Do you change tee boxes that you normally play from? With the mixed tee boxes on USGA-GHIN is it easier to do so for variety?

[bulls9999]

Some time last year I migrated from the Blue to White tee boxes (now they are Gold to Green), so I've been playing from Green (5,400 yrds). With the switch in color (is this coordinated with USGA-GHIN? because they also have mixed tee boxes (Black/Gold, Gold/Green, Green/Silver) on our club/course score cards. I suppose they added these mixed tee boxes to add some middle ground changes instead of complete tee box changes? (feel sorry for the ladies at our course, all they have it the 1 set of ladies tee boxes; guys can move down a level as they get older; don't have the same options for ladies).

 

OK, so I've been playing Green tees (5,400 yrds) exclusively since last year, but I've been playing well lately (just shot 74 on our 5,400 yrd/Green teest/par-70 course yesterday).

 

My last 20 scores have been (most recent first):

74, 84, 92, 77, 86, 84, 86, 80, 84, [vacation/Palm Springs: 96, 94, 95, 94, 92], 83, 76, 79, 90, 81, 80.

 

Except for my vacation scores, most are in the 80's but I've played into the 70's 4 times. So my question is, would you move back to Gold (5,910 yrds) with these scores? I guess I can do the mixture of Green/Gold? For those that have courses that have not moved onto the in-between mixed tees, our score card has all the combinations and which holes you play from say Green tees and which you play from Gold tees when it's a mixture (not front 9 Gold and back nine Green). I guess I'll try the mixture first.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by bulls9999

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

We  play all the tees from time to time.

 

Winter due to cold and usually wet, we play White tees.

 

Summer we play the Blue tees, occasionally the Black tees.

 

Few times a year we play the most forward tees, Purple, as the risk/reward shots are high value.

[bulls9999]

If I regulary play from Green (5,400 yrds) and then I start playing Gold (5,900 yrds), will that affect my handicap (HC going up) such that if I play Green in our MGA's, would that be considered 'sandbagging' my HC?

 

I mean, if I play longer tees because it's 'fun' and my GHIN Index goes up, then my GHIN Index affects my HC on all tees that I play, right? Or do I have that wrong?

[Hawkeye77]

54 minutes ago, bulls9999 said:

Some time last year I migrated from the Blue to White tee boxes (now they are Gold to Green), so I've been playing from Green (5,400 yrds). With the switch in color (is this coordinated with USGA-GHIN? because they also have mixed tee boxes (Black/Gold, Gold/Green, Green/Silver) on our club/course score cards. I suppose they added these mixed tee boxes to add some middle ground changes instead of complete tee box changes? (feel sorry for the ladies at our course, all they have it the 1 set of ladies tee boxes; guys can move down a level as they get older; don't have the same options for ladies).

 

OK, so I've been playing Green tees (5,400 yrds) exclusively since last year, but I've been playing well lately (just shot 74 on our 5,400 yrd/Green teest/par-70 course yesterday).

 

My last 20 scores have been (most recent first):

74, 84, 92, 77, 86, 84, 86, 80, 84, [vacation/Palm Springs: 96, 94, 95, 94, 92], 83, 76, 79, 90, 81, 80.

 

Except for my vacation scores, most are in the 80's but I've played into the 70's 4 times. So my question is, would you move back to Gold (5,910 yrds) with these scores? I guess I can do the mixture of Green/Gold? For those that have courses that have not moved onto the in-between mixed tees, our score card has all the combinations and which holes you play from say Green tees and which you play from Gold tees when it's a mixture (not front 9 Gold and back nine Green). I guess I'll try the mixture first.

 

 

 

If the course is rated for the combo tees that will show up on GHIN, or at least it should, so I guess be sure you can post/are posting if the intent is to keep a handicap.

 

Which tees you pick should be based how you evaluate enjoyment playing golf, but it's not simply a score determinant issue, and that could mean different things to different people.  

[vandyfan]

20 minutes ago, bulls9999 said:

If I regulary play from Green (5,400 yrds) and then I start playing Gold (5,900 yrds), will that affect my handicap (HC going up) such that if I play Green in our MGA's, would that be considered 'sandbagging' my HC?

 

I mean, if I play longer tees because it's 'fun' and my GHIN Index goes up, then my GHIN Index affects my HC on all tees that I play, right? Or do I have that wrong?

 

EDIT/DISCLAIMER: Play whatever tees you want (have most fun from) as long as you can maintain a good/great pace of play. 

 

This is one of my favorite topics...but all anyone is going to have is opinions. Personally, I gravitate more towards playing golf courses shorter (I have a driver carry of about 250 yds and I typically like to play golf courses between 5,400 yds and 6,000 yds (that is my personal MAX for a par 72) as I find it more fun to have options off the tee where I don't HAVE to hit driver on all the par 4s. So playing courses at a shorter length is MORE FUN for me. 

 

If you regularly play from 5,400 yds and then move back to longer tees it may impact your handicap or it may not. The rating will increase as the course gets longer so you will get a higher course handicap as you move back. So if you hit it fairly long but are a bad putter, you may not see much scoring change. If 5,400 yds is already all you can handle from a distance perspective, then moving back will typically increase the challenge at a higher relative rate. You won't be sandbagging as long as you are logging your rounds and playing by the rules because the course handicap takes the increased distance into consideration/calculation. 

 

If playing longer increases your OVERALL handicap then, yes, it will drive up your course handicap on all tees. I am just saying that may not be the case (your handicap may not go up by moving back). Here is an example for me:

These are two golfers playing different tees with the close to the same handicap. The yellow tees, in this example, are 5,400 yds and the white tees are 6,000 yds. When I play the White tees, I don't usually shoot 4 shots worse than I do from the yellow tees. 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by vandyfan

[Abh159]

26 minutes ago, vandyfan said:

 

EDIT/DISCLAIMER: Play whatever tees you want (have most fun from) as long as you can maintain a good/great pace of play. 

 

 

 

This ^^^^

 

While not perfect, the handicapping system is set up to create balance regardless of what tees you play from. If you want to move back because you find it more enjoyable then go for it! But as vandyfan said... just don't slow down the entire course because you're playing from tees that are beyond your skill level.

[klebs01]

KISS…just walk back to the tips. 

[Augster]

I don’t see a lot of even par scores in those last 20. Maybe I’m looking at it wrong? 
 

Play all the way up until you’re shooting par or better 3/5 rounds then move back. A few reasons…

 

First, you’ll be setting yourself a goal. Having a goal in mind will help you focus on how to play better. 99% of Rec golfers just go out and slap it around and the number they shoot just happens. No thought involved. By setting a goal of even par, it’ll help you focus and if you’re close coming down the stretch, it’ll help you grind. 
 

Second, playing up may be more “fun”. You’ll have to define, for yourself, what your definition of “fun golf” is. I asked my friend this question and he couldn’t give me an answer. Some players find it “fun” to have short irons in and lots of birdie looks. This is what you WILL have playing all the way up. Will it make the round more “fun”? Only you can answer that. 
 

Lastly, you’ll play faster and the groups behind you will thank you. It is quicker to shoot a bad 75 from all the way up than to shoot a “good” 85 (no such thing) from a tee or two back. 
 

Play all the way up until you’re shooting par more often than not. At that point you’ll know you’re ready for a bigger challenge and you’re ready to move back. 
 

And guess what. If you’re shouting around par more often than not from the up tees, your short game will be much better than it is now and will transfer to any tee you play. 

[DaveGoodrich]

On 4/30/2023 at 8:14 AM, Augster said:

Play all the way up until you’re shooting par or better 3/5 rounds then move back.

 

This is absurd.  Have you seen amateur golfers play?  Most amateur golfers would never move back if this is the criteria for doing so.

 

As others have said, play where it's fun and rewarding for you and your playing partners, as long as you can keep pace. 

 

Whether moving tees will have a big impact on your handicap depends on your individual game.  I'm not a long hitter, so moving back beyond about 6400-6500 yards can cost me more strokes than the difference in rating makes up for.  Moving up, I can often score enough better to make up for the lower rating, but not always. Making birdies is hard.  So moving up probably "evens out" for me. 

 

I like to play where it seems the course plays "as intended" for me, For me, that means a mix of long and short irons into the par 3s and 4s, fairway bunkers that are in-play off the tee, and one (maybe two) of the par 5s are "reachable" with two really good shots.  For me, that's somewhere around 6100-6300 yards. 

 

 

[Augster]

1 hour ago, DaveGoodrich said:

 

 Most amateur golfers would never move back if this is the criteria for doing so.

 

 

BINGO!

 

Pace of play solved.