playing the tips if you are not a 5 cap or less. I don't care if you can drive it 300 yds. So you're hacking out from 150 instead of hitting from the fairway. You paid your money and can play from where you want but don't tell me a 94 from the tips is more enjoyable than a 79 from the tees a step up. All you're doing is looking like a weekend warrior and not impressing anybody with macho tees.

 

5 cap and less is a bit much to say the least. I think it depends on the course and many aren't playing 7000+ courses. You can be a good ball striker with a 8-10 handicap but bad short game, I have a lot of friends who fall into that category.

 

I agree if the tips are like 6500 or so. My club the tips go 7000 and change on one side and the other 18 is 7,100. About every 5th group goes to the tips. Now we are semi-private so daily green fees make up a lot of the players that hit 230 and leave another 200 yds to the green. 9 out of ten couldn't get there with a cannon, but they are having fun.

So were should a lousy bowler roll hiss ball from?