Leagues and Tees

[WhiteSoxFan]

I joined my company golf league this year. This is the first time I've played in a league and the first time I've played any competitive golf.

We've only played 2 weeks so far, but it seems like everybody plays from the blue tees, regardless of handicap. I know that to really get the answer to my question I just need to ask the guys that run the league, but I'd like to know how other leagues work. I'm a 25 handicap, so I obviously have no business playing from the blue tees. My partner is horrendous (50 handicap, shot a 70 for 9 holes the first week), and even he plays from the blue tees. But, our handicaps are all adjusted for the course we play (blue - 69.8 / 124), and mine is higher than it would normally be (15 for 9 holes) so I'm thinking it's adjusted to the blue tees.

The format is a 9-point handicapped match - high handicap of each partnership plays each other, and then there are 4 extra points on the table for combined low net score.

So, the question is - is this normal that all players in a league play from the same tees or should you be playing from the correct tees for your handicap?

I stink, and I'd have more fun and score better playing from the white tees, but I'm also fine with this if it is normal. It just seems like my second shot is always a 3,4, or 5 iron.

[niblick]

Course handicap is based on slope, and slope is different for each set of tees. So in essence, it doesn't matter where you play from as long as your course handicap is being calculated from those tees.

[niblick]

My partner is horrendous (50 handicap, shot a 70 for 9 holes the first week), and even he plays from the blue tees.

Also, just as an aside, 36 is the maximum handicap for men.

[bflat450]

Exactly... if you shoot a 85 one your course from the white tees (closer) then you shoot another 85 from the black tees (further) your handicap will be lower for the second score from the black tees because the slope rating is higher

[WhiteSoxFan]

Also, just as an aside, 36 is the maximum handicap for men.

HA! Well, he is a 28 for 9 holes, so I just rounded down to 25 and then doubled it. We'll call him a solid 36

[SSandlin]

I asked our league guy about this and he gave me a couple of situations. He said they originally had the option of adjusting your tees based on your handicap:
0-3 = Black
4-8 = Gold
9-12 = Blue
12-16 = White
16+ = Red
Using that logic, there would be no strokes given on any holes and the difference in tees would make up for the skill level. However, it became pretty obvious, in our league at least, that this was not sufficient because of the great divide between our best player and our worst, by the numbers. Let's say a 7 handicapper is the B player on his team and he plays the B player on the other team who is a 25 handicap. Well, a 50 yard advantage isn't necessarily going to mean both players will shoot par for that hole.

So, a better solution was put everyone at a middle set of tees and develop a course handicap to allow for strokes to be given to the weaker player. At least this way there is a baseline to measure both players. The ladies always play from the reds and the men play from the blues. It seems to work really well and a match that has 5 strokes difference usually ends up within one or two strokes of that difference on average.

[allin]

I currently play in a mens league as a sub. Everyone plays from the blues. At one time I played in a Church league. All the men played from the whites, except seniors over 79 had the choice of red or white. The ladies played from the reds. It seems to me a company sponsored league is primarially for socializing and morale building. The whites would seem appropriate. A mens leaque usuallly has the opprotunity for competition as more important component. Blue or whichever tee your handicap is figured from would seem to be the answer.

[Fourputt]

I play in a Men's Club at my course, but it isn't a league. In my experience, a league is a weekly play group, while my club plays 15 tournaments a year, but not on a timed schedule. We might have 3 tournaments one month, then only 1 the next. All players play the middle (white) tees except for the championship flight, which plays from the blues in all individual tournaments.

We do have a number loosely organized, informal groups within the club that play more like leagues... I play with a group of about 12-16 that plays on Wednesdays about 10 AM, and we always have some sort of a little money game on. After the round we meet at a bar a couple of miles from the course for a beer and to settle up the damages. That's as close to a league as I've ever played.

[allin]

.

Sounds like the best sort of club to me.

[$2 Nassau]

For our league we all play the white tees. The course has blue, white, gold and red tees. Our league ranges from 5 handicappers to 30 handicappers.

We've always played the middle tees and probably always will. The course is not very long (about 6100 from the white tees) and low slope (114). It's a good course for our league because a lot of guys don't really play that often (usually just the 9 holes a week at the league) and aren't looking to get killed out there.

Normally, if I play the course, I play the blues....still only about 6500 yards with 115 slope, 70.8 rating, par 72. Not a difficult track.

I know my place at a tough course though, I get my butt up to the middle tees if it's a 130+ slope and high course rating, and I usually enjoy my round a lot more.

[jb1982]

Our league, we all play the back tees. It's not a difficult course though. I'm glad we don't have to play different tees as a 9 hole round already takes close to 3 hours to play!!!!! Too much time spent at the booze cart!!

It would be interesting to play different tees one week to see how that went though.