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Moved up a tee


zebra2955

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I’ve come back to the game as a 65 year old senior after decades away. Back when I stopped playing, there were no seniors tees. I wasn’t a senior, or a short hitter so it didn’t effect me. My biggest shock playing again was the drastic loss of distance in my game. Without senior tees, I doubt that I’d keep playing. I just can just barely reach 400 yard plus par 4’s in two strokes.  From the shorter tees, the game is so much more fun. Even if I’ll never do it, par is a reachable goal on every hole. So many things about the game have changed over the years but the best improvement for me is that someone came up with are senior tees. 

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I finally got my 82-year old father to move up to the 5800 yard tees (from 6200) a couple of years ago. He's now playing better, hitting the ball more solidly (less pressure on long clubs), and shooting his age once a month or so.

 

I really enjoy playing different tee boxes at our club. We have 6100, 6500, and 7000, plus combos. 6500 is my "go to" tees, but when we play with others who prefer the 6100's, I play there and it's like a different golf course. I don't always score better, but definitely hit lots of different clubs off tees and into greens.

 

FWIW, the best advice I ever got about "are you playing the right set of tees" was really simple: look at the fairway bunkers. If you can't reach them off the tee, you're playing tees too far back. If you're blowing it past them, you're playing too far up (unless you're Bryson/Brooks/Rory ... ? ). If the fairway bunkers cause you to think about club choice or aim point -- you're perfect.

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20 hours ago, zebra2955 said:

We have one local course that calls the new tees the Military Tees. 

 

Interesting. Maybe there is a core group of older veterans that play there?  Seems like an odd designation to me as a general label for tees - like with "women's tees" - trying to designate a specific group that may or may not use the tees and a label that may or may not really describe everyone that may be using them.

 

I've come to appreciate just simple colors the last few years.

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When I turned 60 it was time. My buddies were not happy, but hitting it 30 plus yards past me doesn't work either. Today I shot 81 from the senior tees, yellow. My friend plays the yellow as well, and always out drives me by a lot. I get on him about it, but he uses it to keep close to my score. He is 59 and I don't think he should be on the yellow. At one course the seniors play off the red tees in tournament, as the senior tees are too long.

Bag is in overhaul mode

Clubs identify as hacker set

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"Tee it forward" is a great way to determine the best tee for your game.

 

Of course you have to be honest about the length your average drive. That's average drive length, not the length of the best drive you ever hit....

 

Our group also had to speak of the red tee as the forward tee instead of the ladies tee to make the most senior member of the group finally move up (his best drives go 175 yards) in order to stroke his ego. At least he now realizes he should have done that years ago. ?

 

 

Tee-it-Forward-Chart.jpg

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The 250 yard driver distance to a 62-6400 yard course seems short to me. If there are 4 par 5s averaging 500 yards (2000yd) and 4 par 3's at averaging about 150 (600 yards) that leaves 3600-3800yds across 10 par 4's for 360-380yds, which after subtracting 250 leaves us with 110-130yds. So basically SW-GW-PW-9i for most 250 yard players. 

 

I mean yes that will make the game quicker/easier, but it's funny that the tee it forward recommendation seems to be a way for everyone! to get to play bomb and gouge.

 

As an aside, within a round of golf, what shot opportunities should a course provide?

 

I like 4 par 3's to provide 1 wedge/short iron, 2 mid irons, and one long iron/hybrid. 4 par 5's would provide one genuine 3-shotter, 2 possibly reachable, and one very reachable. 

 

The balance of par 4's should have 1-2 drive and pitch, 1-2 drive and short iron, 1-2 drive and long iron, maybe a par 4½ thats driver-hybrid, and ideally some holes that take driver out of play. 

 

Of course I'm not applying that strict of criteria to every course every day, but if I can find a set of tees that gives me that mix (usually a 67-6900yard course for me) I tend to walk away satisfied, and thinking about both my home club and some of my favorite courses, they tend to meet this criteria.

 

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At 68, I finally decided to move up to the shorter senior tees. Playing hickories, my average drive is between 180-185 yds. Using the USGA chart that means around 5,000 yards which is pretty close to our senior tees. My scores have improved a few strokes but I'm also finding more challenging tee shots because the fairway bunkers and doglegs are now in play as opposed to when I played the Men's tees (6,000 yds). Overall, it was a great decision and I'm glad I finally put the ego aside and moved up!

Just an older guy with 7 or 8 clubs and a MacKenzie Sunday Walker bag

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I am a senior and play both Gold (5584) and White (5933) tees at my club. I prefer to mix it up.  After logging 72 rounds with 36 rounds on each tee, my average score is the same on both.  The difference is playing shorter clubs to the green. To be truthful, the shorter tees can be more of a challenge because when you tee off on a couple of holes at my course, you are closer to trees etc. which can get you in trouble. 

 

When I travel to other courses with my friends, they play the shorter tees which is fun to have a driver then a short iron into the green. They like to play different local courses and it depends on how the course was built.  A 5400 flat course can play more difficult than a 5800 course that has you teeing off from an elevated tee down to a lower fairway because you get more roll. So it all depends on the course we play.  After saying all that, if the group wants to play it forward, I have no problem moving up. It's Golf!  

Driver _____ Ping G400 Max
Woods ____ Ping G410 3 & 5, Cleveland XL HALO 7
Hybrids ___ Titleist 818H1 5H
Irons ______ Titleist T300 6-GW
Wedges ___ Titleist Vokey SM9 52.08F & 56.10S
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Ball _______  Titleist ProV1 Yellow
Distance __ GPS:  Bushnell Phantom 2,  Rangefinder:  Precision Pro NX7 Pro
GHIN ______ HCP floats between 10 and 12

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Lol. When was the last time the PGA played 7600+ yds? Ever? The median driving on the PGA Tour is 297.4, which means layouts in the low 7000's are the target.

 

The median driving average on the LPGA is 253.5 yds, and they generally play 6300 to 6400 yd courses (6600 in the majors), which aligns nicely with the chart. 

 

I average 240 yds, and normally play 6200 to 6500 yds. I'll move up or back depending on conditions, and I'll create my own combo tees if the existing set of tees don't fall within the yardage range. 

 

I've been playing a lot of golf recently with older retirees. The vast majority are playing way too far back, even if they're one teebox ahead of me. They have no chance of reaching a par 4 in two shots. 

 

Edited by Argonne69

Ping G425 Max Driver 12 (0 Flat) - Aldila Ascent Red 50 Stiff (46")
TaylorMade AeroBurner Mini Driver 16 - Matrix Speed RUL-Z 60 Stiff
Ping G410 7wd 20.5 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 65 Stiff (43")
Ping G410 9wd 23.5 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 65 Stiff (42.5")
Ping G425 6h 30 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 70 Stiff
PXG 0311P Gen3 6-P (2 Deg Weak, 1 Deg Flat) - True Temper Elevate 95 S /

Ping i200 6-P Orange Dot (2 Deg Weak, 2 Deg Flat) - True Temper XP 95 S
Ping Glide 4.0 52-12 S, 56-10 Eye2, and 60-10 S Orange Dot (2 Deg Flat) - Ping Z-Z115 Wedge
PXG Blackjack 36" - SuperStroker Flatso 2.0

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My father in law won't even entertain the thought of moving up a tee until he's 65, because that is the age that he has apparently decided qualifies him for the "senior tees". He's around 60 now and his distance has been dropping pretty steadily in the last couple years. He's a decently straight driver but can't possibly average anything over 175 yards. It's very rare for him to reach any of the par 4's in two and went from regularly shooting in the high 80's a few years ago to struggling to break 95. He gets all frustrated with it, but he doesn't seem willing to accept that it's almost impossible for him to score well if he can't get to the green in regulation. You're going to have a rough time when you NEED to hit a good drive + great 3-wood/hybrid + good chip to just make a par. Unfortunately, I think he'd sooner quit golf than move up to the "senior tees"... I think he'd consider it cheating.

 

I really do hope that the "tee it forward" thing takes hold, but it's hard to see it happening with a stubborn old guy like my FIL. Or anyone else we play with, unfortunately. It'll take years to break free from the mindset that the front tees are for women and older folks, the middle tees are for normal golfers, then the back tees are for the good golfers.

 

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I'm 60, but most of the guys I play with are in their 70s and play the 'senior' tees (I agree with another poster that they shouldn't be segmented by group, but by length).  So, just for ease of everyone teeing off from the same tees, I often play the same.  However, whenever I get a chance, I'll play the next tees back, as I just enjoy the challenge more.  I mean, I do enjoy using the longer irons and hybrids from time-to-time, so I don't need to be 125 or less in after my drive every time.  I'm shooting for bogey golf anyway.  And I hate when they place the up tees in front of the 'junk' (ie. waste area, water, meadow) rather than behind it, as I just like the challenge of not losing a ball.

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the course we are currently playing has five sets of tee markers from 6700 down to 4900.

the course underwent a renovation two years ago and some tee boxes were added.

by using combo colors there are actually seven length options available for players.

more venues should emulate these options when possible. 

 

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currently playing:
FT-5 - D
Cally FT hybrids
Hogan Edge GS, 4-PW
Vokey Oil Can 52, 56
Ping Anser 2

TM FlexTech Lite/Titleist StaDry
 

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9 hours ago, @_the_crook said:

the course we are currently playing has five sets of tee markers from 6700 down to 4900.

the course underwent a renovation two years ago and some tee boxes were added.

by using combo colors there are actually seven length options available for players.

more venues should emulate these options when possible. 

 

 

I simply don't understand why more courses don't add combo tees. It's basically a change to the scorecard. If I'm not mistaken, rating and slope can be calculated using the chart in the USGA handicap manual. I've played numerous courses with 500 to 700 yds between tees. That's just too much. Mu old home course had the blues at 6620, and the whites at 5914. Most players are not going to move up to 5900, but when the wind was blowing 6620 was tough, as the course was generally very wet, and there was little rollout. After years of kvetching they finally added a combo.

 

Ping G425 Max Driver 12 (0 Flat) - Aldila Ascent Red 50 Stiff (46")
TaylorMade AeroBurner Mini Driver 16 - Matrix Speed RUL-Z 60 Stiff
Ping G410 7wd 20.5 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 65 Stiff (43")
Ping G410 9wd 23.5 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 65 Stiff (42.5")
Ping G425 6h 30 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 70 Stiff
PXG 0311P Gen3 6-P (2 Deg Weak, 1 Deg Flat) - True Temper Elevate 95 S /

Ping i200 6-P Orange Dot (2 Deg Weak, 2 Deg Flat) - True Temper XP 95 S
Ping Glide 4.0 52-12 S, 56-10 Eye2, and 60-10 S Orange Dot (2 Deg Flat) - Ping Z-Z115 Wedge
PXG Blackjack 36" - SuperStroker Flatso 2.0

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I would be interested to hear what initiated the decision to move up?  Was it a suggestion or just a "lets try this and see what happens" type of decision...

 

A little background: 

I am a younger golfer (early 30s) with a pretty good distance on my driver (consistency is another conversation for another day ?). and more often or not I play with my father who has lost some distance on his driver.  not a ton of distance lost but it is at the point that when we play that most holes 360 or more, he is hitting a longer iron which I can see why the scores may have slipped from his average.  He is the personality type that he doesn't want to feel "old" or be the odd man out that hits from a different tee.  But I can assume that the game would be more fun if he was able to hit 7i, 8i, or 9i more than his 5i or 4i.  I have contemplated mentioning that he might try it out a few times to see if there is a difference whether it be scores, enjoyment, or ideally both

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 Why not get better at hitting longer irons ?

   One thing I have noticed about golf in the 2 years I have been playing again ( stopped playing for 30 years ) is how poorly many people play their irons

      Driver used to be the hardest club to hit ( now it is not )  and many guys stall out at the 7 iron-- not sure why

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39 minutes ago, miamistomp said:

 Why not get better at hitting longer irons ?

   One thing I have noticed about golf in the 2 years I have been playing again ( stopped playing for 30 years ) is how poorly many people play their irons

      Driver used to be the hardest club to hit ( now it is not )  and many guys stall out at the 7 iron-- not sure why

 

It's simple physics. You can swing a 4 iron as well as a 9 iron, but the dispersion is going to be greater given the difference in distance. The best players are always going to miss more greens with a long iron than a short or mid iron. 

 

Ping G425 Max Driver 12 (0 Flat) - Aldila Ascent Red 50 Stiff (46")
TaylorMade AeroBurner Mini Driver 16 - Matrix Speed RUL-Z 60 Stiff
Ping G410 7wd 20.5 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 65 Stiff (43")
Ping G410 9wd 23.5 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 65 Stiff (42.5")
Ping G425 6h 30 (0 Flat) - Alta CB 70 Stiff
PXG 0311P Gen3 6-P (2 Deg Weak, 1 Deg Flat) - True Temper Elevate 95 S /

Ping i200 6-P Orange Dot (2 Deg Weak, 2 Deg Flat) - True Temper XP 95 S
Ping Glide 4.0 52-12 S, 56-10 Eye2, and 60-10 S Orange Dot (2 Deg Flat) - Ping Z-Z115 Wedge
PXG Blackjack 36" - SuperStroker Flatso 2.0

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14 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I simply don't understand why more courses don't add combo tees. It's basically a change to the scorecard. If I'm not mistaken, rating and slope can be calculated using the chart in the USGA handicap manual. I've played numerous courses with 500 to 700 yds between tees. That's just too much. Mu old home course had the blues at 6620, and the whites at 5914. Most players are not going to move up to 5900, but when the wind was blowing 6620 was tough, as the course was generally very wet, and there was little rollout. After years of kvetching they finally added a combo.

 

Looking at Sunset Valley's scorecard now Arg,  They rated all seven sets.

I wonder if Sportsman's has anything like this planned to enhance their set up.

 

Best to you.

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currently playing:
FT-5 - D
Cally FT hybrids
Hogan Edge GS, 4-PW
Vokey Oil Can 52, 56
Ping Anser 2

TM FlexTech Lite/Titleist StaDry
 

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