TEE IT FORWARD

[ochmude]

I've never run into anyone that even wanted to play from the back tees (blue or black).  I never knew this was a common problem.  I wouldn't want to play from the red at most courses I play because they really take a lot of interesting shots out of play, such as red tees that are setup to the side of water instead of required you to shoot over it on a par 3.  But I've never felt the desire to play further back than the white tees.

[Chief Broom]

I like to see tee box selection being made with the starter or club house's approval.  In other words in order to play the back tees you have to have permission and it be listed on the tee sheet.

I played yesterday morning with my usual partner and we were paired up with another guy.  He played the blues while we played the whites.  The whites at my course are 6250, blues 6750, and blacks 7125.  I've never played the blues at my course and eventually I will but I want to feel like I've got a reasonable chance to shoot in the high 70's before I consider moving back.  This guy had game (I'd say he and I were pretty evenly matched), but the blues were a bit much for him.  He said he plays with guys who occasionally want to play the blues and he's trying to gain some experience back there so I didn't mind and he didn't hold us up playing from back there.

[andycook]

I played 18 last week with a group of friends, one of whom wanted us to play from the blues.  He argued about manliness etc.  I told him that none of us are that good.  I won the arguement and we played from the whites.  We finished the day with 103, 110, 110, and 115-ish at 5 hours.  We congratulated ourselves on a quick 5 hour round!  Granted that putting on the Pete Dye course accounted for about 10 of those strokes each.  Maybe my wife wouldn't tell the kids that daddy is going away for a long long time and to remember what I look like as I leave every time I go play 18 in a 4 some.

[The Recreational Golfer]

I played from the blues at my course a few times (6,880), and I can do it, but I'm hitting long irons all day and it's no fun. The whites (6,402) are about my limit. I'm sure most of know of a course that is 5,900 and it will eat you up.

A friend and I were paired with a single one day. We played whites, he played blues. He was good, but not that good. I was ahead of him in every fairway, and not by just a little. Go figure.

Another time I was on a fairway right next to another tee and there was this guy teeing up at the blues. Now the blues at this course aren't just longer, they're a LOT harder than the whites, so I stopped to take a look. He took his practice swing, and I got this, "Oh, no!" feeling. Sure enough, he lurched at the ball and it didn't even get as far as the red tee. I was glad he was five holes ahead of me.

[walk18]

I played 18 last week with a group of friends, one of whom wanted us to play from the blues. He argued about manliness etc. I told him that none of us are that good. I won the arguement and we played from the whites. We finished the day with 103, 110, 110, and 115-ish at 5 hours. We congratulated ourselves on a quick 5 hour round! Granted that putting on the Pete Dye course accounted for about 10 of those strokes each. Maybe my wife wouldn't tell the kids that daddy is going away for a long long time and to remember what I look like as I leave every time I go play 18 in a 4 some.

5 hours is not quick.

[newtogolf]

I don't get the attraction for high handicappers to play from the blues or blacks.  For me, playing from the blues or blacks is the same as getting into marathon pace group I know I can't keep up with.   I'm finally starting to enjoy playing from the whites, why would i want to ruin my day and put myself in a position when I know it's going to be a grind the entire time?

[max power]

I don't move to the blue or black tees until I've broken 80 from the white tees, or the course rating/slope makes it clear that I'll easily break 80 from the white tees.  The argument that moving up a tee box will actually slow someone down doesn't apply to 99% of golfers.  Lately I've been very lucky when I go out, and always get paired with someone who plays from the appropriate tees for their game.

[bplewis24]

It's definitely a machismo thing with some people.  I played with some friends the other day who brought up the question about which tees to play from when we were on the first tee box.  I'm the longest hitter among them, and it seemed like only when I suggested we play from the whites did they all divulge their desire to play from there (one of them is a 25+ capper).  It was like they were dancing around the subject and saying they were willing to play from the blues until I spoke up.

I have to admit though, I really enjoy making fun of people who play from longer tees than they should.  I occasionally play from blue tees, but it depends on how well I've been hitting my driver lately.  I play probably most of my rounds from the whites.  A couple weeks ago I saw some true hackers playing from the black tees on a course I was playing the whites from.  They were probably 6 holes ahead of me, but I went past them 2-3 times.  They were duffing it all over the place, and I just smiled and shook my head as I went past every time :)

Brandon

[andycook]

it is for this bunch but that is for another thread on how to speed up gof/why some golfers are slow.

Originally Posted by walk18

Quote:

Originally Posted by andycook

I played 18 last week with a group of friends, one of whom wanted us to play from the blues. He argued about manliness etc. I told him that none of us are that good. I won the arguement and we played from the whites. We finished the day with 103, 110, 110, and 115-ish at 5 hours. We congratulated ourselves on a quick 5 hour round! Granted that putting on the Pete Dye course accounted for about 10 of those strokes each. Maybe my wife wouldn't tell the kids that daddy is going away for a long long time and to remember what I look like as I leave every time I go play 18 in a 4 some.

5 hours is not quick.

[Topper]

I wish golf course etiquette was a clear as the unwritten rule that men play from at least the white/middle tees and that men with almost any degree of skill play from the back tees.

I think it's great to have a tee it up week or month, but I think the issue should be addressed by a focused and sustained effort by the PGA/USGA to re-brand tees by handicap or ability instead of age or gender.  Courses should be encouraged to adopt policies where tees are assigned to individuals when the course is busy and pace of play becomes critical.

[soloredd]

Originally Posted by jmanbooyaa

The weekend warriors who have no desire to take a lesson or get batter are "usually" the group(s) that slow the entire course up.

It's been my experience that, no matter what tees are played, the "casual golfer" is going to slow things up. Again, the courses need to do a better job of moving play. I love how some of the courses have clocks posted. The clocks are set so that they display the time you teed off at; if you come to #5 tee and see your tee time on the clock, your pace is perfect.

I have to confess, since I work Fri-Sun 12-hour night shifts, I get to play weekdays and very rarely have I had the jam ups that probably most of you experience. So you probably encounter a lot more crazy stuff than I do.

Maybe start making people check in at the turn?

[Gerald]

I like playing from the back tees, not because I am such a longhitter, but with my average driving distance (250-275) traps like fairway bunkers do not come into play ..... so I can really rip it and at best come short of the traps, second shots might be longer and I miss more GIR, you will get compensated bc. at most corses you will get a few extra strokes.

But if playing with a group of midcappers I have no problem at all to play from the standard tees and use a 3W or Hybrid from the tee to avoid traps or still hit the driver to carry the ball over the traps.

[FryemanTX]

Originally Posted by Gerald

I like playing from the back tees, not because I am such a longhitter, but with my average driving distance (250-275) traps like fairway bunkers do not come into play ..... so I can really rip it and at best come short of the traps, second shots might be longer and I miss more GIR, you will get compensated bc. at most corses you will get a few extra strokes.

But if playing with a group of midcappers I have no problem at all to play from the standard tees and use a 3W or Hybrid from the tee to avoid traps or still hit the driver to carry the ball over the traps.

I agree with this but my home course is only 6,700 from the tips. Since I moved back my scores have improved and I avoid certain water/buncker situations. This does require a longer iron on most par 3's (6-7) but I feel it is appropriate for my driving distance. When I'm not at my home courses I play the blues to avoid slow play and allow myself the option to lay-up if I don't know what kind of trouble lies ahead.

[sean_miller]

At my new course, I need to tee off from just in front of the previous green. That could speed up play too, right?

[Elvisliveson]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

At my new course, I need to tee off from just in front of the previous green. That could speed up play too, right?

Why not have the first tee in the parking lot? That would really speed up play as there would be no wasted time spent walking over to the clubhouse. Sure, hole #1 would be 700 yards, but it would ensure a drive short of the trouble which many espouse as a sure fire way to speed up play.

[newtogolf]

To avoid losing balls in trees and water hazards allow high handicappers to raise retractable walls that will keep the ball in play.  If you get really good, you can play shots off the wall on holes with dog legs.

[RayG]

Didn't see one mention of 'sandbaggers' inflating handicaps by playing back. It's been going on forever. Play a few rounds from the tips right before a big club match to get those extra strokes piled on, then the day of competition the generally play from a shorter set. a 12 could be a closet 7 or 8, and giving him 4-5 shots for the day. On a course with multiple tees (as many as 5 or 6 in FL), I'll look at yardages and layout. Too far up and I'm hitting 3wds or 5wds off the tee all day, too far back and it's long irons into greens all day. Is the course wide open or a "sporty, target style" course? I try to find a happy medium so can hit a combo of Driver or 3 woods off tees leaving varied distances in. And after this past Sunday's horror show of getting caught behind a couple of groups behind a TWOSOME that was holding everyone up (one of whom shouldn't even have been playing on a busy Sunday in the first place much less one up from the tips), I can also tell you it isn't always the wrong tee box chosen. It's the 5 minutes lining up that putt for an 8 that might cost you 50 cents that is an equal or worse problem. That putt isn't worth $100,000, it's worth a quarter. Walk up, line up, putt and get off. If you are carrying a handicap then nobody is putting for an stroked 8, you can't take more than that anyway on any hole. Blow that putt for a 7 six feet past? pick it up and move on.

[jefferino]

I didn't read all posts but most.  I have to say it goes alone with the whole "I hit x club 4,000,000 yards" thing.  Too many people are concerned with how far they hit the ball rather than how they play the game thus why they also have to say well I shot a 85 from the BLACK tees...you shot 85 from the White tees....that means you suck and would have shot like 200 if you played from the blacks like me!

I honestly played from the whites with my dad in a tournament earlier this year and it actually was more difficult on his home course than from the blues that I usually play.  Brought a LOT of hazards into play that I never have had to deal with.  Being a low handicapper and somewhat long hitter, it makes you really play the game, not the distance.  I am all for playing the correct tees and also all for playing from different tees to get a different view of a course that you play often.