Playing Forward Tees and Playing Without the Driver

[GolfingEngineer84]

Background: Firstly new to the forum, so hello there! I'm 36 and been golfing quite a lot over the past 4 months with my wife.  used to play a ton as a teen, about 18 years ago though I stopped.  Anyway back at the game and loving it! Shot a 35 on the front 9 of a Par 3 with 3 holes for Par, which is my best round of golf ever! The back 9... not so good 😉

Topic: I know most people love hitting the driver and bombing it... but I just haven't practiced with it much and even when I hit a good shot, I dunno know, it's not my favorite thing. I honestly enjoy putting the most!  I'm hitting a 7 iron, not trying to kill it, just how I swing I guess like 170 yards. A good drive I guess is going 250ish but that is on the range. Anyway point being I could play from some middle tees, and I've tried a few times but... just don't enjoy it. 1/7 drives on a 9 hole course will be PLAYABLE, and it's just not fun. I've been teeing off the front with my wife and par 4's are about 250-290 yards where we play. So I leave the driver home and usually my strategy is cut the hole in half (so not all 5 iron shots). So I get to try a variety of irons in my bag when tee'ing off. 

We also LOVE a couple Par 3's around us. They are really nice courses, I guess I mean the 18 hole Par 3 we play at feels like 18 holes you'd find on a normal golf course, they just happen to be all Par 3's. For this I actually use the back tee's since otherwise is like 15/18 wedge shots, it allows more variety of clubs. And gives me so many chances to practice short game stuff in a reasonable time. 

The other bonus is I get to play with my wife more!! Instead of me hitting a ball, then having to walk up 80 yards, then her hit, we can alternate on the tee's and talk about our shots. 

The thing is I've gotten some odd looks from people we play with (sometimes singles will book same tee time on our favorite 9 hole course) but I don't care honestly. I've watched enough groups of 4 teeing off the back tee's who can barely clear the front tee box to know it's better to play what's fun to you.

Maybe someday I'll get like a 3 or 5 wood and that might be easier bridge to the driver, but most times on the range I don't even bring it. Obviously if I want to be a 'good golfer' I need all parts of my game... but I think at least until next year I'm happy enough not even bothering with it and enjoying my time on the course more. 

[pganapathy]

I suppose it depends on what you want out of the game.  If all you are looking for is fun and not really worried about the score, then go ahead with this strategy.  On the other hand, if you want to improve, you will eventually need to hit more than 7 iron off the tee.  But you can work up to it slowly.  Start with the longest iron in your bag.  Then move onto a hybrid/fairway wood and then eventually on to your driver.  Length really does make a difference to your score.  The closer you are to the green, the easier your second/third shot becomes

[GolfingEngineer84]

Not sure what you mean about score... I'm only competition against myself. If I get a lower score on the front tee's then I guess I'm getting better. Truth be told I didn't even want to keep score but my wife likes too so I do it with her so we can compare. 

Just keeping it fun. I'm not trying to play matches or on the PGA tour lol. Game is expensive enough, want to have a good time 🙂

[Vinsk]

No. I do not nor will ever enjoy a round of golf leaving a statistically important club home.

[GolfingEngineer84]

6 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

No. I do not nor will ever enjoy a round of golf leaving a statistically important club home.

Why are you even commenting then? Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

I'll uselessly comment on your picture then and say I'm sorry but I only enjoy driving American cars with a V8 engine. Statistically it's more fun! 

 

Edited August 9, 2021 by GolfingEngineer84

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

Why are you even commenting then? Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

To be fair, you asked a question (Does anyone else enjoy leaving driver at home) and he answered.  I agree with him, I enjoy using all of the available tools, I have no interest in playing without my driver.  That doesn't mean "I'm right, and you're wrong", it means we have different viewpoints.  If you're having fun playing the way you are, great!  I think on this forum, and in the bigger world of golfers, you're probably in a minority, but you should play the way you enjoy playing.

[mcanadiens]

7 minutes ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

Why are you even commenting then? Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

You asked a question and he answered it. I'm not sure what more you were really expecting.

Personally, I used to enjoy playing the executive courses when we had them around my area. They were generally less busy than the other courses and it was easy to get in a fast round.

Enjoy what you enjoy, but most people here will probably be seeking to get better and that means using the big stick.

[Jack50]

54 minutes ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

Why are you even commenting then? Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

I'll uselessly comment on your picture then and say I'm sorry but I only enjoy driving American cars with a V8 engine. Statistically it's more fun! 

You're right with this comment. If you want to play from the front and leave the D at home do that. If the course has par 5s it's worth having D in the bag incase you get the urge to use it though.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Jack50

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

Background: Firstly new to the forum, so hello there! I'm 36 and been golfing quite a lot over the past 4 months with my wife.  used to play a ton as a teen, about 18 years ago though I stopped.  Anyway back at the game and loving it! Shot a 35 on the front 9 of a Par 3 with 3 holes for Par, which is my best round of golf ever! The back 9... not so good 😉

Topic: I know most people love hitting the driver and bombing it... but I just haven't practiced with it much and even when I hit a good shot, I dunno know, it's not my favorite thing. I honestly enjoy putting the most!  I'm hitting a 7 iron, not trying to kill it, just how I swing I guess like 170 yards. A good drive I guess is going 250ish but that is on the range. Anyway point being I could play from some middle tees, and I've tried a few times but... just don't enjoy it. 1/7 drives on a 9 hole course will be PLAYABLE, and it's just not fun. I've been teeing off the front with my wife and par 4's are about 250-290 yards where we play. So I leave the driver home and usually my strategy is cut the hole in half (so not all 5 iron shots). So I get to try a variety of irons in my bag when tee'ing off. 

We also LOVE a couple Par 3's around us. They are really nice courses, I guess I mean the 18 hole Par 3 we play at feels like 18 holes you'd find on a normal golf course, they just happen to be all Par 3's. For this I actually use the back tee's since otherwise is like 15/18 wedge shots, it allows more variety of clubs. And gives me so many chances to practice short game stuff in a reasonable time. 

The other bonus is I get to play with my wife more!! Instead of me hitting a ball, then having to walk up 80 yards, then her hit, we can alternate on the tee's and talk about our shots. 

The thing is I've gotten some odd looks from people we play with (sometimes singles will book same tee time on our favorite 9 hole course) but I don't care honestly. I've watched enough groups of 4 teeing off the back tee's who can barely clear the front tee box to know it's better to play what's fun to you.

Maybe someday I'll get like a 3 or 5 wood and that might be easier bridge to the driver, but most times on the range I don't even bring it. Obviously if I want to be a 'good golfer' I need all parts of my game... but I think at least until next year I'm happy enough not even bothering with it and enjoying my time on the course more. 

First, welcome to The Sand Trap! I revised the title to be a bit more clear. If you have a suggestion to improve it, let me know.

I also enjoy playing golf with my wife. We do play a local par 3 course and its a lot of fun. Longest club for me there is a 4 iron. We also play full size courses. But there, I tend to play my tees and she plays forward. We often play with women friends who also play forward. We have a lot fun that way too. 

I do work on my driver a lot though. I enjoy trying to improve with it. I gives the game a variety. I play longer courses on occasion and the extra distance helps. 

 

[SG11118]

Why not use the driver at least some when playing the forward tees?  I'm guessing your wife still hits driver from the forward tees?  Some of the holes may even be less penal if you hit a wayward drive from the forward tees than if you hit a wayward one from a different set of tees.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

2 hours ago, Vinsk said:

 

Why are you even commenting then? Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

Why are you asking? Are you only wanting responses that agree with your sentiment? How Reddit of you….😉

Edited August 9, 2021 by Vinsk

[woodzie264]

3 hours ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

Why are you even commenting then? Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

 

You had asked a question. Before you start bad-mouthing the forum and it’s members, you should consider what you say. 
 

But back to your topic, I’d encourage you to do what you want regardless of the stares from others. It’s your money, play how you like

[Darkfrog]

2 hours ago, GolfingEngineer84 said:

Was hoping this place was better than Reddit but I see useless replies here too I guess! 

Reddit (I assume you mean r/golf) and TST are not even close in the quality of content, and contributors. You won't find any "here's a picture of a new driver I bought, can't wait to shank it OB", or "here's a picture of a new putter, can't wait to 3-putt in style now", or "here's a picture of 500 golf balls I bought, should be enough for this weekend's round" posts on TST. Just interesting, fun, sometimes contentious, sometimes goofy, evidence-based discussion on all things golf. There's a ton of great instructional content too, which I think is how I stumbled upon the site myself.

Regarding your topic, I almost never play without a driver, and I wouldn't want to. I did this once because the shaft snapped on the first hole due to my own carelessness, and a few other times carrying a Sunday bag with 3W as the longest club. I love hitting driver; for me, one of the best feelings/sounds in the game is a well struck driver. Maybe a close second to a flushed approach with a long- or mid-iron. Personally I find putting boring. I only say this to illustrate that we can all enjoy different aspects of the game, but we are all here because we enjoy golf.

For me, the pleasure I get from the game of golf is learning/practicing/improving to be the best golfer I am capable of. Teeing off with driver where appropriate gives a statistical advantage (closer to the hole is almost always better with regards to score) so I see it as a necessity for my enjoyment of the game. Once of my goals this year is to eagle a par-5, which is unlikely to happen teeing off with a shorter club. My instructor's advice is that if you can hit a 7-iron, you can hit a driver, so I try not to let myself trip over a psychological hurdle for swinging longer clubs (I still do though).

On my home course I usually only hit driver 3-4 times per round, but that is dictated by my shot zones and the course layout. Sometimes if I am swinging well, I may hit driver 7-8 times. One of my playing partners refers to the course as a "thinking man's" course. I don't give the course that much credit, but it is a narrow, short-ish, heavily forested, with several creeks running through the property, so driver brings more trouble into play compared to advantage it gains on many holes.

Your 7-iron tee shot strategy is not completely unusual. There are four par-4 holes where I tee off exclusively with 7-iron, because this shot takes trouble out of play (barring a terrible swing) while advancing the ball far enough to leave an approach with a short iron or wedge. But again, this is based on the hole, and not pre-determined. If the tees I usually play were back 30 yards for some reason, my strategy would likely change.

[imsys0042]

@Darkfrog - I had to check your location.  You sound like you play a home course a lot like mine.  Couple of holes there a 7-iron is the smart play, and it leaves something manageable in.   Also, my place can be driverless or up to 7 holes where you would think about hitting driver.   Two years ago in the club championship, the first round leader had an accident with his driver the night before and only had a 4 wood and a hybrid in addition to irons.

[gjunkie57]

You actually did not ask a question so I’ll just say, enjoy your time on the course with your wife.  If someone gives you a look ignore them, you paid your money, enjoy it like you want to. 
If one day the driver starts calling you from the closet, this forum will be here to help, if needed.  

[ncates00]

Regarding playing forward tees:

It depends on your expectations. If you are playing casually for fun, then play forward tees because you will play faster, have shorter clubs in, and enjoy yourself more. If you take golf more seriously, then you may consult carry distance charts to determine which tees you should play. You don’t necessarily want to hit driver and a SW all day, but you also probably don’t want to hit driver and a hybrid all day either, so you may even consider playing mixed tees as well, e.g., play some forward tees and some back tees depending on the hole. 

Regarding playing without driver:

I wouldn’t leave a club at home. That said, I understand leaving it in the bag during a round when things are going sideways. I did something similar when we played the Disney courses this past week. My driver was great on the range and on the first tee. Thereafter, I proceeded to bomb a couple of tee balls out of play. My driving iron came out the rest of the round.
 

So I get having something to go to in these instances, but you shouldn’t avoid something indefinitely. Rather, have your go-to club ready until you can get to your next practice session and work on it. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by ncates00

[dagolfer18]

As far as the forward tees question goes, I support whatever you choose to do! Despite the fact that I usually play yardages around 6300 or 6400, I do enjoy going to a forward tee every once in a while as a sort of “let’s see how low I can go” challenge. 

As far as leaving the driver at home, I don’t leave it at the house, but I will leave it in the bag if I’m not feeling strong about it.

[billchao]

41 minutes ago, gjunkie57 said:

You actually did not ask a question

No, @GolfingEngineer84 did not, but that doesn’t invalidate some of the comments from previous posters (I’m not saying that’s what you’re saying). This is a public forum and people are free to comment as they like, with some minor restrictions of course.

As to the topic, play the game however you enjoy it, man. Golf is a game that most of us play for recreation. It’s supposed to be fun. I quite enjoy hitting my driver well, but I wouldn’t give it a second thought if I saw a couple playing from the same tees on the course.