White or blue tees

[sean_miller]

It's not as simple as going by your score. If people had to break par from the whites to move back a teebox, then they should just remove the markers from the pro tees (the ones behind the ones behind the ones the OP is talking about) at many courses.

Personally, I believe if after a good drive you can't reach all the par 4s and 5s in regulation, you should move up. If you need to use a fairway wood on even the shortest par 3, you should move up. If you never seem to have anything shorter than a 5 iron approach into par 4s, you should move up.

If you need to hit irons and hybrids off all the "long holes" so that you don't go through the fairway, you should move back.

If your par 4 approaches are typically between a 6 iron and sand wedge, and you can have a go on at least one of the par 5s, you're probably on the correct tee box. When you're standing in the middle of the fairway with your 125 yard club in your hand, the ball has no idea if it started on the white, blue, yellow, black, or green tee box. If you don't hit the ball pretty close to the green, more often than not, from 125 yards, then which tee box you're starting from is the least of your worries.

[Deryck Griffith]

It's not as simple as going by your score. If people had to break par from the whites to move back a teebox, then they should just remove the markers from the pro tees (the ones behind the ones behind the ones the OP is talking about) at many courses.

I don't understand your point? You don't have to break par to move back to the blues from the whites? If the blues are listed as 0-9 handicap then yes, you should play scratch to move back furhter to play the blacks that are usually 6800-7000+ yards. Some courses have whites, blues, golds and blacks. Whatever the varying handicap requirements are for those teees should be followed.

The whole point of this is to rid the stupitity of people saying that playing from the whites is bad or looked at as "not playing real golf." The purpose of varying tees is to allow people of all playing levels to enjoy their round of golf and limit people at certain levels to play the more advanced tees. The other day, I played a round at a very nice local course that took 5+ hours. Why? Because the 4 hackers in front of decided to play the gold's (6782 yards) and couldn't carry their drives over the hazards on most of the holes. So between looking for their balls, re-teeing and looking for their balls again to then result to just dropping to hit made the round ridiculously long. That shouldn't be acceptable. They should've played the correct tees which would've allowed them to clear the hazards which would have effectively improved upon their pace of play and their own enjoyment of their round.

[sean_miller]

I don't understand your point?

I wasn't responding to your post. And clearly you weren't responding to mine.

[Fat Slice]

Personally, I believe if after a good drive you can't reach all the par 4s and 5s in regulation, you should move up. If you need to use a fairway wood on even the shortest par 3, you should move up. If you never seem to have anything shorter than a 5 iron approach into par 4s, you should move up.

I agree with this as a good rule of thumb to play most of your rounds. However, it can end up with you not practicing certain shots very much (hybrids to the green, for example), and sometimes you *really* need to make that shot!

I move back and forth between the whites and blues so I get a chance to work with all the clubs in my bag. Our tournaments are always from the white tees, so I will take in practice rounds from there. I like the blue tees as they get me some experience with 5 irons off the tee (par 3) and also challenge my course management skills more than the whites.

[sean_miller]

I agree with this as a good rule of thumb to play most of your rounds. However, it can end up with you not practicing certain shots very much (hybrids to the green, for example), and sometimes you *really* need to make that shot!

If you want to mix it up, play a variety of tees. If I was a member somewhere, playing most of my golf on the same course, I'd certainly switch it up every few rounds. Experience tells me that a player can practice whatever shot they want, regardless of what tee box they're playing from.

You want to hit a longer club into the green? Take less club off the tee or move back a box. You want to have shorter clubs into the green? Lay up, move up, or hit a longer tee ball.

[$2 Nassau]

A friend of mine, who is about a 10 handicap uses a very simple process for determining what tees to play on a new course. Not saying this is a perfect method, but more often than not it works out well for us.

He looks at the par 3's. So let's say there's four par 3's on the course, and from the tips they measure: 183, 211, 162, 191. Well, for guys our level those are all pretty tough par 3's and we should probably move up to the tees that play more like....152, 188, 140, 165 (or whatever). If the par 3's look reasonable than those are the tees we play, if there's 200 yard carry over water just to hit the green we know we are probably on the wrong tees (not always, but usually).

[sean_miller]

A friend of mine, who is about a 10 handicap uses a very simple process for determining what tees to play on a new course. Not saying this is a perfect method, but more often than not it works out well for us.

He should move up - maybe to the reds.

[James_Black]

if your not enjoying yourself playing off the back tees move up.

But if you want to keep a handicap play off the back tees

[$2 Nassau]

He should move up - maybe to the reds.

Just an example chief.

[sean_miller]

Just an example chief.

Just kidding, sport.

[$2 Nassau]

Just kidding, sport.

who ya callin sport, pal? ;)

[rasky44]

What tees would you recommend for me as a 22 handicap? I hit my good drives about 230 (with the occasional bomb or total dud creeping in there) and carry my 7I about 145. The courses in my area are marked with different color tees that I didn't realize until recently. Blue at one course is white at another and gold at another (judging by the course rating/slope). Anyway, where do you think I should be playing in regards to slope/rating and/or course length?

[sean_miller]

What tees would you recommend for me as a 22 handicap? I hit my good drives about 230 (with the occasional bomb or total dud creeping in there) and carry my 7I about 145. The courses in my area are marked with different color tees that I didn't realize until recently. Blue at one course is white at another and gold at another (judging by the course rating/slope). Anyway, where do you think I should be playing in regards to slope/rating and/or course length?

I'd let your club selection on the shortest par 4 be my guide. In your case if the shortest par 4 is for example, > 300 yards, you might consider moving up. That would seem like approximately driver/5 iron for you. That's a lot of club for the shortest par 4 on the course, which might be a driveable hole for some guys.

[Gerald]

First I need to understand the USA tees .... overhere we have Yellow tees (which are the man's medal tees) and we have White tees (which are the man's back tees).

Below hc. 10 it is about common to play from the back tees, but as soon as you start driving 250+ yds. it is fun to play form the medal (standard) tees, as hitting well over fairway bunkers is fun !

I just switched to another Golf & Country Club and we have a par 4 of 423 meter from the back tees ..... that is a 475 yds par 4! ...... I can tell you it is a long hole from the backtees !

[rasky44]

I'd let your club selection on the shortest par 4 be my guide. In your case if the shortest par 4 is for example, > 300 yards, you might consider moving up. That would seem like approximately driver/5 iron for you. That's a lot of club for the shortest par 4 on the course, which might be a driveable hole for some guys.

Makes sense. Okay I'll give you an example to see what you would recommend for me. Where I play most there is 2-18 hole courses the shortest par 4 on first course is 277 from Blue and 247 from white. Longest par 4 on that course is 425 from blue and 405 from white. Course rating/slope and yardage is 69.5/132 6038 from the blues and 67.0/119 5539 from whites.

Other 18's shortest par 4 is 291 from blues and 247 from white. Longest is 444 from blue and 390 from white (that doesn't seem right, but what it says on scorecard). 69.1/125 6184 from blues and 68.7/121 5609 from the whites. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

[max power]

if your not enjoying yourself playing off the back tees move up.

Nonsense.

[James_Black]

Nonsense.

how is it?

It's not a proper handicap if you're playing off the ladies tee's.

[sean_miller]

Makes sense. Okay I'll give you an example to see what you would recommend for me. Where I play most there is 2-18 hole courses the shortest par 4 on first course is 277 from Blue and 247 from white. Longest par 4 on that course is 425 from blue and 405 from white. Course rating/slope and yardage is 69.5/132 6038 from the blues and 67.0/119 5539 from whites.

I'd play from the whites as the norm and sprinkle in the occasional round from the blues to keep myself honest. It sounds like you'd have to get two great shots, and likely still have a fairway wood or hybrid on those longest par 4s. It would be very satisfying to par those holes, but I wouldn't necessarily want to face them every time out.