Uneven tee boxes

[tuffluck]

Played a course the other day with very uneven tee boxes. Is that normal? Seems like most tee boxes are flat on Tour courses? Doesn't seem fair on public courses unless they are intended. I have a lot of problems hitting driver on uneven surfaces, which is why I ask. How bad would it be if I started moving to a level surface as close to the tees as possible but outside of the tees themselves?

[MS256]

Originally Posted by tuffluck

Played a course the other day with very uneven tee boxes. Is that normal? Seems like most tee boxes are flat on Tour courses? Doesn't seem fair on public courses unless they are intended. I have a lot of problems hitting driver on uneven surfaces, which is why I ask.

You should see some of the tee boxes around here. Ha ha!

I heard a golf instructor make the statement one time "On the tee you are guaranteed a level lie". I just laughed to myself and thought he has obviously not played on some of the goat tracts I've played on.

I especially hate a tee marker on even a slight downhill slope on a driver hole. Sidehill and uphill lies don't bother me much but downhill raises my chances of a duck hook with a driver by quite a bit.

[jamo]

Most tee boxes have some tilt to them to drain water (the same reason why there are very few perfectly flat spots on greens).

[tuffluck]

You should see some of the tee boxes around here. Ha ha! I heard a golf instructor make the statement one time "On the tee you are guaranteed a level lie". I just laughed to myself and thought he has obviously not played on some of the goat tracts I've played on. I especially hate a tee marker on even a slight downhill slope on a driver hole. Sidehill and uphill lies don't bother me much but downhill raises my chances of a duck hook with a driver by quite a bit.

Yep, tilt to the right introduces a slice on my driver, and the opposite a hook. downhill i'm more likely to hit behind it, and uphill more likely to sky the ball. they should all be flat damnit!

[thanw]

I hate that but accept that since I don't pay high green fees things aren't always just so. Makes me feel like an idiot walking around in a circle looking for an even spot then look at the big picture only to realize there isn't a flat spot anywhere. It is tempting to look outside the designated teeing area sometimes.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by tuffluck

Yep, tilt to the right introduces a slice on my driver, and the opposite a hook. downhill i'm more likely to hit behind it, and uphill more likely to sky the ball.

they should all be flat damnit!

The bad part about where I play my Saturday game is that the course owner (and the best player) also plays in the game, and he sets the tee markers.

He really is a world class ball striker (never could make it as a pro because he can't putt a lick) but he's not long, so on the driveable par four he puts the tee markers so far to the front that they are almost off of the tee box and on the down slope. His hope is to some day drive that green. His strategy works pretty well because none of us can drive it either off of that downslope.

[Blitz28179]

At my course there are of plenty of flat spots on a huge tee box but they always put the tee markers on uneven lies.Makes me wonder if they do it on purpose!

[grubby98]

I hate this as well. But most of the courses I play I say there isnt but a few that are like this but I can normally find a flat spot somewhere in the 2 club limit. I used to hate when tea boxes made you aim left or right when I first started playing, but now I love it because it really makes me focus on the T box.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by tuffluck

Played a course the other day with very uneven tee boxes. Is that normal? Seems like most tee boxes are flat on Tour courses? Doesn't seem fair on public courses unless they are intended. I have a lot of problems hitting driver on uneven surfaces, which is why I ask. How bad would it be if I started moving to a level surface as close to the tees as possible but outside of the tees themselves?

Welcome to the world.  And I have to ask, why do you think that it's not fair?  Isn't  everyone else playing from the same teeing ground?  They all face the same issues as you do, so since the same conditions apply, it couldn't be any more fair.  Best advice, learn to adjust or only play premium courses.

If you play from outside of the teeing ground, you are not playing the course as set up.  Playing from outside the teeing ground is a 2 stroke penalty and you are required to correct your mistake, meaning that you will be playing your 3rd from that same uneven turf .  Playing from the next tee without having corrected your mistake results from disqualification from a competition and disqualifies the round for handicap purposes.

[WUTiger]

Sometimes you can beat this by using a deep-face driver.

Beat-up tee boxes... many months ago, I named quality tee boxes as the litmus test for a good golf course. If the tee boxes are well engineered and well maintained, the rest of the course is normally in great shape.

If you have choices in your area, avoid the courses with the cratered, cliff-hanger tee boxes.

[tuffluck]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Welcome to the world.  And I have to ask, why do you think that it's not fair?  Isn't  everyone else playing from the same teeing ground?  They all face the same issues as you do, so since the same conditions apply, it couldn't be any more fair.  Best advice, learn to adjust or only play premium courses.

If you play from outside of the teeing ground, you are not playing the course as set up.  Playing from outside the teeing ground is a 2 stroke penalty and you are required to correct your mistake, meaning that you will be playing your 3rd from that same uneven turf.  Playing from the next tee without having corrected your mistake results from disqualification from a competition and disqualifies the round for handicap purposes.

always bustin' my balls, you!

i'm not talking fair in terms of the playing field.  hell, if we all had to be blindfolded before and during a round of golf it would be even for the playing field, but by no means would i consider that fair for the SPORT of golf. no one would come close to breaking par and no one would have any fun, so fair relative to others is irrelevant IMO.

there is nowhere you can go on a range and practice uneven tee shots from, so your only practice is on a poorly managed course.  that doesn't seem fair to the sport of golf.  of course the same could be said about fairway shots and sidehill lies, but tee boxes and fairways have different rules anyway...i.e. you can use a tee on a tee box and not on a fairway.  so i don't think it's really the same thing.

IMO in general the conditions for a pro should be the standard for common play of the sport.  now i realize not every course can be in tip top shape, but something as simple as a flat tee box should definitely be achievable by munis.

[bplewis24]

When it really gets ugly is when you're on one of those poorly maintained courses with uneven tee boxes and you're playing late in the day.  You get to the par threes, and every single divot is in the same 3-foot, semi-flat radius of the tee box between the tee markers.  You go looking for grass and the ball is either going to be well above or below your feet.

Good luck!

[dak4n6]

This is the only gripe I have with my home course. Their tee boxes tend to be crowned. I usually play a draw, so I usually tee on the left side, which puts the ball a little above my feet which makes the shot more drawable, which is fine most of the time. But when I'm in pull-hook phase, watchout!

[GaijinGolfer]

Its common on munis.  A lot of the times, I will tee up outside of the markers (but never ahead of them).  As long as you are inside of the tee box but not ahead of the markers, you can tee up where you want.

[460CompMark]

i heard dat! the munis around here are awful! i will tee off a few club lengths behind the markers if i have to. you can definitely tell the difference when you play on a nicer course. hell, i've played some decent ones that still had uneven tee boxes. with all kind of divots on a driver hole. wtf?

[chriskzoo]

It's common on public courses because people don't replace their divots or fill them in with dirt before grass starts to re-grow.  So what happens? Over time those divots fill in with grass, are taken out, fill in, etc.  That's why you, as a right hander, almost always find tee boxes with the ball above your feet - the right side of the tee box is never touched and over time slopes from the right to left side.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by tuffluck

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Welcome to the world.  And I have to ask, why do you think that it's not fair?  Isn't  everyone else playing from the same teeing ground?  They all face the same issues as you do, so since the same conditions apply, it couldn't be any more fair.  Best advice, learn to adjust or only play premium courses.

If you play from outside of the teeing ground, you are not playing the course as set up.  Playing from outside the teeing ground is a 2 stroke penalty and you are required to correct your mistake, meaning that you will be playing your 3rd from that same uneven turf.  Playing from the next tee without having corrected your mistake results from disqualification from a competition and disqualifies the round for handicap purposes.

always bustin' my balls, you!

i'm not talking fair in terms of the playing field.  hell, if we all had to be blindfolded before and during a round of golf it would be even for the playing field, but by no means would i consider that fair for the SPORT of golf.  no one would come close to breaking par and no one would have any fun, so fair relative to others is irrelevant IMO.

there is nowhere you can go on a range and practice uneven tee shots from, so your only practice is on a poorly managed course.  that doesn't seem fair to the sport of golf.  of course the same could be said about fairway shots and sidehill lies, but tee boxes and fairways have different rules anyway...i.e. you can use a tee on a tee box and not on a fairway.  so i don't think it's really the same thing.

IMO in general the conditions for a pro should be the standard for common play of the sport.  now i realize not every course can be in tip top shape, but something as simple as a flat tee box should definitely be achievable by munis.

Here ya go pard!  Try the Hill Shot Trainer - only $899.

[Mac62]

Originally Posted by tuffluck

....How bad would it be if I started moving to a level surface as close to the tees as possible but outside of the tees themselves?

Depends on what you mean by "how bad would it be?".  Do you mean "am I violating a rule of golf?" - if so, then yes, you are if you're outside of the designated teeing ground (a "box" extending two club lengths behind and between the tee markers).