Playing from the TIPS

[The Road Dog]

What about sea level with hot air and high humidity?

  Steel said:

Originally Posted by Steel

If you are driving the ball well the tips can be great, if your not driving it well its a nightmare, get on the bogie train and stay aboard for the round trip!  another thing that makes courses yardages seem longer or shorter is location, play high altitude thin air the ball carries a lot further, probably 2 clubs different from where I play at sea level.  Sea level when its cold and wet can make the white tees feel like the tips

[dbuck]

Normally I don't even look at the tips and just play the next set of tees forward of the tips. This thread has me thinking I might try them at some courses this summer.  6300-6800 is pretty enjoyable for me. 220 yard par threes aren't too bad and most par fives don't bother me but 460+ yard par fours would be my biggest problem. 2 shots for 460-475 is definitely challenging.

Nonetheless I think I will try some this season.

[Martus]

IMO, I think golf courses have different sets of tees for specific reasons.  Just like handicaps, different sets of tees allow people of all abilities to compete with each other.  From my experience there is no reason for people to play tees that do not meet there ability level.  Im not just talking about mid handicappers playing from the tips, I am also talking about Low handicappers playing up.  While it is fun once in a while to play outside your comfort zone, playing tees that are not where you should be playing from often make the game of golf less fun and more frustrating.  I play with a friend of my brothers every once in while down here and he is probably a 15 handicap and insists on playing from the tips (usually 7000+ yards).  Its sad because he gets really frustrated with the round and his play.  The only reason for his frustration is his tee selection.  I have also found it uncomfortable for me when I move up a tee sometimes.  People say it just gets easier but thats not true, it takes Driver out of my hands on many holes and I am hitting clubs into greens I am not used to hitting, also many times more trouble( hazards..etc) comes into play when you move up a tee.  Like I said I feel that golf is unique in the aspect that people of all abilities can compete with each other but a big part of that is playing from the tees recomended for your handicap.

[Paradox]

  Martus said:

Originally Posted by Martus

IMO, I think golf courses have different sets of tees for specific reasons.  Just like handicaps, different sets of tees allow people of all abilities to compete with each other.  From my experience there is no reason for people to play tees that do not meet there ability level.  Im not just talking about mid handicappers playing from the tips, I am also talking about Low handicappers playing up.  While it is fun once in a while to play outside your comfort zone, playing tees that are not where you should be playing from often make the game of golf less fun and more frustrating.  I play with a friend of my brothers every once in while down here and he is probably a 15 handicap and insists on playing from the tips (usually 7000+ yards).  Its sad because he gets really frustrated with the round and his play.  The only reason for his frustration is his tee selection.  I have also found it uncomfortable for me when I move up a tee sometimes.  People say it just gets easier but thats not true, it takes Driver out of my hands on many holes and I am hitting clubs into greens I am not used to hitting, also many times more trouble( hazards..etc) comes into play when you move up a tee.  Like I said I feel that golf is unique in the aspect that people of all abilities can compete with each other but a big part of that is playing from the tees recomended for your handicap.

What you cited for not playing different tees is exactly why playing different sets is a good thing.  It forces you to hit different shots than the same old same old all the time.  You have to avoid more trouble sometimes, other times it allows you to automatically avoid trouble but have to hit a longer club for your next shot.  Its just a way of being able to practice all your clubs and shots while being on a course and playing an actual round.

[wmiller]

  TourSpoon said:

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

You are right...7,000 yards at sea level is not the same as 7,000 yards in other areas. I remember playing in the desert and having to factor in an increase in distance.

So, my SS with a 6 iron is  right at 90-91 mph for ~190 yd here in Tucson (1400 ft). I'm going to have to hit 4 iron for the same distance at sea level?

[jshots]

I used to clean carts at a course that was 7111 from the tips. It actually doesn't play all that much longer because many of the tips are almost as much higher than the previous tee as they are longer.  It can certainly be intimidating when you are up so high.

http://www.lakotacanyonranch.com/Images/lakota8med.jpg

This course is at 6000 feet, i played once at sea level a few years ago and don't remember noticing a huge difference but it may have been a club. I think read somewhere to add like 10% distance for every 5000 feet... who knows though

[Saig55]

You definitely get to hit different shots and different clubs when playing from the tips. I've also played from the most forward tees.  Again you're hitting a comletely different club than what you are use to.  Playing from the back, I did not have to worry about the fairway bunkers.  For me they were unreachable. lol

I had a blast playing from the tips but probably won't do this again for a long while.

[jetsknicks1]

It's a whole other world from the tips. My buddies and I went to our local course one day and decided to play from the tips just to see what it was like (7000yds Course was empty). Wow! I quickly stopped keeping score and just played for fun. What I found most interesting was that even though I play the course alot, from the tips I had no idea where to hit the ball. The trouble I was used to looking for now was totally different. Neat experience.

[soloredd]

I played from the blues yesterday (tips on this course) for the first time (6800 yards). I normally play from whites (6200-6500). I actually got talked into it by my friend and let me tell you, the first 5-6 holes were a complete mind f&%k. I was over swinging and trying to over compensate every shot. Finally, I relaxed and just played and it was like playing from my regular tees. I was able to get a good number of GIR chances and even had a shot on a par 5 to get on in two (came up just short, thinned it a bit).

The only place I struggled was the par 3s. We had 3 200-yard par 3s and one that was 180 or so. My stubborn ass kept trying to punk my 5 iron into these and have it roll but all I ended up doing was making too big of a swing and getting stuck. The one time I hit my hybrid nice and easy I had GIR and par. I think I'll be playing tees that are around 6800 from now on, unless I'm with a select group of friends who are just starting out. If nothing else, it will help me get confident with some of my longer clubs (4i inparticular).

edit: Just to add to this: an amazing thing happened during that round. I play this course every other month or so, I know the layout and where to miss, etc. Two holes specifically we try to get our tee shot to or past a specific point. One hole is a par 4 into a prevailing headwind and there's a bush on the left side of the fairway. If we can get past that bush, we know we are in a good spot - this is from the whites. Hitting from the blues today, I had no problem getting to that bush and beyond. Maybe my game is just improving that much or its a combination of that and also telling myself to relax there's no way I can make it anyway LOL

[Steel]

I have to agree with Martus, play from the tees that your handicap suites, if you are trying to improve and want to try something new that is one thing but guys that have to play the tips just because someone else in their group is, is not the wisest decision to make.  When I was playing a lot and go out as a single, I would let everyone else tee off first and then walk back to the rear tee's, it would personally drive me crazy to have some high handicapper making double bogie or worse on every hole, be slamming his clubs into the ground and acting like an idiot thinking he can play from back there.  I used to play under a 5 handi, hit 10-12 fairways and 10-14 greens per round, driver was consistent 250-270, and that was 12 years ago.  I just started playing again last year, and do not even attempt to play off the tournament tees because my game is not there yet.  I am off to Chambers Bay tomorrow, it was the site of the US Amateur last year and the site of the 2015 US Open, and am playing with 3 ex NCAA U golfers, they can play from the tips if they want to, I for sure am playing from the shorter tees, under 7000 yards, another thing, the guy's I am playing with will appreciate I know my limitations and will not slow up or distract them from their game.  To Answer WMiller's question, yes you will probably experience close to a 2 club difference, sea level I carry 8 iron 150-155 yards, Rocky Mountains I carry 48* Pitching wedge that far, 8 iron carries 170-175, if you are going to play at sea level, don't try to overpower it you'll be spraying it every where, takes me a round to get used to the higher elevations and I have experienced it lots of times, it's hard to get your head around, the first round, i usually blow it over 3-4 greens

[clubchamp]

  Paradox said:

Originally Posted by Paradox

What you cited for not playing different tees is exactly why playing different sets is a good thing.  It forces you to hit different shots than the same old same old all the time.  You have to avoid more trouble sometimes, other times it allows you to automatically avoid trouble but have to hit a longer club for your next shot.  Its just a way of being able to practice all your clubs and shots while being on a course and playing an actual round.

This is true but if you are a 15 or 20 handicap from one of the forward tees you probably can't hit the "same old same old" with much consistency. Which would mean moving back to the tips to practice different shots probably won't do you any good. Look at it like this a tour player doesn't move up to the blue or white to practice their short game so why would an average golfer move back to practice gaining distance or hitting long irons?

[JayMc]

That's about right.  My swing speed is pretty much right in line with your and 190yds is my stock 4i shot w/little wind, good lie, etc.

  wmiller said:

Originally Posted by wmiller

So, my SS with a 6 iron is  right at 90-91 mph for ~190 yd here in Tucson (1400 ft). I'm going to have to hit 4 iron for the same distance at sea level?