Play the right tees

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By Brad m

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  1. Brad m

    Brad m
    New Hamburg, ON

    I am getting so tired of having guys in front of me playing the wrong tees. I don't know if it's an ego thing, or what, but guys if you can't break 90 from the white tees, why would you want to play the blues? I would much rather be putting for birdies that fighting like crazy to save bogey with a one putt. It slows down the game, and it can not be enjoyable. I just don't get it.

  2. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    I agree.  I almost never play from beyond the white tees.  I typically hit a longer than average tee shot, but why make things harder on myself for no reason?  I play for fun and hitting short irons into greens is more fun.

  3. Christopher T

    Christopher T
    Sapulpa, OK

    My course only has Blue, Yellow and Red tees, so I have to play from the tips.  If I am just going out for fun, I will move up to speed up the round, but I always hit from the blue when it is a association event. 

  4. Rick R

    Rick R
    Graham, WA

    Agreed....

    I've talked to a couple of people the reasoning behind hitting from the longer tee boxes. I hear that people like to get their money's worth....

    Hmmmmm....

    The object of the game is from point A to point B in the least amount of strokes possible. So if the reasoning fit the actual object of the game, forward tees would make sense...reverse logic is kind of hard to understand sometimes when one steps to the tee box...

  5. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military

    The color of the tees seems to be getting more jumbled as time goes on. What is one course's white distance is another course's blue distance. I believe you should check out the card and play the distance that is comfortable for your skill. At my home club, I play the white tees which happen to be 5,745 yds. If I am playing at another course, I am going to a set of tees of a similar distance, regardless of tee color. I also believe that there is an " Intimidation " factor involved. The better player heads back to the ball washer and everybody else follows. Then, of course, is the group that plays from about 6,500 yds. that can barely make the fairway with their tee shots and taking " Mulligans " all day. That's what slows up play. I play with members that play the tees behind me and with those that play the tees in front of me. Never a problem. They go where they belong.  When you play in club tournaments, you play the tees that your handicap is computed from.

                                                                                                         Frank P 

  6. Spudstarch

    Spudstarch
    Walnut Creek, CA

    Slow play has been the recent bane of golf. If the group was falling behind the group ahead of them then you should definitely call out the marshal.

    Selecting tees at a new course is easy once you know how to read a score card. I usually like to play tracks that are around 6300 yards due to my driver carry distance (or lack of). I think there is an old guideline of taking your typical 5-iron distance and multiplying it by 36 to see which yardage you should play. If the rating is on the higher side of 70 with a lower than 130 rating, then play up since that tends to mean there are long holes to offset the lack of hazards. And if there is a strong wind, I play up so I don't have to use driver on long par 3's.

    Personally, I don't think playing back tees is necessarily the cause of slow play, but if the players have an excessive pre-shot routine, then having to take extra shots because of distance would certainly magnify the problem.

  7. Ashley L

    Ashley L
    Kennesaw, GA

    I agree with you somewhat, but many of those players that struggle to break 90 from the blues aren't going to score much differently from the whites unless their weakness is length.  That's not most people's weakness...it's accuracy.  A 9 iron vs a 7 iron isn't much different when you can't hit the green consistently with the 9 iron.

    Also, most people like to play from the same tees.  So when you have people with various abilities, you may have some people play from the wrong tees.  It happens.  When I play with my dad, I will move up to the shorter tees so we can play from the same teebox, as he struggles with distance, but those tees less challenging for me and thus not quite as enjoyable.  I suck it up as I love being able to play with my dad from the same tees.

    If we're talking about slow play, my much bigger concern is not about tees people play but how long it takes some people to line up their shot, take their practice strokes, and then hit the shot.  Especially when they hit alot of them.

  8. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I play most of my golf at a private club. There is an unwritten rule that men over 70 can move up and play the forward tees (black, 6000 yards). Under 70 most play from the white, blues or gold. Our white tees play 6500. There are a couple of holes that are par 4's that takes me 3 shots to reach. The usual club selection for these two are driver, 3 wood. I would love to play from the blacks but the group I play with go along with the clubs tradition. I enjoy the camaraderie of the group so I don't make waves. When I play with a different group I do play from the black tees. Those long par 4's then become a driver,5-7 iron. To me it's a lot more fun trying to hit a green with a 7 iron rather than a 3 wood and that is what this game is supposed to be.
  9. andy r

    andy r
    Cheshire, CT

    I agree ....if you have never shot par from the whites a time or two you then should not be playing from there.  If you can consistently shoot in the 70's  you have game enough to  move to those tee's IMO.

    I have been grouped with  people who tee from the blues while I play from the whites  and some of these guys can't break 100. They slow things down for everybody.

  10. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    The guys I play with all score about the same we all shot in the high 80's low 90's there are a couple of regulars who have broken the 80 barrier but week in week out everyone shoots about the same. I have suggested with play from the yellow tees (we all hit from the whites now), but they aren't having any of that. I think its mostly a ego thing. The days I play alone I always move up a tee spot and have shot some good scores but never close to par, but I have more fun hitting the tee shots just a little farther. So I guess I'll continue to be a closet forward tee player when I'm with the regulars but will always secretly love moving up.
  11. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    RON H said:

    The guys I play with all score about the same we all shot in the high 80's low 90's there are a couple of regulars who have broken the 80 barrier but week in week out everyone shoots about the same. I have suggested with play from the yellow tees (we all hit from the whites now), but they aren't having any of that. I think its mostly a ego thing. The days I play alone I always move up a tee spot and have shot some good scores but never close to par, but I have more fun hitting the tee shots just a little farther. So I guess I'll continue to be a closet forward tee player when I'm with the regulars but will always secretly love moving up.
    I'm with you Ron. I play occasionally with a older guy who plays from the most forward tees, politically incorrect known as the women's tees. He usually shoots somewhere near par and is happy as a lark when he finishes his rounds. When I play with him I play from the same tees and my score is around par also. He says if anybody ask him what he shot he tells them. He also says nobody ever asks what tees you played from. If your game is suffering and you need a psychological lift I recommend playing it forward where most of your second shots to a par 4 is a 7 iron on up and you have a realistic chance of reaching par 5's in two. From the shorter tees you are using the same clubs that the pros use when approaching the green. Who doesn't want to play like the pros ?
  12. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    In may of this year the Titleist ball fitting van came to my course, I was just finishing a lesson with my Pro and he took me over to the van. It was a really slow time and since they didn't have any one scheduled for a couple of hours I got the benefit of some fantastic wisdom from the Titleist Team. They were the absolute best guys I've met in the golf game to date. They took time to measure my spin rate and launch angle and all the things to consider when fitting a golf ball and came up with the right ball for me, which to my shock was the Pro V1. It was the tips the Titleist guys gave me after the fitting that has stuck with me. One of the guys said it doesn't matter what tees you play from if you can't break the 90 barrier then you need to move up. I took this advice to heart and began playing the yellow tees, not only did my scores drop considerably but I had more fun playing then ever before. So if you don't believe me, listen to the guys who do play for a living and move up and see how the game should be played.
  13. Augie H

    Augie H
    Spring, TX

    Totally agree. I consistently shoot in the mid 80's and only play from the whites. Why make the game harder than it already is. The friends I usually play with agree and sometimes we see a group in front of us playing from the blues or the tips are we are like "are you serious".
  14. nucjg695

    nucjg695
    Libertyville, IL

    Couldn't agree more.  My average drive is about 280, but I moved up a set of tees a couple of years ago when my dad started playing up a set.  I cannot tell you how many times I've been grouped with strangers who by the fourth hole are wondering why I'm not playing from longer tees.  My response is always the same - the game is more fun when you hit short irons into greens, have the occasional driveable par 4, and can reach most par 5s in two.  The game is hard enough as it is - I don't need to be using my hybrids and 5 iron multiple times per round.  I'll take breaking 80 from the blues or whites any day over trying to be a tough guy from the tips.

  15. Mark F

    Mark F
    Greenville, SC

    I too believe that players should be playing from the proper tees for their game.  I feel that they should pick a total yardage that they are comfortable with and have success with and stick with that, regardless if they are white, blue, gold, or whatever.  My home course has 4 sets of tees.  I play the men's (white) set at 6223 yds.according to the score card.  I score between the upper 70's and mid 80's.  When I travel with my clubs I will pick the tees at whatever course I'm at that comes closest to that.  I will move down to about 6000 yds. but will usually never go above 6400 yds.  I believe that the pace of play is one of the top issues in casual golf today, and I believe that it is up to all of us to play from the tees that provide the best pace as well as the best chance of success and fun.

    Mark F

  16. Speedy

    Speedy
    Newmarket, NH

    Couldn't agree with you more.  I see it from time to time and it bugs me.  It has to be an ego thing and it slows the game down terrible.  You would think after a few holes the group would say "ok, this isn't working out let's move up"...  Nope....  And what kills me is, they'll hit a few more provisional or mulligans or whatever they want to call it until they get a good one..  I'm like buddy those are red sticks up there, it's there for a reason..  take the drop.

    I'll be the first to admit I've tried playing from the tips a few times since the guy i was playing with is a PGA pro so i thought what the hell, let's do it.  Well, big mistake.  It only killed my handicap and ended up slowing him down which i felt bad about so i was rushing every shot.  After the 2nd time i just gave up and told him i'm going back to where i belong.  Until i can hit it like him, I'm sticking with my normal tees.  I rather swing nice and easy instead of swinging out of my a**..  Not worth it....

    Good post Brad M.   

  17. David T

    David T
    Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

    I honestly don't think the right tees will help. We have to find a way to instill the concept of fast play in peoples minds. As long as they see their favorite pro taking 6 practice swings, consult with their caddy 3 times on yardage, and look at a putt from 5 different sides we are doomed to 6+ hr rounds!

    I was behind a 4-some last week who thought it was appropriate to have a putting contest from off the green! This was after a day of watching them all drive to 1 ball - hit - and all drive to the next ball over and over and over.

    These guys could have started from 1/2 way down the fairway and it wouldn't help!

  18. Robert J

    Robert J
    Grafton, OH

    I play from the tees that are closest to 6500 yards, that is long enough for me to score well and still have fun.  But on slow play, I think the biggest issue I see is ready golf, not many are ready when its their turn.  I watch a person hit their shot, then put his club away, then another person starts his routine and so on.  You can get your yardage, pick your club, read the line etc, while someone else is hitting.  Ready golf speeds up play, in my opinion.

  19. dave p

    dave p
    lexington, KY

    I agree with you, sir. Ready golf and the appropriate tees are a must to have fun and hopefully score well. I see so many head to the tips on the first tee and if not slice into next fairway, barely make it to the short grass! Then it only gets worse, everyone wants to "check" out the lie and next thing you know it's a five hour round! No fun at all! I turn 60 next week, put my ego aside, play tees up and enjoy hitting short irons, not hybrids and fairway woods, into greens! Ready golf, it's a game....enjoy it!
  20. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I play from our whites 6500 yds and made a list of the par 4's and what clubs I use on average. #1 D, 5-7 #3 D, 6-8 #6 D,3W -3H #7 D, 4-6 #9 D,3W #11 D, 5-7 #12 D,3H-5 #14 D,4-7 #15 D,3W-3H #16 D,6-7. Do you think I need to move up ? When I play by my self or just a couple of guys I don't play regularly with I move up (6000 yds) and it is a lot more fun.
  21. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    My regular play course is just over 7400 from the tips and about 7100 from the whites. I play with several guys who are well below my age, and a couple of them are really long hitters (over 300 regularly) so I play from the whites with them to save time and keep the game together. But alone Carl I'm right with you Driver from the tee then 5-7 to the green, on par 5's its driver 3 wood or 3 hybrid (sometimes driver, driver 3 wood) just kidding but the times I move up I play faster and my scores are lower. My course has been trying to get players to move up with an aggressive ad program but it hasn't been very successful to date. I don't understand playing from a set of tees that requires a long iron to the green and you still score above 90 when moving up would mean a 8, 9 or maybe wedge to the green and ending up in the low 80's or better. Guess that's why we're all different and the game is as great as it is..
  22. Speedy

    Speedy
    Newmarket, NH

    Good point David T.  I see that a lot with some of the groups where they all go to one ball, then the next and then the next, etc.   I really think there should be rangers out there to set the pace.  I've been to a few courses where the rangers will really get on the group to pick up the pace and i like that!   We need more rangers on the course that will monitor the pace of play.   And if the group doesn't like it, you have 2 options; pick it up or get a refund and find another course.   Sorry.    

  23. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    Slow play is what finally helped me make the jump and join a private club. Yes, even at a private club there are players who are "slugs" but the vast majority play where a round is completed in under 4 hours. There is no doubt in my mind that playing from the correct tees for your ability helps speed up the game. When playing as a single or a twosome and get trapped behind the living dead if after a few holes they do not waive us to play through and there is an open fairway ahead of them, I don't blink an eye and just skip that hole the slow group is playing and go around them. In this situation you can do two things, when you finish your round go back and play that hole or just take par plus any handicap strokes that you would have coming.
  24. Dennis G

    Dennis G
    Irvine, CA

    David,

    I agree with you about the tee's not making the biggest difference in time. Ability can factor into how long a round takes but you can hit it 100 times and still play fast. The group I play with typically walks 18 holes (6,600 to 6,800 yards), first off, in somewhere between 2:50 to 3:15. We call it ready or not golf. If you are ready to hit, go ahead. We read our putts while someone else is putting. If we hit out of a bunker green side we will tell the rest of the group to go ahead and start putting while we rake the bunker. While many might say, "you must run around the course to play that fast". We don't, we walk a normal pace, we walk off the tee toward where our balls are, pacing the distance as we approach the ball so we can pull the club and hit. At this pace I don't take practice swings but the rest of my group does. I don't know when 4:30 became a normal round of golf, but to me, that is a long time to be on a golf course, either walking and standing, or riding. Right now we are teeing off at 5:30am, I am asked why I play that early, my answer is if I tee off an hour later, my round will be 4+ hours. This way, right now, I am back home at a reasonable hour and it hasn't taken up my whole day, which keeps the family happy.

  25. One of the USGA officials said the tee lengths difference best IMHO, so if on my home course I play a driver followed by a 7 iron anyone playing with me should play from the tees would allow them to play the same clubs on the hole...this could be the white tees (short), gray tees (longer) or gold tees (longest).  Our club has black tees but does not even put them out on the course on the back tee areas since it slows down play (7,300+ yards and 75 rating!). 

    Just a thought...I like the direction the USGA is indicating, keeps the game fun and interesting for players of varying abilities to have play the game for a lifetime!

  26. Mike C

    Mike C
    Dallas, TX

    When playing a new course, I will generally select the yardage that is most similar to the tees I regularly play at my home club (6,600 yards).  I will also look at the slope and course rating to get an idea if the difficulty is similar to what I am used to playing.  If I am with a group or people I don't know, I will play from whatever tee box they want to play from just so we are all grouped together on the tee box.

    One thing I have noticed at times on some courses I have visited is the starter asking what your handicap is or what you typically shoot, then suggesting a tee box for you to use.  This seems like a great way to ensure a player is properly matched with the correct tees. 

    A number of the comments related to selecting the correct tee box to make the round more enjoyable.  I have to agree with this sentiment.  Nobody likes to be hitting a driver, 4 iron (or even hybrid or 3 wood) into a par four on every hole.  I think some of the suggestions to use the tees that place you with a mid to short iron into the green on par fours sounds like a great idea.  As many have said, this sport is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and you shouldn't feel like you are grounding out every shot.  Play whatever tees best suit your game and have fun out there!

  27. Johnny B

    Johnny B
    Modesto, CA

    The difference at my local courses between the whites and blues is also the difference between my 3 wood and driver... If I play with others I play by their preference, but when I play alone I play from the blues, so I can hit my driver.  I have only been doing this for about year...I have become a much better driver of the golf ball now that I have to use it when I play versus only pulling it out of the back 4 times a round (from the whites).  When I see folks playing the wrong tees it's usual because they are beginners who aren't very educated.  Its intimidating as a beginner out there, and i figure they are just embarrassed to ask.  I have been around the sport my whole life and I cant even remember my "beginner" years... plus I had my Pops with me then to explain it all and teach me.  It took me a long time to learn how to "play the game respectfully".  Its not easy so I try not to get too worked up about it... these are the same guys skulling every chip shot around the green (seems like to me).  Slow play around here is usually do to overcrowding... everyone hits the course at the same time... the retired guys are the only ones who have it good.. I only have 38 more years till retirement LOL.

  28. Brendan C

    Brendan C
    Plainedge, NY

    The tips are for single digit handicapper's. If you aren't a single digit, I don't care how far you hit it- you've got no business being back there.

  29. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    I too play up when I'm alone, of course the big difference is I'm 62 and hit from the whites when I'm with the kids and the yellow when I'm alone. The part that makes me sad is when you said 38 more years to retirement. May God have mercy on your sole and may he keep you in the palm of his mighty hand. If I knew retirement was this much fun I would have done it first. Good luck my friend and hang in there retirement is all its crack up to be.
  30. Sean F

    Sean F
    Kansas City, MO

    I played yesterday with two guys who hit from the blues (my local course is black, blue, white, yellow, red long to short) all day but only be of them belonged there.  The first guy drive the ball very well all day.  But the second guy barely went 200 yards most times.  

    I also play from the whites and they probably wondered why as I had the best round of my life yesterday.

  31. Brian D

    Brian D
    Norton, MA

    Playing the correct tees are key to keeping the game of golf enjoyable for all.  Pace of play is a big factor if not the biggest factor in the game. Slow play is not good for anyone in the group or groups around you

  32. brian p

    brian p
    Los alamitos, CA

    I think playing from the right tees is key. I once played a long course from the tips because my friends were, but I thought it would be OK. I ended up shooting one of my worst rounds, so I played from the correct tees the next week at the same course and played much better with a lot less trouble reaching greens. 

  33. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I think playing from the wrong tees for your ability is a ego and herd instinct and I know I am guilty. Tradition is a hard thing to break and as we get older we hate to admit it but we should move up where on par 4's we hit a driver and the next club no longer than say a 7 iron. On a few a driver , wedge. I know the USGA has been encouraging to move up and play faster but the reality is that the golf course needs to strongly encourage players to play from certain tees according to their handicap. As it is now like it has always been, you play with a group of guys and most head for the white (Men's) tees. If you can't break 90 on a regular basis from these tees you need to move up. If the golf course would stress this fact aggressively I think eventually players would heed this but at the present everyone who would like to move up to shoot lower scores does not due to traditional peer pressure. A lot of golf courses still have Men and Women designation on the score card. I would say my average drive is around 225 yards. On a 420 yard par 4 that would leave 195 yards. With a club wind in your face and a back tee location the next club I would use would be a 3 wood. This same par 4 playing 370 yards I would be using a driver, 7 iron. Huge difference and the chances of reaching the green in regulation is a lot higher. This is a great topic and I wish I had the guts to just move up and play the next tees but you know as well as I do the verbal grief you would endure from your fellow competitors especially when their is a small wager on the line as it usually is. Gambling is another topic I do not like but understand that it is a reality just like playing from the tees that are beyond your capabilities to shoot lower scores.
  34. Bomber3

    Bomber3
    Lake St Louis, MO

    Military

    I agree with you Brad.  I think that ego is the single biggest reason people play from the wrong tees.  I also think that courses need to shoulder some of the blame.  I can't remember the last time I was on a course that had a marshall driving around checking on pace of play and pressing people to pick up their pace or skip a hole.  In years past, most courses also had a starter who would ask what your average score was and would then suggest the tees you should play.  As our economy has taken a hit, marshals and starters on public courses (higher end and munys) have gone the way of the dinosaurs.


    Barry

  35. David K

    David K
    Daphne, Al

    I have played from the tips since I was 14 yrs old. I am now 50 yrs old and still play from there. I like the challenge from playing the tips. Now if i am playing with other people and they are playing from 1 or 2 tees forward, then I will play from there. It give me a chance to work more on my short game and I don't always use a driver or 3 metal to tee off with. I will used a 1 or 2 iron. I don't think that slow play is caused by what tees you play. To me, it is the time between shots and the preshot . With most courses now a days, you have to use a cart. So a group of 4 should take no longer then 4 hrs to play. Back in my young days when we could walk, we still played under 4 hrs.

    David K

  36. Robert J

    Robert J
    Grafton, OH

    David K said:

    I have played from the tips since I was 14 yrs old. I am now 50 yrs old and still play from there. I like the challenge from playing the tips. Now if i am playing with other people and they are playing from 1 or 2 tees forward, then I will play from there. It give me a chance to work more on my short game and I don't always use a driver or 3 metal to tee off with. I will used a 1 or 2 iron. I don't think that slow play is caused by what tees you play. To me, it is the time between shots and the preshot . With most courses now a days, you have to use a cart. So a group of 4 should take no longer then 4 hrs to play. Back in my young days when we could walk, we still played under 4 hrs.

    David K

    I respectfully disagree with this post, playing the wrong tees does cause slow play.  I have been behind too many foursomes that play the tips, and can barely reach the fairway, or only hit it about 150 yards with the driver.  I have seen some groups take 3-4 shots just to reach the green, that cannot be fun.  While I will agree the time between shots is very important, playing the wrong tees is equally or more important.

    I played this weekend behind a foursome of guys playing the back tees, not one of them all day hit it over 200 yards, so I had to wait while all four of them hit 2-3 shots just so I could hit, and watching them wait for the green to clear when they are 250-300 yards out was just stupid.  Here's a hint, if your driver does not go 200 yards, your 3wood isn't either.

  37. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I found this on a web site for teeing it forward: Here are the “Tee It Forward” recommendations for what tees to use based on your average driving distance: Avg. drive Recommended Tees 300 yards 7,150-7,400 yards 275 yards 6,700-6,900 yards 250 yards 6,200-6,400 yards 225 yards 5,800-6,000 yards 200 yards 5,200-5,400 yards 175 yards 4,400-4,600 yards 150 yards 3,500-3,700 yards 125 yards 2,800-3,000 yards 100 yards 2,100-2,300 yards If you use the appropriate tees you will not only find your scores improving, but that you start enjoying the game better. You will also find yourself making better shots and this is really how the course was meant to be played. If a bunch of testosterone filled 18-to-22 year-old men can play from the woman’s tees, then why can’t you. I also have observed that most golfers way over estimate how far they can hit a ball with their driver. The guy that brags he regularly can drive a golf ball over 275 yards in reality is about 25 to 50 yards short of that.
  38. Matt H

    Matt H
    Jackson, MI

    I 100% agree. If you cannot shoot even par or around there....you have no business playing the back tees. I see it all the time and about 98% of the folks playing back there cannot carry hazards, spray the ball all over the place or have to swing out of their shoes to hit fairway. It slows down the game for everybody.
  39. Chris B

    Chris B
    Monroe, LA

    At my club I play the back tees.  It helps when it comes tournament time.

    For vacations, I play the forward tees just before seniors.  It is fun to hit 6 iron, 8 iron into the green.

  40. Matt B

    Matt B
    Columbus, OH

    I'm a 5 hcp and use the rule of 5 iron carry distance x 36 = yardage. For me that is 6800 yards, regardless of the tee color. I like to have an honest assessment of my game. I think the enjoyment of the game is different for all golfers, I enjoy the challenge of having to use all 14 clubs during a round. The pace of play has more to do with the individual player than the group or tee marker.
  41. Mike M 148

    Mike M 148
    Newnan, GA

    Matt B said:

    I'm a 5 hcp and use the rule of 5 iron carry distance x 36 = yardage. For me that is 6800 yards, regardless of the tee color. I like to have an honest assessment of my game. I think the enjoyment of the game is different for all golfers, I enjoy the challenge of having to use all 14 clubs during a round. The pace of play has more to do with the individual player than the group or tee marker.
    Can't agree more Matt. I'm 67 and still play to a single digit handicap from the blue tees (my course has four sets of tees; red, white, blue, gold). When I tee it up on the first hole I know folks are thinking, "look at this old geezer playing from the blues". I know I'm not as long as I used to be but it doesn't slow my game or the games of those behind me. Just because someone is older doesn't always mean they can't still play pretty good golf. When I finish a round and have played well, I know it's due to my ability and not the fact I used less of the golf course.
  42. etakmit

    etakmit
    Rochester, NY

    I can hit the ball plenty far to play the tips at most courses (I don't however).  My problem is accuracy.  However no matter what tees I play from that doesn't slow me down at all.

    It's fairly simple.  The delay is people not knowing how to play ready golf, or keep a round moving.  Two guys in a cart and one hits one left and one hits one right?   Drop the first guy off at the shorter shot and go over to yours.  He hits his, starts walking to you while you hit yours.  He either gets to the cart when you're done swinging or you pick him up and move on.  Saves plenty of time and you could each shoot 120 and it holds no one up.

    It's all about knowing how to keep moving.

  43. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    Played up today ay 6000 yds. and it was fun. Even wayward tee shots still gave you a chance of getting up and down and greens in regulation gave you good opportunities to make a birdie. You still had to putt and you still had to get out of bunkers but the main thing is that on holes where you normally hit driver 3 wood, I was hitting driver 5 iron. This makes the game a lot more enjoyable.
  44. Jay  W

    Jay W
    big spring, TX

    in our group i have to play the blues  and i shot 93 today and birdied tthe first hole its all about the players

  45. Allen L

    Allen L
    Clarington, OH

    I think there is a little bit of ego and a little bit of tradition that develops a mind set of what tee a male player should hit from.  Traditionally, men have played from the whites.  Most men still play from the Whites, they see other men play from the whites and they naturally think that the whites are the accepted tee for traditional men's play.  The ego of the male player also comes into play, men are competitive in nature and tend to think that they should play from the same tee as other men they are playing with, even if the tee is all wrong for them.  It will probably be a while before men change.

    To state the obvious.  For faster play, we all need to play ready golf if not in a tournament.  We all need to play the tee yardage that best suits our game.  If a gap develops between your group and the group ahead, speed it up.  If you see carts stacking up on the 3's the ranger needs to get things moving.  By all means, if the players behind are being held up by your group, let them go through.  But, if you have played golf for a while you know that some courses play slow regardless of the tees players are using, some resort courses and some city courses just play slow no matter what.

  46. Jerry Wood

    Jerry Wood
    Byfield, MA

    Brad the biggest problem with slow play is players not playing from the proper tee for their ability. The macho guy that will not play from the senior tees. Got to stop calling the black tee the tips, the blue/white the men's tee , the green seniors and the read Women's tee's. Got to just marking the tee's with signs that say "0-5" Hdcp, 5-10 Hdcp, 11-19 Hdcp, 20-30 Hdcp etc or some other set of ranges. Jerry Wood
  47. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    There is one course I would never play the blue tees because the 9th hole is 630 from the blue and no way I could make the green with a driver and two 7 woods.  The white tees on that hole are 560 and that isn't hard to get on in 3 with.

    The problem with the macho guys is not what color tees they play off but the fact they under club most of the time to show off.

  48. Ben A

    Ben A
    Los Gatos, CA

    The correct tee should be determined by your length of shot, not by your score or handicap as some others may have already said. 

    I remember seeing a calculation for this somewhere a while back that said to take your 5 iron distance and multiply it x36 to find your recommended 18 hole length.

    So, if you hit your 5 iron 200 yards, you should play the tees closest to 7200. If you only hit your 5i 175 yards, then you should be playing something closer to 6300 yards. I've seen other calculations as well, but that one seems best to me. 

    The most important thing to remember is that every course is different and every shot is different. In addition to that, if your tees are too close, you may be forced to take a half swing on your approach shot if you're a long player. I think the average player is better at full shots than half shots. 

  49. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    B.A. said:

    The correct tee should be determined by your length of shot, not by your score or handicap as some others may have already said. 

    I remember seeing a calculation for this somewhere a while back that said to take your 5 iron distance and multiply it x36 to find your recommended 18 hole length.

    So, if you hit your 5 iron 200 yards, you should play the tees closest to 7200. If you only hit your 5i 175 yards, then you should be playing something closer to 6300 yards. I've seen other calculations as well, but that one seems best to me. 

    The most important thing to remember is that every course is different and every shot is different. In addition to that, if your tees are too close, you may be forced to take a half swing on your approach shot if you're a long player. I think the average player is better at full shots than half shots. 

    Good points B.A. but the formula for the 5 iron would be for distance that keeps the ball in the fairway. Some one who can hit their 5 iron 200 yards with a slice or a hook that takes their ball out into the rough is no better off than the person who can hit their 5 iron 175 yards and keep it in play. Anytime you hit the ball into the rough and have to hunt for it which takes time and slows down play. Same thing if you keep the ball in play but cannot hit it very far. Taking three or more strokes to reach a par 4 slows down play any way you look at it. The bottom line is that golf would be a lot faster and more enjoyable if one could reach every par 4 in two shots and occasionally be able to reach a par 5 with a chance at eagle. Playing the right tees make this possible.
  50. Ben A

    Ben A
    Los Gatos, CA

    Abolutely! If it's not in the fairway, the calculation doesn't work. Some people can hit a 5 iron 500 yards off a cliff! 

    ;-D

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