Jump to content
IGNORED

Tee Restrictions by Handicap


iacas
Note: This thread is 2850 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Should Courses Limit the Back Tees to Low-Handicap Players?  

78 members have voted

  1. 1. Should Courses Limit the Back Tees to Low-Handicap Players?

    • Yes, "seeing the whole course" is pointless when you shoot 115.
    • No, tee choice does not factor into the speed of play.


Recommended Posts

41 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Not everyone cares about their scores. As long as they keep the pace to insure others enjoy their games as well, it doesn't really matter if they shoot 68 or 128.

They care in league. 

Dave :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

3 hours ago, Dave2512 said:

 

It didn't appear they enjoyed their day of golf. It was constant scrambling. They were scrambling for bogey 50 yds out. It was silly just hit ball and find it no real course strategy. The only par the kid made was a high five achievement for them. Why not move up and have more fun? 

 

I've come to the conclusion that some people just like the struggle. I shoot a 95 and I think I suck. They shoot a 95 and think it's time to move back a set of tees.

  • Upvote 1

Julia

:callaway:  :cobra:    :seemore:  :bushnell:  :clicgear:  :adidas:  :footjoy:

Spoiler

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha w/ Fubuki Z50 R 44.5"
FW: Cobra BiO CELL 14.5 degree; 
Hybrids: Cobra BiO CELL 22.5 degree Project X R-flex
Irons: Cobra BiO CELL 5 - GW Project X R-Flex
Wedges: Cobra BiO CELL SW, Fly-Z LW, 64* Callaway PM Grind.
Putter: 48" Odyssey Dart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

On January 25, 2005 at 3:37 PM, Ben said:

That's fine and dandy, but find me a public course in L.A. County that sends out twosomes, let alone a course that plays in 3 hours and then we'll be talking apples and apples.

L.A. is oversaturated with players who can't play for "S" that feel the need to play whenever their hearts desire. Screw that! Nothing worse than your tee time being 20 minutes late, and playing behind a group of people knocking their balls all over the course. These are the types of groups that cause the back up in the first place. You only need 1 group like that every half an hour to cause a traffic jam on the course. But yes, proper etiquette does account for something.

Seems like your problem is a lack of course rangers. Can't blame the patrons when no one enforces the rules.

In the bag:
Driver: R9 Supertri
3W: R9
3i-PW: Mizuno Mp-68
Wedges: Taylormade Racs
Putter: PING Redwood blade

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I'm on the fence, I voted yes, but would be for certain courses, maybe based on length and course rating.  Something over 7,200 Yds and a 140 slope, but I'm even on the fence for that.

There are plenty of courses whose tips don't get anywhere near 7,000 yds (Springfield is 6,680), so playing the tips is not big deal.  There are 5, maybe 6 holes at Springfield where the additional length can bite you. But as long as you can keep pace, play where you want to play.  For me once you get over 7,000 Yds, it's just not that enjoyable, it's more like a grind.  Hitting hybrids into several, or most of the par 4's makes for a long day, unless you are hitting it really well and you have your "A" short game. 

As @Lihu mentioned, I think most of the slow play comes from certain golfers are just oblivious to their surroundings.  They paid money to play golf and they will meander all over the course and have no care for anyone else on the course.  And then get on the green and read every putt like they are trying to win the Master's instead of the $5 nassau.

Unfortunately, we are all preaching to the choir on this website.  I would guess that most, if not all of us, play the tees that we get the most enjoyment out of playing.  

Golf is Hard! 

 

-Jerry

Driver: Titleist 913 D3 (9.5 degree) – Aldila RIP 60-2.9-Stiff; Callaway Mini-Driver Kura Kage 60g shaft - 12 degree Hybrids: Callway X2 Hot Pro - 16 degree & 23 degree – Pro-Shaft; Callway X2 Hot – 5H & 6H Irons: Titleist 714 AP2 7 thru AW with S300 Dynamic Gold Wedges: Titleist Vokey GW (54 degree), Callaway MackDaddy PM Grind SW (58 degree) Putter: Ping Cadence TR Ketsch Heavy Balls: Titleist Pro V1x & Snell MyTourBall

"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots but you have to play the ball where it lies."- Bobby Jones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I guess people can play any tees they want.  None of the courses I play restrict where you play from.  Me, I am high handicap and play from the White (5600-5900 yds).  I think it is a macho thing for some to play from the tips so they can say, played from the tips today.  Me shooting 90-100 from the whites would probably result in me never breaking 100 from the back tees.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I hate rules where they are not necessary. Is this really an issue? I am not a long hitter and usually play the whites but sometimes the yellows depending on the course. I just dont want to be told which tees to use.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I know at my home courses the lower handicaps usually take the longest because they typically play from the tips and usually wager decent money on their round.  With money involved, they tend to spend more time looking for lost balls, take longer to make their shots and spend more time putting than high handicappers.  

Generalizations don't work, so enforcing global tee box rules based on handicap will not solve slow play on most courses.  

Joe Paradiso

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

At what course length do you expect people will play better/faster? My league course is pretty darn short at just under 5800 yards, the course rating is pretty ridiculously low also at 66.4/110. All that would make you think that course would be a dream for hackers, right? No, league night takes almost 4 hours at times for 9 holes. It's not the tee length, it's the people playing that make the round take long. Chitchatting, way too many practice swings, extra long time to take putts, stopping the beer cart every time it comes around, etc. And this is with playing "fast and loose" with the rules by taking drops for OB or lost balls, fluffing lies, foot wedge out from trees, so on and so forth. AND, the slowest players are the BEST players with the lowest handicaps. So, while I don't disagree that not everyone can play the tips, that's probably one of the least likely things to slow down play.

KICK THE FLIP!!

In the bag:
:srixon: Z355

:callaway: XR16 3 Wood
:tmade: Aeroburner 19* 3 hybrid
:ping: I e1 irons 4-PW
:vokey: SM5 50, 60
:wilsonstaff: Harmonized Sole Grind 56 and Windy City Putter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I was at Myrtle National a couple years ago. I was a single hooked up with another single and a twosome. twosome wanted the tips.  First guy topped his drive 50 yards, second almost swung and missed. Starter immediately moved us all to the whites, and a ranger hung back for a few holes watching. The starter did not suggest the whites, he politely but firmly told us to play them.

Lucky for me, the other single was about my skill level, because watching those two hit a ball 225 times in total would have been more than I could bare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


55 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

Generalizations don't work, so enforcing global tee box rules based on handicap will not solve slow play on most courses.  

The generalizations that do work are stats. I know everyone thinks they are an outlier but the numbers are what they are.

As the handicap goes up GIR goes down. If two players with similar golf habits shoot scores twenty strokes apart the golfer taking more strokes will be slower. I see this in myself. I am faster making a birdie than a double on a open course where the only pace factor is how many strokes, especially when penalties are involved. 

Dave :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

7 minutes ago, Dave2512 said:

The generalizations that do work are stats. I know everyone thinks they are an outlier but the numbers are what they are.

As the handicap goes up GIR goes down. If two players with similar golf habits shoot scores twenty strokes apart the golfer taking more strokes will be slower. I see this in myself. I am faster making a birdie than a double on a open course where the only pace factor is how many strokes, especially when penalties are involved. 

Number of strokes accounts for very little of what makes golfers slow.  I'll take roughly 14 strokes more than someone with your handicap, but I don't take practice swings, I use an orange ball to make it easier to find when hit off the fairway, I don't laser or check a yardage book on every shot and I probably spend less time reading putts than most people at your handicap.  So while I may take more swings I'm a faster player than most of the lower handicap players I've played rounds with. 

Using your "stats", tour players and college golfers should be much faster than the rest of us  but if you watch them play, they aren't. 

Joe Paradiso

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

19 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

Number of strokes accounts for very little of what makes golfers slow.  I'll take roughly 14 strokes more than someone with your handicap, but I don't take practice swings, I use an orange ball to make it easier to find when hit off the fairway, I don't laser or check a yardage book on every shot and I probably spend less time reading putts than most people at your handicap.  So while I may take more swings I'm a faster player than most of the lower handicap players I've played rounds with. 

Using your "stats", tour players and college golfers should be much faster than the rest of us  but if you watch them play, they aren't. 

But you have to move to to your ball and play the shot. If you do that 14 times a round and I do everything else the same you are slower. Even if it's 45 seconds a shot that's just over ten minutes. Slower players aren't usually an hour slow or even a half hour slow they're minutes slow. 

Playing for pro money or the importance of the finishing result in college tournaments is a different. The guys in my league are slower than usual when all that's riding on it is where their name falls on the posted results for their flight. We don't have those issues playing for fun Saturday afternoon. 

Courses understand it's not one golfer ten minutes slow that ithe problem is the cumulative effect of many slow golfers. Make the course slightly less challenging everyone plays a little quicker. The slower players won't slow down more at some point being closer to the green means a better miss, means less strokes. 

Dave :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Personally I think those folks who have a tough time with slow play already have an answer available to them for faster play. That being find a less crowded course to play. Play more expensive courses. Stay away from the low priced munis.  Fewer golfers means faster play. Play on the days, or times the golf course is the least busy. 

Of course if schedule, and monetary issues dictate when, and where a golfer can play, then that golfer has to go with what's available to them. 

Blaiming other golfers' pace of play doesn't wash that well, since not every golfer will play at the same pace. It would be great if they did, but it's never going to happen. 

In My Bag:
A whole bunch of Tour Edge golf stuff...... :beer:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I don't blame golfers for slow play I blame mismanaged courses. Slow is slow. I am good all the way up to to posted POP. If that means it takes 4:15 as single or twosome so be it.

The problems start when a group or two loses the group ahead and it creates a backup. It's rare I am directly behind the slow guy, it's never one slow golfer. Doesn't make it feel better when four carts are sitting on a tee waiting. 

 

Dave :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

There's just way too many variables to consider here. 

But if it's a muni, it's Saturday morning, and I were a starter I would think the best thing to do would be to just chit chat with every group and if you can, ask them about their handicaps, playing experience (all casually) and if, for example, they're a bunch of 20 yr old kids that are "dressed the part for some sick selfies" and you're getting the vibe that they're going to play the 'ol "I can hit my drive xxx far so I'm clearly hung like a horse" then tell them they should either play it forward or if they insist on the back tees, make sure they frequently check their own pace - and explain why. And if they did insist, I would immediately tell the rangers to keep an eye out for them. 

That would take care of probably 80% of the problem groups.

The other 20% are probably hopeless and I don't think there's anything you're going to be able to do about it, honestly. 

I don't know about you guys... but whenever I'm playing a Saturday morning at a muni I don't think I've ever had a starter mention anything about pace of play - and I look like I'm 18 years old. I wouldn't be insulted if they did, though. Whatever gets the overall course moving forward, I'm on board with. I just don't think there's that many starters on the muni's that really care.

D: :tmade: R1 Stiff @ 10* 3W: :tmade: AeroBurner TP 15* 2H: :adams: Super 9031 18* 3-SW: :tmade: R9 Stiff P: :titleist: :scotty_cameron: Futura X7M 35"

Ball: Whatever. Something soft. Kirklands Signature are pretty schweeeet at the moment!

Bag: :sunmountain: C130 Cart Bag Push Cart: :sunmountain: Micro Cart Sport

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I voted No as well. I might be a high handicap but most of my scoring comes from being on the greens. I reach most holes right at regulation. Maybe not necessarily on the green in regulation but able to put that next shot on the green. 

 Sometimes a duffed shot in the fairway or off the tee changes the above statement. But rarely. I'm still a good enough ball striker to make adequate positive yardage. 

However, I find it more enjoyable to play from the mid or white tees. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


This is what efficient course here do during peak times. I am certain the motive is less about golfers enjoying a stress free round than getting as many people through the courses as they can ($$).

  • Tees are moved up on weekends. Even if people choose the wrong tee relative to their skill it's still shorter than card yardage.
  • Pin placements are easy on weekends.
  • Ranger's with tee sheet monitors pace, one on each side.
  • Courses are mowed Thursday so rough is short on the weekend.
  • Two bev carts, one each side.
  • Starter controls first tee no exceptions. Show up late he will either direct you to drop in the fairway or try to switch your time if a group is ready to go. Seriously I've seen singles miss their time and the answer was go catch your group.
  • Upvote 1

Dave :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 2850 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Posts

    • Day 82: 3/18/24 Tried a Stack session but could not certify my warmup. Finished with indoor chips and putting. 
    • Day 96 (18 Mar 24) - Continued work with the Divot Board with the GW and hard foam balls.  Focused on small target/small miss…setup to hit target about 30yds out - success if it hit within 6’ circle of target, fail if outside.  Had decent success averaging about 3 out of 4 (hitting in groups of four).  
    • Wordle 1,003 3/6 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩   felt a little like Wyndham when the first three green and I began the fist pump…
    • I'm relieved someone finally defined hiking. I was giddy when I saw these new TPI videos a day or so after they dropped. Very easy to understand the problem and solution the way they have presented it. Been working on fixing this for about a year and a half now. It's nice to be able to call it something so communication becomes easy.  I was working on more lateral and up too, but just having someone define it clearly in video form was so helpful for me to continue confidently with what I thought was wrong and how I had to fix it.  My conceptual error here was just trying to rotate like a tour pro but without including the necessary forward pressure/weight shift associated with enough lateral and upward motion of the pelvis.  This video is great too, as is Greg Rose.
    • Day 2.    couple mins of rolling putts end over end.    10 mins of Slow, mirror work, working on starting the downswing and impact wrist positions. Hit a couple balls into the net after.    Then finished with a couple chips to see if I could repeat what I worked on yesterday. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...