My partner and I are teeing it forward from the "testosterone tees" to the blues.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Phil McGleno

Make sure you tell us about all of your albatrosses on the 150-yard par fives

lol

I still wouldn't have many.

[MEfree]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I was thinking the same thing.  I've never once had a person ask me to "move forward" to play with them.  If they prefer shorter tees, we always go split tees and it's never an issue.  If anything, they sometimes feel pressured to move back when I tell them where I am playing. I always ensure them it's OK they play from wherever is comfortable so they don't feel pressured.   If I'm playing furthest back....I go first and do my thing quickly...and then they drive forward and do their thing.   I usually make a point to get to the tee first and hit before they even get there if nobody is in front of us.

Whether it's the "Tips"  or not is completely irrelevant. The course itself is everything........... The tips may be 5800yds for Gods sake...LOL  People should know their game, and know where to play from.   look at the CR and SLOPE for each set of tees and choose accordingly.....just because it's "the tips" .......doesn't mean SH!T!

Wherever I play, I know the appropriate tees for me......if they asked me to change, I'd probably look at them cross-eyed. LOL

While I might feel a certain tee is more "appropriate" for me, I enjoy mixing it up on courses that I play a lot and have found that I enjoy certain holes more from the up tee while others offer a better challenge from the back tee.  Overall, I think I enjoy playing a course that is "too easy" rather than one that is "too hard" so I will often times move up to the tees that the guys I am playing with prefer.

While I try to avoid playing from different tees, I will do it at times- like on Monday when I was playing my first round of the year at the course and knew that I would be playing the tips there Wednesday for Men's league.  That course, Copper Creek, is interesting in that I think simply looking at total yardage, course rating and slope might not get a player onto the "correct" set of tees.  At 9500 feet and only 5880 from the tips with a rating of 66.8 and slope of 117, lots of golfers might feel that they belong on the tips.  However, from there you will play a 218 par 3 with water and OB (#3), a tight 441 par 4 (#4), a 192 par 3 with water and OB (#10), a 553 par 5 with OB both sides (#11), a 438 par 4 with OB right and thick forest left (#16), and a very tight blind drive on the 415 yard finishing hole with OB right and forest left.  With 3 par 5s and 6 par 3s, and many other holes where a lost ball is possible, I think the yardage is pretty deceptive. Several of the holes, like #5 & #18 have the back tees situated to create a much more intimidating angle or forced carry that makes your average bogey golfer pretty uncomfortable.  I know this was true for the 17 handicap friend I was with as he barely broke 100 (after factoring in ESC adjustments, would have been higher had we counted everything).

Playing two sets of tees isn't usually too bad, but have had a few rounds where we were off 3 sets (usually when a couple was pair with us, but not always) and that is pretty awkward.

[David in FL]

It would make it into the ten lowest but wouldn't be a really low differential. If I play the forward tees and shoot a 3 over 75 at my former home course, and I have, it's a 9.2 differential. Better than most of my differentials but only by 2-3 from the next lowest. One or two lower than average differentials wouldn't have much of an impact averaged with the rest of the ten lowest. If I did it now that 9.2 would be mixed in with some 14-15 stuff.

A 3 over 75 is a 9.2 differential?! Oh my....... :-\

[iacas]

Originally Posted by David in FL

A 3 over 75 is a 9.2 differential?!

Oh my.......

http://whisperingwoodsgc.com/imgs/scorecard_2010_outside.jpg

Goes from 73.9 to 67.0 from Black to Yellow tees. I don't think a 65/66 is all that unreasonable.

[BallStriker]

Drives me nuts when I play a course that gives you an option of either 6200-ish and 7000+........I play in the Pacific NW and unless it is mid-summer and perfect conditions, 6700 is about it for me (and I prefer 6500 to 6700)....I am far from long, but I can hit the ball plenty....

[BuckeyeNut]

With all that said...I don't even play the tips at my new home course........LOL

I play 1 "BOX"  forward that play to 6650'ish......73.2CR 141Slope.....that is plenty enough......and perfect for what I want in a course.  Most people play shorter tees because the course is very demanding.  If somebody asked me to move forward, they'd get a cross-eyed stare......I know where I need to be.........If I pair up, they don't choose my tee box.  I say box because there are no official back tee markers.......I play a Greg Norman course with no shark tees....I just play 1 box forward............regardless of what tees (if any) are on that box.  The tee markers are scrambled... I play to the card.....1 set forward.

I refuse to play shorter tees.  If my playing partners don't like it....they can "SUK IT"......honestly, it's never an issue.  It doesn't take them long to figure out I can play a little golf.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by TJBam

First time I met him he asked if I wanted to join up.  Big black guy, ex-military.  I said sure, if you don't mind moving on up to the blue tees with me (he was on the tips).  He had no problem doing so.  Pars and birdies were raining down on us.  Now every time we play, no matter the skill level (or perceived skill level) of those paired with us, we insist on playing the blues.  Even when another person is hesitant or says "I usually play tips," turns out they are never longer off the tee box and don't turn out to be a "tips" player.

I am 230-240 consistently (have recently lost some 10 yards on driver - no complaints) and he is 250-260 consistent.  We have a great time and have no shame in playing from the blues.  Neither of us is a "little guy" and we have not had one single person playing with us insist on playing further back.

Moral of the story is save your testosterone for the bedroom, tee it forward, watch your score drop and let yourself enjoy the game!!

Have you tee'd it forward?  If you're not breaking 90, I'd suggest it.

CHEERS! (From down in front.)

20 odd years ago I had the game and the length to play from the tips (which are the blue tees) at my home course, but it was rare that my handicap put me on those tees for a tournament (I've never been lower than a 9.6 index), so I generally played the white tees, kept my handicap current from those tees, and as a result I've mostly enjoyed my play, been competitive with others who play those tees, and had some memorable moments and rounds playing with that philosophy.

I use that experience to help determine the tees I choose when I play a new course.  I like to be around 6200 - 6500 yards when playing at altitude in Colorado, but I prefer to shorten it up even more when playing at lower elevations.  That can change if the slope is particularly high, because when there is a lot of trouble, I like to leave the driver in the bag most of the time.  I know my limitations, and I try to play within my ability.

Originally Posted by liveeel

A couple of days ago I went to the course to play in our weds. night scramble. I got there a couple hrs early to hit some balls and maybe squeeze in 9 holes. Ran into my old baseball coach and he asked me to play. Of coarse I normally play the blue tees and he plays the whites. Well he insisted I play the whites with him to save time and maybe we could get in 18. I shot even on the front 3 birdies, 3 bogeys and 3 pars. Best 9 holes of my life, he was so pumped for me that he quit playing after 13 and read putts and pulled pins in the pouring rain just so I could finish ''the round of my life''. but the whole time in the back of my mind I kept thinking this doesn't even really count, I cant claim this as my lowest score ever. Ended up shooting a 78 which is 2 strokes better than my best round. I was hitting the ball really well and putted out of my mind that day but would have I shot 78 from the blues. Doubt it.

Really?  You don't count it just because it was played from the middle tees?  I guess I've never shot an important round that counts then.  My personal best 73 in the 1989 Club Championship is irrelevant because my flight plays the white tees?  The Ace I made in the final round that year doesn't count either?  I'm sure glad I don't play with your rules.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by David in FL

A 3 over 75 is a 9.2 differential?!

Oh my.......

Yeah it's basically long putt-putt. I love the place and they're friendly there but I had to bail on it because it was too easy. Even the back tees, which are situated at the very end of the back boxes are just 69.3/119, "par 5s" are driver-6i.

[Hacker James]

I could look this up, but am lazy today. quickie:

Can one play somewhere "between" the tees and if so how far back from a given tee?  Split the difference if you will.

thanks.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

I could look this up, but am lazy today. quickie:

Can one play somewhere "between" the tees and if so how far back from a given tee?  Split the difference if you will.

thanks.

Not sure what you mean, how far back from the actual marker or playing combo tees.

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Not sure what you mean, how far back from the actual marker or playing combo tees.

well, for example lets say the difference between the whites and blues is 10 yards, could you tee 5 yards back from the whites and use the white scores?  Obviously you can not hit from forward a given tee, but how far back are you permitted to move?

[Hacker James]

oh, wait a minute, I see what you mean. In the cases of the whites and blues NOT located on the same tee area. I guess you mean "combo" tee boxes containing  red/white/blue as is the case on most courses I play, the "tips" i.e. black are usually located in a completely different tee area.

[Hacker James]

never mind...I am an idiot....stupid question.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Not sure what you mean, how far back from the actual marker or playing combo tees.

well, for example lets say the difference between the whites and blues is 10 yards, could you tee 5 yards back from the whites and use the white scores?  Obviously you can not hit from forward a given tee, but how far back are you permitted to move?

By the rules you may only play from a rectangular area defined by the outside edges of the tee markers and extending 2 clublengths back from them.  That gives you maybe 2½ yards, no more.

[Hacker James]

Bingo.....and now that I think about it, I remember.  Sorry for the query, should have just looked it up.

[MEfree]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

I could look this up, but am lazy today. quickie:

Can one play somewhere "between" the tees and if so how far back from a given tee?  Split the difference if you will.

thanks.

Not exactly what you are asking, but my dad's course (and a few others that I have seen) have rated hybrid tees like blue/black which utilizes the blue markers on some holes and the black markers on other holes.  I.e. the blacks might be 7,000 and the blue 6,400 while the blue/blacks play 6,700.  They also have a blue/silver.  This allows a player to pick their optimal length without having 6 sets of tees.

[flintcreek6412]

Originally Posted by MEfree

Not exactly what you are asking, but my dad's course (and a few others that I have seen) have rated hybrid tees like blue/black which utilizes the blue markers on some holes and the black markers on other holes.  I.e. the blacks might be 7,000 and the blue 6,400 while the blue/blacks play 6,700.  They also have a blue/silver.  This allows a player to pick their optimal length without having 6 sets of tees.

This is from the USGA Rating/Slope database for a course I've played.  It's got what they call "blended" tees.  The score card highlights the holes you move up and each blended tee is rated.

Club/Course Name	City	State
Champion Hills Club	Hendersonville	NC

Tee Name	USGA Course Rating (18)	Slope Rating (18)	Front (9)	Back (9)	Bogey Rating (18)	Gender
Black	72.0	144	35.4 / 143	36.6 / 145	98.8	M
Black-Burg	71.3	142	35.1 / 142	36.2 / 141	97.6	M
Burgundy	70.4	140	34.4 / 140	36.0 / 139	96.3	M
Burg-White	69.4	136	33.9 / 135	35.5 / 136	94.5	M
White	68.9	132	33.6 / 133	35.3 / 131	93.5	M
White-Grn	66.9	127	32.9 / 126	34.0 / 127	90.4	M
Green	66.0	122	32.5 / 118	33.5 / 125	88.6	M
White	74.7	145	36.3 / 140	38.4 / 150	108.9	F
White-Grn	72.2	139	35.5 / 137	36.7 / 141	104.9	F
Green	70.9	134	34.7 / 131	36.2 / 136	102.3	F
Green-Yell	68.6	127	33.4 / 122	35.2 / 131	98.4	F
Yellow	67.7	122	32.9 / 116	34.8 / 127	96.4	F

[Lihu]

well, for example lets say the difference between the whites and blues is 10 yards, could you tee 5 yards back from the whites and use the white scores?  Obviously you can not hit from forward a given tee, but how far back are you permitted to move?

I have been assuming a maximum of 2 club lengths. Never had to pull it back more an one full club.