Idea to Get People to "Tee it Forward" More Often

[iacas]

An idea I had. It may or may not work. Read this post and answer the poll question.

I like the USGA's and PGA's "Tee It Forward" initiative. I think people tend to play too far back. Not all, but a good chunk. Maybe not even the majority.

I think that playing the proper tees can have a positive impact on pace of play. Not a lot, but a little.

So here's my idea...

---

Suppose a course has five tees. Let's call them, from shortest to longest, Tees 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to avoid giving them names or colors.

The plan is two-pronged.

1. Charge more the the farther back you play. If a normal round is $50, charge $55 for Tee 5 and $40 for Tee 1. Tee 2 is $45, Tee 3 is $48, and tee 4 is $53. Put a flag with their tee # the cart and charge people the higher price if a ranger sees them playing from the incorrect tees (or flag = tee color) or kick them off if they refuse to pay up. You've got a built in "senior discount," a built-in "kid/wife" discount, and the "real men" will likely not play forward tees for fear of their masculinity, but they also won't play the back tees because it'll affect their pocket book.
2. Set a time par for the round of 4:15 or so. If players complete their rounds faster than the time par, they can earn a free drink, 10% off their next round, or a free "two-tee" upgrade or something of moderate value to encourage players to play faster.

I think something like this could work quite a bit. Golfers are fairly honest, so the first idea might work even without a ranger. I've heard of courses doing the second, and I've heard that it works pretty well.

So what do you think? Would this work? Would it not? Why or why not?

[meenman]

Overall I like it, the only problem I see is with the 2nd part - too many people could lose their discount based on the groups in front of them - which could lead to some bad blood on the course.

I may be a bit naive on the whole subject - I play at a private course and pace of play is never an issue except during tournaments and our back tees are rarely used except for stroke play club championship.(the way the slope ratings are at our course, most members have the same course handicap from all 3 sets of mens tees)

[rogerw]

I like the idea of #1 although the description makes it seem like a penalty to play from the tips given the provided normal round price. Instread of making the tips a penalty, it may be more easily adopted by people if the shorter tees were an incentive. Therefore #5 would be 50, #1 could be 40, with the others gradually getting closer to the 50 mark. #2 is a bit more difficult because there are many factors that could change the pace of play. The group size, a slow group ahead of you, etc. The time would have to be somewhat liberal in order to compensate for the various scenarios that can occur which are out of the individual's control.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by meenman

Overall I like it, the only problem I see is with the 2nd part - too many people could lose their discount based on the groups in front of them - which could lead to some bad blood on the course.

Yeah, well, that's the way it would work. I haven't heard of "bad blood" occurring on the courses that employ a strategy like this. It's worked surprisingly well from what I've read. It's a bonus, not something that should be handed out with a bunch of regularity (though if a course was handing it out with regularity, they could book more tee times during the day and they'd be guaranteeing more repeat customers, so I doubt they'd mind).

Originally Posted by rogerw

I like the idea of #1 although the description makes it seem like a penalty to play from the tips given the provided normal round price. Instread of making the tips a penalty, it may be more easily adopted by people if the shorter tees were an incentive. Therefore #5 would be 50, #1 could be 40, with the others gradually getting closer to the 50 mark.

That doesn't keep the round pricing (on average) $50. If the tips cost $55, just say $55 is your regular rate. Play up one set of tees and save $2. Play up two sets and save $5. play up three and save $7, and play up four and save $10.

Originally Posted by rogerw

#2 is a bit more difficult because there are many factors that could change the pace of play. The group size, a slow group ahead of you, etc. The time would have to be somewhat liberal in order to compensate for the various scenarios that can occur which are out of the individual's control.

See the above. It's not a guarantee. If you can't make it, oh well. But if you can, great, a bonus, and the bonus is good enough that most of the golfers on the course are striving to do it.

[darkhunter139]

I don't really like option number one.  That penalizes people who can hit the ball farther, I don't think you should have to pay more just because you are a better player.

Option number two is cool though, I like that. Courses should also post some more information about each tee box on the first hole or have the starter explain them before they tee off.

[jshots]

I like playing the back tees and I can hit the ball plenty far to do it, so I don't want to pay tooo much more for a round but with what you suggested it would hardly be more at all so not a bad idea. I would not really like the idea if it was gonna cost me much more than 5 bucks extra to play the back tees.

Idea two is also a good idea but I could see people getting irritated they aren't getting their free drinks when the group in front of them played too slow.

One of the courses I play no one plays the back tees because people tell stories of how hard they are (even though they aren't really that bad), so its become standard for the regular guy to play one up from the back and only the really good players play the back. I suppose you can't really do this with an older course where everyone already plays the back tees but its a thought.

I honestly think that if course Pros made more of an effort to spread the Tee it Forward idea that it would be enough to get as may people to do it as are going to do it.

[clubchamp]

1. yes but I would also have a discount for players who can verify the index and want to play from a specific tee. Basically don't penalize better players that want to play from back tees.

2. maybe but I agree with some of the other posters about being held up by other groups. I understand you're saying it's not a given but to offer something that would probably end up not being possible if you have a 11am tee time on saturday could get ugly.

Also playing from the back tees is more than just I hit the ball far enough that I need to play back there. Back tees are meant for the purpose of making the course harder all around not just to combat length. I've seen a lot of guys that hit it a long way and still have a 15 or 20 handicap so using length as an excuse to play from the back tees isn't all that valid.

[baseballfrk8998]

I don't run into many pace of play problems on the courses I play.. Mainly because it's afternoon twilight rates.. :)

But I can see what you've suggested working on a course.. I'm not particularly fond of #1 because you're charging the better player more, which doesn't make too much sense. The better players are more than likely the guys that are going to keep coming back to your course..

#2, however, offers a pretty nice incentive to those that try to pick up the pace of play and I think that would be a smart play by the course management. Some guys will still play slow no matter what the deal is, but you're more than likely going to have more players pick up the pace than not due to the incentive(s).

[XMScott]

Here is my GREAT idea for making the game quicker. When your ready, hit your shot. I played with a buddy and two strangers the other day. They would stop and wait for each other or us to get to our ball and hit it. Just go to your ball. If your not in the way that is. Ready golf. Takes minutes off each hole. BRILLIANT! Unless your on the green.

[jshots]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

Also playing from the back tees is more than just I hit the ball far enough that I need to play back there. Back tees are meant for the purpose of making the course harder all around not just to combat length. I've seen a lot of guys that hit it a long way and still have a 15 or 20 handicap so using length as an excuse to play from the back tees isn't all that valid.

I think that length is a good excuse to play the back tees regardless of handicap and handicap shouldn't be as much a deciding factor as length. Sure some courses may have back tees on some holes that make that hole a lot more difficult but the difference is usually just the length of the hole. Allowing someone who hits the ball a long ways to move up a tee gives them a huge advantage. w

[jshots]

Originally Posted by baseballfrk8998

But I can see what you've suggested working on a course.. I'm not particularly fond of #1 because you're charging the better player more, which doesn't make too much sense. The better players are more than likely the guys that are going to keep coming back to your course..

The better player isn't always or even usually the one who hits the ball the furthest.

Originally Posted by XMScott

Here is my GREAT idea for making the game quicker. When your ready, hit your shot. I played with a buddy and two strangers the other day. They would stop and wait for each other or us to get to our ball and hit it. Just go to your ball. If your not in the way that is. Ready golf. Takes minutes off each hole. BRILLIANT! Unless your on the green.

Ready golf is a good thing. I've played ready golf my whole life.

[baseballfrk8998]

I didn't say the better players were the longest. From what I've seen on the course the better players almost always play from the tips regardless of length off the tee. They don't have the be the longest people on the course to still put up a good round from the back. You can't justify making someone pay more for playing from farther back and wanting more of a challenge.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by jshots

The better player isn't always or even usually the one who hits the ball the furthest.

I must be missing your point here so you are basically saying that a 20 handicap should play the back tees because they hit it farther?  You do understand the point of this is to get people to move up so instead of shooting 95 they would be able to 85 with length not being a factor. If I understand this correctly you are saying a scratch golfer should move up tees because they don't hit as far as the 20 handicap?

[hokiebound]

Ready golf is the best way to get things moving along but not many players do so.  As for the OP I like both of those recommendations but both have complications.

[jshots]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

I must be missing your point here so you are basically saying that a 20 handicap should play the back tees because they hit it farther?  You do understand the point of this is to get people to move up so instead of shooting 95 they would be able to 85 with length not being a factor. If I understand this correctly you are saying a scratch golfer should move up tees because they don't hit as far as the 20 handicap?

Yes... and I actually don't think you understand the point of this.

If you have read anything about the Tee it Forward initiative you will notice that their guidelines are based on  driver distance and not on handicap. The point of this is to get people to have more fun, not to be able to drive every par 4 on their course. Handicap really shouldn't have anything to do with it.

The whole idea of Tee if Forward is that people play courses in a way that they are playing proportionally equivalent distance to the PGA tour based on their driving distance.

I doubt there are many scratch golfers that play the TIPS and don't hit it very far, if such players exist they would have an incredible long iron game. In the rare case that one does exist than I think yes that player could move up a tee and would probably play even better.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by iacas

Suppose a course has five tees. Let's call them, from shortest to longest, Tees 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to avoid giving them names or colors.

The plan is two-pronged.

Charge more the the farther back you play. If a normal round is $50, charge $55 for Tee 5 and $40 for Tee 1. Tee 2 is $45, Tee 3 is $48, and tee 4 is $53. Put a flag with their tee # the cart and charge people the higher price if a ranger sees them playing from the incorrect tees (or flag = tee color) or kick them off if they refuse to pay up. You've got a built in "senior discount," a built-in "kid/wife" discount, and the "real men" will likely not play forward tees for fear of their masculinity, but they also won't play the back tees because it'll affect their pocket book.

Set a time par for the round of 4:15 or so. If players complete their rounds faster than the time par, they can earn a free drink, 10% off their next round, or a free "two-tee" upgrade or something of moderate value to encourage players to play faster.

I think something like this could work quite a bit. Golfers are fairly honest, so the first idea might work even without a ranger. I've heard of courses doing the second, and I've heard that it works pretty well.

So what do you think? Would this work? Would it not? Why or why not?

There is some good stuff here and anybody putting their thinking cap on to try and improve golf deserves credit.

Idea 1. Great idea to ditch names and colours. I think this would work for your average amateur as it would make them think twice before choosing a tee box, however there would be a lot of grumbling among low handicappers and pros. For example, I wouldn't play courses that charge me more for playing off the back tee out of principal. If I had to for some reason or another, I would play off tee box 1 and use it as a practice round. I do this from the ladies' tee at my home course from time to time to practice different shots.

Idea 2. Setting times for a round is tough. Also, you need to have a good ranger to stay on top of this as people would simply lie about when they finished to get the free drink or 10% discount. This would never work in Spain as EVERYBODY would lie. I'm not so sure about your golfers are fairly honest comment. Look at all the cheating there is when it comes to tournaments and handicaps.

[mattttt25]

I voted no.  I understand the idea, but the logic of charging more money to play a harder set-up fails somewhat in my mind.  The bonus also seems flawed.

I responded to other threads on this topic and my thoughts were quickly dismissed.  But then others made the same type of comments and everyone thought it was a good idea.  Makes me think I didn't relay my ideas clearly enough.

The course management can affect pace of play and the enjoyment of the golfers more than anything else.  Proactive management is needed.  Educate the golfers before they play.  Recommend tee boxes based on ability.  Explain ready golf to everyone that plays.  Install gps on carts and work hard towards no cart path rules.  Make sure the gps has a round clock on it that reminds the group where they should be and if they are ahead or behind.  And finally, have well trained rangers that are personable and can move groups along without coming off like an *ss.

[laconic517]

people not understanding how to use golf carts, walking reprehensibly slow, and taking 10 practice swings seems to be the common problem I see when the course is backed up (also some of these golf courses are to blame by not spreading the tee times out enough)

One course here in Rochester Hills, MI, Blackheath (a links style with heather/rye grass all over) actually has their pace of play at 4:40/5hrs.

Absolutely ridiculous -_-  This is for carts as well, walking is the same price as carts so no one takes them.  Its laughable. The heather/rye grass is a culprit in this as well.  I know it probably saves on the mowing cost, but that grass is thick and ugly.  It looks nothing like the sparse whispy stuff in the british open.  Its dumb to have people looking for their ball on every damn hole because of the stuff.

Edit:

Also I dont like either of the ideas particularly, 2nd one would be nice but I'm sure youd get people complaining about the group infront of them holding them up so they miss their quota or something.  The 1st idea penalizes low handicap golfers  (the way you put it you could argue its just a discount for someone else, but the end result is the same)