i have no interest in "teeing it forward"

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="The Recreational Golfer" url="/t/63387/i-have-no-interest-in-teeing-it-forward/162#post_1155122"]   Its about length, not score. If you're not hitting short irons into some of the par 4s, those tees are too long for you. [/QUOTE] If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your [U]typical[/U] length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits. There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on. That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

What's your definition of "typical"? I ask because for the 3 balancing holes you mention it's questionable for some people to even use driver or even 3W off the tee? That doesn't sound like much fun either?

[Fourputt]

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Originally Posted by Fourputt

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Its about length, not score. If you're not hitting short irons into some of the par 4s, those tees are too long for you.

If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your typical length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits.

There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on.

That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

What's your definition of "typical"?

I ask because for the 3 balancing holes you mention it's questionable for some people to even use driver or even 3W off the tee? That doesn't sound like much fun either?

I hit driver on all of them.  I don't play regularly with a single player who hits his driver longer than about 250 yards.  I play with real people (mostly old people - 60+ years).   My drives max out at 250 now, and average more like 230.

[Jeremie Boop]

I hit driver on all of them.  I don't play regularly with a single player who hits his driver longer than about 250 yards.  I play with real people (mostly old people - 60+ years).   My drives max out at 250 now, and average more like 230.

Rofl, that's a funny thing to say.

[djfajt71]

I currently play from the most forward men's tees (5700-6100).  I follow the GCAM Tour Tee box designations.  With my current HI of 17.5, in a GCAM tournament, my flight would be teeing off from the front tees.  When my HI gets to 15, I'll move back a tee box, and so on.  If I'm playing with folks that want to play from a further back box, I'll follow suit for camaraderie purposes.  This also allows for some variety, but I can tell the difference.  From the front tees, my typical approach is with a 7 or 8 Iron.  From the middle tees, my approach is with my 4 or 5 hybrid.

[Tgb02]

Since I was kind of thrown into competitive golf right after quitting baseball I was not able to tee it forward because I had a little over a month to prepare for high school tournaments that all the courses were 6700-7300 yards. Now that it is summer I occasionally tee it forward at my home course that plays at 6600 which plays very short for me so I can shoot a low to mid 80 typically because I am hitting wedges into every single green but I choose to play the tips even though I shoot a high 80 to low 90.

Its just personal preference and the hole thing about if there are par 4's that are too long to reach in 2 reasonably isn't right. I play a very difficult course that plays around 7400 yards with 2 500 ish yard par 4's that I sometimes struggle to reach because one of them is a dogleg left and I can draw my driver so I have to hit a hybrid to not go past the fairway and then have to lay up. I can still shoot under a 90 on occasions on the course but usually a low 90 and even though I could drop 5-10 strokes from moving up it just isn't as satisfying.

If you can play quickly and not hinder the game for other people then you can play any tee you want. I played a round from the blues at a very hard course here in Houston with my dad who hits the ball very shot, driver is 180-220 and he often has to roll a 3 wood up to par 4's. The course was playing 6900 and there was several par 4's over 430 yards. A random guy that ended up playing with us commented that my dad probably shouldn't be playing from those tees on the second hole and my dad went on to beat the man by 10+ strokes. Also we got held back because the guy hated to lose his new pro v1's and would take forever looking for balls that were long gone and he slowed us down.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

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Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Its about length, not score. If you're not hitting short irons into some of the par 4s, those tees are too long for you.

If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your typical length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits.

There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on.

That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

What's your definition of "typical"?

I ask because for the 3 balancing holes you mention it's questionable for some people to even use driver or even 3W off the tee? That doesn't sound like much fun either?

I hit driver on all of them.  I don't play regularly with a single player who hits his driver longer than about 250 yards.  I play with real people (mostly old people - 60+ years).   My drives max out at 250 now, and average more like 230.

You hit pretty far for a senior golfer. That's pretty rare. . .I only know a handful of seniors that can out drive you.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Its about length, not score. If you're not hitting short irons into some of the par 4s, those tees are too long for you.

If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your typical length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits.

There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on.

That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

What's your definition of "typical"?

I ask because for the 3 balancing holes you mention it's questionable for some people to even use driver or even 3W off the tee? That doesn't sound like much fun either?

I hit driver on all of them.  I don't play regularly with a single player who hits his driver longer than about 250 yards.  I play with real people (mostly old people - 60+ years).   My drives max out at 250 now, and average more like 230.

You hit pretty far for a senior golfer. That's pretty rare. . .I only know a handful of seniors that can out drive you.

Remember I'm in Colorado... elevation here is a bit over 4000 feet.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Its about length, not score. If you're not hitting short irons into some of the par 4s, those tees are too long for you.

If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your typical length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits.

There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on.

That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

What's your definition of "typical"?

I ask because for the 3 balancing holes you mention it's questionable for some people to even use driver or even 3W off the tee? That doesn't sound like much fun either?

I hit driver on all of them.  I don't play regularly with a single player who hits his driver longer than about 250 yards.  I play with real people (mostly old people - 60+ years).   My drives max out at 250 now, and average more like 230.

You hit pretty far for a senior golfer. That's pretty rare. . .I only know a handful of seniors that can out drive you.

Remember I'm in Colorado... elevation here is a bit over 4000 feet.

Yeah, but you still hit pretty far.

[onthehunt526]

If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your [U]typical[/U] length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits. There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on. That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

Get a 4W lol...

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

If there is even one par 4 that you can't reach in two with what you consider your typical length - not with the two best shots you ever hit - then move up if the option is available.  In that case the course is going to stretch your game beyond its reasonable limits.

There is one par 4 on my current home course that is sort of like that, but only because of the design, not because of the actual length (440 yards).  My tee shot typically leaves me between 190 and 210, but there is a pond dead in front of the green which prevents me from playing a run up shot, and since I can't carry the pond with a 3W and still hold the green, that makes even attempting it a very low percentage shot.  I made par on the hole for the first time the last time I played, but I had to chip in after chunking my 90 yard third shot and barely clearing the water.  I'm usually putting for bogey there.  But for the water, I'd usually be close to the green in two, if not on.

That one crazy hole is balanced by 3 short par 4's - 305, 297, and 284 on the card.

Get a 4W lol...

I used to have one but it wasn't that useful to me.  I carry a 15 degree 3W, and the 4W I had was only 16.5.  Not enough different to matter.  I only hit my 3W about 200-210 including roll, so having to carry 190 to clear a pond is a losing cause.  If I'm close enough to clear the pond and I hit a good shot, the ball will end up somewhere over the back of the green.  It's just an awkward hole for most players.  The guys I play with most often agree with me - it ought to either be a shorter hole or it should be a bit longer and made a par 5.

[Bucki1968]

I don't think it matters what tees you play from as long as you KEEP UP WITH THE GROUP IN FRONT OF YOU. Not matter how well (or bad) you are playing, you can do it quickly. If you enjoy playing it all the way back and can play in four hours or less... then tee it where you want to.

[RayG]

"So I stink, why can't I play from the tips as long as I keep up?" Because you CAN'T keep up if you are that bad. If you are clacking along shooting 8's, 9's and 10's it is impossible to take the same time as a par or bogey shooter. I don't care HOW fast your cart is. You are looking for balls in the woods, attempting the hero shot from said woods, then looking for THAT shot that ricocheted all over the woods. When you don't find that one, you're dropping on the edge of the fairway and chopping the next one into the woods again. OR- that lake that ISN'T in front of the forward tees is full of your balls (at least 2 with the mulligan), or your taking the time to look along the far edge thinking "I'm sure it's right here, I almost made it across that time". And so on. If there are 2 or three of your type in the group, you have created a backup. Granted if you're hacking around like that, you will likely back things up from ANY tee, but you will get less grief from those behind you if you are playing forward. If the group behind sees you walk to the tips (and they will since you're slowing them down), then top one short of the forward tees... well, names will be called. Why would you torture yourself when the game is supposed to be a challenge without being a chore or death march. Paying $50 to lose $45 worth of balls isn't really an economical way to have fun, either. Move up, have a beer, have fun.

[billchao]

"So I stink, why can't I play from the tips as long as I keep up?" Because you CAN'T keep up if you are that bad. If you are clacking along shooting 8's, 9's and 10's it is impossible to take the same time as a par or bogey shooter. I don't care HOW fast your cart is. You are looking for balls in the woods, attempting the hero shot from said woods, then looking for THAT shot that ricocheted all over the woods. When you don't find that one, you're dropping on the edge of the fairway and chopping the next one into the woods again. OR- that lake that ISN'T in front of the forward tees is full of your balls (at least 2 with the mulligan), or your taking the time to look along the far edge thinking "I'm sure it's right here, I almost made it across that time". And so on. If there are 2 or three of your type in the group, you have created a backup. Granted if you're hacking around like that, you will likely back things up from ANY tee, but you will get less grief from those behind you if you are playing forward. If the group behind sees you walk to the tips (and they will since you're slowing them down), then top one short of the forward tees... well, names will be called. Why would you torture yourself when the game is supposed to be a challenge without being a chore or death march. Paying $50 to lose $45 worth of balls isn't really an economical way to have fun, either. Move up, have a beer, have fun.

To be fair, someone that bad would stink from whatever set of tees he/she is playing from. Moving up won't help much at all. I play from the tips because I have the distance. Moving up doesn't stop me from hitting errant drives. Plus, when I am driving the ball well, being able to reach par 5s in two and hitting pitch shots as approaches on par 4s just doesn't quite feel like golf.

[Kingkat1954]

I always wonder why we try to play courses that are too long for our games/handicaps? Because we watch the Tour Players? Egos?

I know my limits. I have been forward (a little) some holes are too short, so I adjust, and still play mid 80's, but I am not trying to bust a drive anymore. Its been a lot more fun.

I can concentrate on my shorter irons now, 8 thru the wedges. Scoring better.

Maybe that should be the mantra: (like RayG said) "Move Up, Have a Beer, Have Fun".................I want the t-shirt!!!!!!!!!

[plum]

this year, been playing mostly with my dad who recently had a stroke. He has been paying red tees. So I enjoy the time with dad, so i play from the reds on the long holes and we play from the whites on the shorter holes. (he used to be a 5HC, now about a 13 or 14) we actually have a boatload of fun playing it this way and it works for both of us now.

[imsys0042]

I always wonder why we try to play courses that are too long for our games/handicaps? Because we watch the Tour Players? Egos?

Because the best lies are the lies we tell ourselves....

[MrDC]

I play from the forward tees with an older group and it's great, lots of fun, it's nice to not grab driver for almost every hole, it makes the game more interesting because the average player thinks about his tee shot rather than just trying to get it out there as far as possible up the middle, sort of like the pros play.

But I think it will always be an issue and weekend players will play from the whites, because the standard has been set, nobody is making the change until they reach the age of consent.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayG

"So I stink, why can't I play from the tips as long as I keep up?"

Because you CAN'T keep up if you are that bad. If you are clacking along shooting 8's, 9's and 10's it is impossible to take the same time as a par or bogey shooter. I don't care HOW fast your cart is. You are looking for balls in the woods, attempting the hero shot from said woods, then looking for THAT shot that ricocheted all over the woods. When you don't find that one, you're dropping on the edge of the fairway and chopping the next one into the woods again. OR- that lake that ISN'T in front of the forward tees is full of your balls (at least 2 with the mulligan), or your taking the time to look along the far edge thinking "I'm sure it's right here, I almost made it across that time". And so on. If there are 2 or three of your type in the group, you have created a backup. Granted if you're hacking around like that, you will likely back things up from ANY tee, but you will get less grief from those behind you if you are playing forward. If the group behind sees you walk to the tips (and they will since you're slowing them down), then top one short of the forward tees... well, names will be called.

Why would you torture yourself when the game is supposed to be a challenge without being a chore or death march. Paying $50 to lose $45 worth of balls isn't really an economical way to have fun, either.

Move up, have a beer, have fun.

To be fair, someone that bad would stink from whatever set of tees he/she is playing from. Moving up won't help much at all.

I play from the tips because I have the distance. Moving up doesn't stop me from hitting errant drives. Plus, when I am driving the ball well, being able to reach par 5s in two and hitting pitch shots as approaches on par 4s just doesn't quite feel like golf.

I wouldn't have had nearly as much enjoyment from golf if I'd never been able to reach any par 5's in two.  The idea of having a potential opportunity to go for that occasional rare eagle is a great rush.  I would feel that I was not playing the right tees if I never had that chance.  But then, I don't feel obligated to always play driver on par 4 holes either.

I have most of the time played the middle tees, or in the case of multiple tees, usually what was just forward of the tips.  Before age started to lengthen the course for me, that meant that on my home course (6500 yards from the middle tee) I played driver on only 3 holes on the front nine (but on 7 holes on the back), because driver was more likely to get me in trouble in trees, native rough (as high as 3 feet tall), or water.  This also gave me the opportunity with a good drive to go for any of the par 5's in two (including the 520 yard 16th), but only after a good drive.  This is how I have always expected par 5 holes to play - not every par 5, but in my opinion there should be at least 2 out of the 4 that most courses have that are reachable in 2 good shots.  For me it would have been a bit underwhelming if most par 5's were mandatory driver, 3W, wedge.

I might add to that playing the middle tees also meant that I used every club in my bag on virtually every round.  To me that was a true test of a good golf course.  Now that age is catching up to me, I still use every club most rounds, but I rarely hit less than driver on any par 4 or par 5 holes, and it's been a few years since I was on a par 5 green in 2.  I'm glad I played the middle tees while I was younger and experienced the opportunity to play a risk/reward game with fun scoring opportunities.  Now I just don't have the distance any more to do that on the courses I play here.  Even the forward tees don't give that much of an advantage over the mids on most holes on my most played courses here.

I love going back to my old home course and playing their new senior tees, because it makes golf more fun for me, rather than a test of endurance.  I'll always try to play the tees that give me the best blend of challenge and fun.