clubs that neglect their back tees to the point of foolishness (ie hooking lies with trees overhanging the entire right side of the tee box)

[B of H]

Played a local course yesterday that is a really beautiful layout but it has really struggled to attract regular players because the course historically can't maintain decent conditions.  They recently spent a bunch of money for new greens (old greens had died off or been so bad they were not worth saving apparently) and they had a good deal so I gave the course a chance for the first time in 5 years.

I played the tips and a few tee boxes were kind sloped but there was some relatively flat areas with a few sloping enough to encourage a pretty substantial hook lie but it was on holes where you could hit a draw so it wasn't really a big deal until the 8th hole.

8th hole is a uphill and heavily bunkered 200 yard par 3 with a green that runs at a 45 degree angle from front right to long left...the tee box was sloping hard so that the ball was at least 6" to a foot above your feet depending on where you tee'd it up.  The green is open in the front right so no big deal on coming in right to left etc...  That is until you realize that anything that starts remotely right (like 2 or 3 yards) of the center of the green (where the flag was) will hit a row of thick tree branches hanging out over the entire right side of the teeing area and no matter how high or low you hit it the tree is in the way.  Even if you manage to miss the first few tree branches there are more behind those for about 60 yards down the right side of the teeing area.

So basically you have to hit a pronounced fade or slice off a hook lie and fly it over a bunch of bunkers to a tight pin that is slightly uphill just to get it anywhere near the green and anything left of the pin has to carry an extra 5 yards leaving you with a double breaking multi tiered downhill 40+ footer at best.  If you wanted to even lay it up short of the green you'd need a 15 to 20 yard slice off that hook lie to hit the fairway short of the green.

an I justified in thinking this is major BS?  the forward tees don't have this issue at all btw.

on the back nine there were 3 other holes with hooking lie tee boxes and two had either trees covering the right side of the teeing area and trouble on the left side that you were forced to aim at then work it away from it.

anyone ever played a course that does this?   I basically told my friend that i'm probably not going to play there again even if we get more free round coupons, it's just a joke.  Oh yeah and the round took 5 hours.

end of rant

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by B of H

anyone ever played a course that does this?   I basically told my friend that i'm probably not going to play there again even if we get more free round coupons, it's just a joke.  Oh yeah and the round took 5 hours.

end of rant

My home course is the same. Teeing off is like playing out of the rough. I complain all the time but it doesn't do any good. They don't care because only 1% of golfers play from the back tees, so they spend more time looking after the more frequently used parts of the course.

There are also a couple of tee shots where you have to slice or hook around a tree they haven't cropped back properly. It does my head in!

[B of H]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

My home course is the same. Teeing off is like playing out of the rough. I complain all the time but it doesn't do any good. They don't care because only 1% of golfers play from the back tees, so they spend more time looking after the more frequently used parts of the course.

There are also a couple of tee shots where you have to slice or hook around a tree they haven't cropped back properly. It does my head in!

I'm kinda ok with that (although I think it's kinda silly) but when it's a uneven lie encouraging the opposite shot shape that the course is forcing you to hit IMO that is beyond ridiculous.  I hit it right to left naturally so hitting a fade off a hook lie is very tough for me and when your straight shot is going to be either buried in a bunker or in a hazard off that type of lie it just doesn't seem right to me.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by B of H

I'm kinda ok with that (although I think it's kinda silly)

I am not talking a slight fade or baby draw, I am talking having to play 30 yards of slice/hook. Fortunately, it is only on a couple of holes. It seems worse in the summer though as everything is so lush.

[stealthduffer]

I never play the very back tees but my one big gripe is that the one place on a course where you ought to be guaranteed a good lie is the tee box.  Tees that are poorly mown, not level or are otherwise flawed really bug me.  I can see the courses point - spend money where it gets you the most benefit - but it can't be that hard to get the tee boxes right.

[MEfree]

I've definitely played some back tees that were not real well maintained or thought out- uphill lies going into the prevailing wind.  I'm a lefty and have encountered tee boxes where I hit those tree that you are talking about if I go to the right side of the box.  I also kinda laugh when they put the back tee so far back that you have one foot in the rough.

[WUTiger]

Played a local marshland course Friday for the first time. A nice enough layout, pretty decent greens and fairways for the most part. But, some of the tee boxes had as much dip and roll as the greens.

Problem tee boxes were those which were not elevated. By elevated, I'm talking about five to seven feet above the fairway in a marshy area. But, these elevated boxes were usually super because even this slight raise allows them to drain quickly when it rains. The boxes at fairway level often set in puddles for a couple of days, get the ripples and sloping shoulders, and the wild mix of grasses and other curious vegetation.

I'm not knocking the management - this is a working class course which has fewer paid rounds due to the recession. This year, it has seen several of its annual tournaments get cancelled on short notice. But, it is so close to "being there", I almost want to drum up some volunteers to rebuild a few of the tee boxes to get them up about five feet.

Several months ago, we had a thread which talked about what is "the most important part of a golf course." I had suggested that tee boxes were the litmus test of a decent course. If the tee boxes were properly constructed and maintained, the rest of the course was normally in top shape also.