White or blue tees

[Joeyvee]

Ok. I've seen what I think is a big shift in the tees people are playing. I haevn't been playing since the 90s but in the early 90's as a teen I was a caddy at Winged Foot. Those guys can play. I mean play. There was no looking for lost balls. I grew up thinking every course would look like that and everyone shot in the 70s. HAHAHA.
Anyway. A lot of the members there are single digit cappers. Most of em. Like most good clubs it's really a players club.
I dont remember anyone hitting off the blue tees. Ever. I never caddied a tourney but I caddied hunderds of rounds and all the members teed off the white tees.
Now when I play I see everyone on the course under 70 years old is playing blues blacks or whatever it is as far back as they can get. I shoot 90's, most of my friends shoot 90's but we play with a guy who is a 2.5 HDCP and he will never let us play whites. He says they're for old men etc.. So we all play blue. Whatever. No big deal.
I just think it's funny that the white tees were good enough for these guys in the 90s with game and now even people without game are playing blue..
Anyone else see anything like this?

[soloredd]

Often I think people are playing tees too far back than what they should be playing. I always play white tees (or whatever is 6000-6500 yards). I don't know when it changed that you have to play the back tees in order to play "real golf" but some people think that way.

[golfro]

You also have to realize that general trend, courses have gotten longer than previous years. I never play from the whites, not because they're for old people, but at my driving distance and handicap, its just more challenging for me to play from blues or blacks.

[Joeyvee]

Sure. At a 5.0 I understand you want to play it as hard as it can be played. I see guys who probably shoot 120s playing blues or blacks too. Weird. When I do play whites once in a blue moon it is a big difference. I'd much rather have an 8 iron in then a 5. At a 20+ HDCP I shouldnt be playing blues. The good thing is the bunkers arent in play for me ever. I know if I'm in a bunker I hit it looong or if I'm in a greenside bunker I hit a good shot and it's a small miss. Usually I miss the green and bunkers lol.

[max power]

You also have to realize that general trend, courses have gotten longer than previous years. I never play from the whites, not because they're for old people, but at my driving distance and handicap, its just more challenging for me to play from blues or blacks.

golfro is a 5 handicap, and he belongs on the blue tees. I do agree that way too many people play tees unsuitable for their game. You clearly have the correct instinct, as a 20 handicap you don't belong on the blue tees. Anyone who says you won't get better playing white tees or something along those lines is full of it. Until someone is down to a 13, 12, 10 or so their ballstriking is not consistent enough that the white tees are somehow "too easy."

[nhwoj]

I've played at my home course many times this year, and only seen one person playing the blues. It's a very narrow course, which may influence what tees people play, but I've also played at another course near my home that is very wide open, and not much longer, and still only seen one guy playing blues. I guess the trends don't reach New England as quick!

[Joeyvee]

I also notice that a lot of people are posting scores from some pretty damned easy courses a lot of the time. I see some guys saying they played a course from the tips at 119/66.5 or something crazy. SHeeeeyit. I'll tee those tips up any damned day. My 3 most frequently played courses from the whites are 127/70.4, 124/68.2, 122/68.9 and from the tips; 135/72.2, 129/70.3, 132/73.5. Pretty big differences. The courses get a lot harder from the back tees.

[soloredd]

I also notice that a lot of people are posting scores from some pretty damned easy courses a lot of the time. I see some guys saying they played a course from the tips at 119/66.5 or something crazy. SHeeeeyit. I'll tee those tips up any damned day. My 3 most frequently played courses from the whites are 127/70.4, 124/68.2, 122/68.9 and from the tips; 135/72.2, 129/70.3, 132/73.5. Pretty big differences. The courses get a lot harder from the back tees.

The courses I play the most from the whites go from 68.8/118 to 68.3/124. I think it's a bit unfair to use those as factors, though. Is it my fault that a majority of the courses in my hometown are not as tough as yours? Of course not.

[Joeyvee]

This isnt a competition. I guess it came off sounding like I was complaining that all of the courses here are more difficult but that's not what I meant. I meant the difference between whites and tips is so big. I wuold LOVE to tee off at a course with 68.3/124 from the tips though. It's still hard for me too. Im just saying a135/72.2 course is killer for me

[delav]

Perhaps I'm a minority here, but I don't mind changing tees from time to time. Playing the whites at my home course is often an entirely different round of golf; and it brings new decisions as far as club selection and shot making. Yes, it's easier to hit the par 3's, but it's also a good test in course management to really think about probabilities and approach shots.

I don't see a ton of poor players playing the back tees at my home course, thank goodness.

[homerun79]

Perhaps I'm a minority here, but I don't mind changing tees from time to time. Playing the whites at my home course is often an entirely different round of golf; and it brings new decisions as far as club selection and shot making. Yes, it's easier to hit the par 3's, but it's also a good test in course management to really think about probabilities and approach shots.

I like the idea of playing whites as a different round of golf, I'll use that next time I go out with my higher cap buddies... I usually don't get excited about it, I dont want to shoot a really low round and then have to say "but I was playing the whites cuz the group wanted to, so it's not really a 74" lol...

[Danattherock]

People of lesser ability play from the blue tees for the same reason they use xstiff shafts in their $400 drivers. Ego. The irony is they play worse because of both.

[andymane]

Here in China you see that a lot, here in China golf is still a relatively new sport. and the prices for a round/memebership are garunteed to keep it a sport for the elite class. never fails everytime i go out for a round ill see a bunch of business men playing in a foursome, awesome shiny looking staff/cart style bags, brand new top of the line clubs. these guys golf swings hurt just to watch, yet they insist on playing from the blue/black tees. i say 80% of the time thier tee shots dont even make it past the forward tees. (makes for a looooong round playing behind these guys, you can play through but the course is full of them) lol but i still get a laugh out of watching that tee shot trickle 20 yards off the tee box!

[max power]

Unless the white tees are especially short, I've always looked at the blue/black tees as a reward. If I shoot 80 or lower from the whites, I reward myself with the blues. If I break 80 from the blues I have the option head back further, or in many cases there are no further tees.

Bottom line, it's a game, and I'm there to have fun like everyone else. I don't actually care what anyone else plays as long as they can handle themselves and keep things moving. Unfortunately, as the OP pointed out there seem to be a lot of slow and/or high handicap golfers who think life starts at the blue tee box.

[lumpuckeroo]

I think we really over estimate just how good we are and how good we play. And the higher the handicap the worst we are about it! We tend to think the more yardage we play the more of a player we are, but we really know that has nothing to do with playing the game. In the last few years I have lost a lot of yardage in my game, I've had little trouble moving forward a set of tees, the game is still a challenge!

[$2 Nassau]

Most courses are not like Winged Foot. Blue tees at the local muni are probably not as tough as the forward tees at Winged Foot. Depends on the course, of course. Most courses that I go to, 90% of the golfers are playing the white tees, and these are not tough courses.

[Deryck Griffith]

The current handicap you have should dictate which tee you play off of. If you are a newbie with no handicap, then you should default to the shortest mens tees until you handicap is developed. End of story.

More golf courses should enforce this as policy. If they did, it would help to reduce the amount of 5+ hour rounds that we all see from time to time.

[The Recreational Golfer]

I play the whites. When I start breaking par as often as not (wish), I'll move back to the blues. Right now, the whites are enough of a challenge for me.