2012 "FTT" - Advance Notice

***iacas*** · July 3, 2012

Edit 2012-08-19 - Go here now: http://thesandtrap.com/t/61424/players-needed-join-the-tst-2012-forward-tees-experiment .

Guys,

The "FTT" stands for the "Forward Tees Tournament" (or Forward Tees Challenge). Basically, one weekend we all play from the tees as far forward as the course offers, and see how much better we score. It's illuminating because almost nobody scores as well as they normally would - they either make stupid mistakes like hitting driver which puts them pin-high on a "par four" but in the middle of the trees, or their short game is stressed and collapses, etc. It's an interesting and revealing challenge, and we'll do it again this year in September.

I screwed the pooch a bit back in 2010 . I didn't give y'all enough warning, I didn't get good enough stats, etc.

Last year I was too busy to worry about any of it. I won't do either of those things again again this year.

I'm going to do the "forward tees tournament" or "forward tees challenge" again this year. I'll want as many people as possible to participate. Here's what you should do to start preparing.

Start considering which course you'll play. The ideal course is one you play regularly from tees that are fairly different than the forward-most tees. The ideal course would be fairly average in difficulty - we don't want super-difficult courses or super-easy ones. And obviously the ideal course would be one on which you won't mind teeing off from the forward-most tees.
Get a real handicap index.
Write down your scores (and the course rating and slope from the tees you play from) at the chosen course starting now. Try to get at least 5-10 rounds from your regular set of tees on the list.
Find the course handicap and slope for the course for MEN from the forward tees. Most of them are rated only for women, and if so, try to approximate it using the shortest tees rated for men. ~~Just plot the course ratings and slope versus the yardage and extrapolate them from there.~~ (See post #9 in this thread.)

If you intend to participate, post in this thread and say so, and subscribe to this thread with daily notifications or something (so you don't get them every time someone posts).

Okay? I think we'll learn a fair amount from this, and I look forward to doing this again this year.

**Paradox** · July 3, 2012

I will do it again!

**gwlee7** · July 3, 2012

I'll do it. My home course will have reopened by then.

**Tuflehundon** · July 3, 2012

I'm down. I'll take my daughter with me and we'll both play the front tees.

**MbolicGolf** · July 4, 2012

Any one in michigan who would like to play?

***iacas*** · July 4, 2012

Originally Posted by MbolicGolf

Any one in michigan who would like to play?

That's not really the point unless you both happen to play the same course frequently.

**turtleback** · July 4, 2012

Originally Posted by iacas
.

Find the course handicap and slope for the course for MEN from the forward tees. Most of them are rated only for women, and if so, try to approximate it using the shortest tees rated for men. Just plot the course ratings and slope versus the yardage and extrapolate them from there.

FWIW, Section 5-2(g) of the USGA Handicap Manual gives the procedure for determining a course rating and slope from a set of unrated tees. People participating in your challenge might consider using this procedure if they play from an unrated set of tees, as it is something the USGA has considered and they have created a well though out clear procedure.

**WUTiger** · July 4, 2012

If I play the shortest tees (women's), I would be able to hit a 5W or a 5i off most the tees and still have a 6i or less for my approach. Will this mess up the FTT experiment, or should we use a driver off of all holes?

Also, Par for men is 71, and for women is 74 (three more par 5 holes). Do we keep the men's par? Or, does it matter?

***iacas*** · July 4, 2012

Originally Posted by turtleback

FWIW, Section 5-2(g) of the USGA Handicap Manual gives the procedure for determining a course rating and slope from a set of unrated tees. People participating in your challenge might consider using this procedure if they play from an unrated set of tees, as it is something the USGA has considered and they have created a well though out clear procedure.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handicap-System-Manual/Rule-05/

Originally Posted by WUTiger

If I play the shortest tees (women's), I would be able to hit a 5W or a 5i off most the tees and still have a 6i or less for my approach. Will this mess up the FTT experiment, or should we use a driver off of all holes?

Also, Par for men is 71, and for women is 74 (three more par 5 holes). Do we keep the men's par? Or, does it matter?

You're supposed to "play golf" and try to shoot your best score. I don't care if you hit a pitching wedge off every tee.

Par is irrelevant in the face of the course rating and slope.

**Mattplusness** · July 4, 2012

Originally Posted by MbolicGolf

Any one in michigan who would like to play?

I can't guarantee I'll play in this, but I'll get out some time with you

**gwlee7** · July 4, 2012

As part of our preparing to do this, would like for us to post our intended strategy of "attack" on the day we play the forward tees?

***iacas*** · July 4, 2012

Originally Posted by gwlee7

As part of our preparing to do this, would like for us to post our intended strategy of "attack" on the day we play the forward tees?

Later. This isn't the official thread, this is just the "prepare for it" thread.

**ApocG10** · July 4, 2012

Im in. It may be an interesting change, as I have never played those tees before.

**mirv** · July 5, 2012

this sounds fun. i'm in!

**phillyk** · July 5, 2012

I'm in as well! It should be fun, haven't played the red tees in a long time!

**onesome** · July 5, 2012

I'll do it ....just hope nobody sees me. Never played from tees that close wound up 650 yards less, 67.4 rating 124 slope.

I don't know if I did this right shortest men tees 6043 rating 70.4 slope 131

red tees 5390 rating 71.7 slope 120

According to the chart it says at 650+ yards subtract 3 from rating and 7 from slope, the reason I'm not sure is the slope for women is lower after the adjustment.

**dsc123** · July 9, 2012

I'll give it a go.

This is a good idea too:

Originally Posted by Tuflehundon

I'm down. I'll take my daughter with me and we'll both play the front tees.

I'll bring my wife so I feel slightly less emasculated by playing from the reds.

**jamo** · July 9, 2012

I don't know if I'll be able to play in September (and certainly not at a course I've played much), so I'll probably do it some time in August and then post it along with everyone else. I remember doing it in 2010, it was fun. I ended up shooting a 67 (-5), but the differential was still 1.8 because the course rating from those tees was so low. It was fun though. I do recommend trying to find a time when there aren't a lot of people on the course and you can play alone. It was annoying to have to wait for the other people to hit and then walk up to the front tees with them waiting on me.

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