12 Handicap, Average Drive of 257.4 not allowed to play intermediate tees

The "Tee It Forward" initiative says a 12 handicap like me should play the intermediate tees until I become a 9 handicap. Yes, it is a lot more fun from the "white tees". But I outdrive my buds by at least 20 yards or more so they "force me" to the back tees "blues". This keeps my score in the 80's so I shouldn't complain but would like to break 80 more often. Just wondering what other folks thought and experienced on this issue.

I think whenever my buddies start paying for my round, they can dictate what tees I play.

Tee it forward is just a guideline.  You don't want to play tees that are too difficult for your skill level, but as long as you feel comfortable, go for it. If it's the difference between a 110 and a 90, then maybe you don't want to do it. But if it's the difference between an 87 and 92, I'd probably rather have more fun than worry about the score.

I play the same tees with my friends when we go out, even when they're better than me.  They don't force me, but it speeds up play and allows for better interaction so it doesn't bother me.

I never really thought about it before - but I actually think it's a good idea to base tee selection on driving distance vs handicap.  When I play with my wife, we both play the red tees (more fun, quicker, better interaction if we're on the same tee).  Even though I only use irons, I'm still usually way closer to the green off the tee.  So she's hitting a 6iron to the green but I'm hitting a 9 - which gives me an advantage for sure - even if we were the same handicap.

I play the intermediate tees because I can drive only about 200-220 at this point.  I think tee selection should be based on what distance will give you a short iron to the green if you hit a good drive.

Tell your so-called buds to stuff it.  Why do they control your play?

Guys, Thanks for the responses.

In a way, AmazingWhacker would be going along with my buds because when I play from the forward tees on par fours, my second shot rarely requires more than a 9 iron (except for when I need a weed eater or  chainsaw). By contrast, my buds are farther back hitting long irons and sometimes woods into the green.

Fourputt would be helping me break 80 a lot more often, I'd have a lot more fun, but I would have to find some new buds.

But on Wadesworld point, when I join people playing from the forward tee other than my buds (both for my enjoyment and to speed up play), even complete strangers comment that maybe I should go back to the rear tees, but of course they don't force me to.

I will keep trying to play the forward tees as much as they allow me to.

I tend to play the same tees as others in my group 90+% of the time for the reasons given above.  I had a standby pass this year- this resulted in my playing with sets groups of friends when it was slower, but filled into 2 and 3 somes when it was busier.  As a result I played a variety of tees and enjoyed mixing it up.

You are low/long enough that you could do the same, but it is up to you.

If you're playing for money then I can see their reasoning but that's where handicaps comes in.  If you're a better golfer and not just a longer driver then give them a few strokes.  If you're all the same handicap then you're playing from the right tees and they need to deal with it.

I hit it well past anybody I play with, and I will be damned if anyone will ever dictate to me what tees I play. Let them move up to the ladies tees!

I usually outdrive the guys I play with sometimes by as much as 50 yards but they play the Blue Tees (the Gold ones are the furthest back) with me where they should actually play the Whites. I tell them they can either have shots per side (anywhere from 3-6) or they can move up to the White tees. They always take the shots and most of the time lose money.

If they told me to move back to the Gold tees or no bets, I'd probably say no bets then.

OH, I forgot about the wagers. You guys are right about the betting. Originally, they put me back there to make it more fair because I won almost all the time. Then my game got better and I won all of the time. Just as you guys suggested, I started giving them strokes but one guy was too proud to take strokes. I still won, so then they started asking for an unreasonable amount of strokes. So I stopped betting with them. Now they want to beat me straight up. Similar to what NM Golf hilariously said, I told them to move up to the senior tees. Sometimes they did, depending on the difficulty of the course, but most times they wouldn't. But I get what you guys are saying. Just play where I want to play from and don't feel guilty that they don't have much of a chance. I try to be a good sport, but that messes up my personal goal of breaking 80 more often.

I think you need to decide which is more important,,shooting lower scores, or playing with your group of current friends.  But for sure, you cant win all the time and expect your friends to be happy.

If you do actually outdrive them by 20 or more yards,,what's wrong with playing from the blue tees to mitigate your driving yardage.  Sure it likely will increase your score, but at least it gives the rest of your group a feeling of being fair.

just hit a 3 iron off the tee when you play for money with them.

It's obvious that I care about my buds "too much" although I stopped betting with them like Pablo68 suggests. MLGolf's suggestion is workable because I can hit 5 wood or 3 hybrid (no three or four iron in my bag) from the intermediate tees but testosterone normally pulls driver out of the bag. I should try it just to see if I pull off a "Phil Mickelson" when he played one round of the U.S. Open without a driver. I think Tuffluck is correct about Tee It Forward's goal of speeding up play and thus improving everyone's golf experience and yes I play fast. But Tuffluck reminded me that I am normally waiting to tee off last because the group ahead is "in range", Especially on par 5 when I know I can make the green but can't wait for green to clear because folks are waiting to tee off behind me.  Yeah, I think I WILL challenge myself to hit fairway woods and hybrid off of the tee. I think I will still be close enough to hit mid-iron in but have to make longer birdie putts/chips, everyone can play from the same tees and no need to give them strokes, and if I break 80 without driver it will be a pleasant surprise, but somehow, I think it's possible.

It's perfectly fair from the same tees.  If his friends happiness really depends on winning he should get friends that practice golf and or are more emotionally stable.  His friends should care about his happiness too.

If there is no money on the line I don't see why they care.

Just remember about giving them strokes; it's negotiable. As someone else said, you can't win all the time and expect them to be happy about it. They'll whine about more strokes per side and you must concede some but not alot. One guy in my group thinks 'I shot 100 and you shot 82 so I get a shot a hole'. Uh...................no. You slapping it around the green to eventually pick up and card an 8 versus my par 4 doesn't mean I won 4 bets from you. Maybe that's the way your friends are thinking.

A couple of the guys I play with are good enough that with just a little practice or stop pulling stupid stuff around the greens, they'd be able to score a lot better. If they start whining too much start tell them to practice more and that Charity is a stripper's name and isn't playing with you guys today.

Bottom line is they need to put in the effort to get better. Just because your game is getting better, doesn't mean you just keep increasing their strokes per side.