2016 TST Initiative: Forward Tees Tournament

[iacas]

In Lowest Score Wins, we recommend that golfers play from the forward tees in order to experience "breaking 80" for the first time, or shooting 65, or having more birdie putts than they've ever had, or whatever.

This year, in 2016, we're taking it one step farther: we're encouraging everyone here to work with the head honcho* at your home course (or, if you play multiple courses, the head honcho at each of them!) and to set up a serious "Forward Tees Tournament."

* "Head Honcho" simply means "whoever is in charge of or capable of setting up tournaments at your course."

A Forward Tees Tournament (FTT) will be:

• FUN!
• Enlightening
• Unique
• Challenging

I'll give anyone who creates and/or participates in a FTT this year the special achievement/award seen to the left. Anyone with this award will be entered to win a TST prize to be determined at the end of the year (and I'll do my best to make it a fairly good prize, but that shouldn't be the main reason why anyone should do this).

You can play:

• With or without handicaps.
• With or without brackets/divisions/flights.
• Stroke play or match play.
• 18, 27, 36, 54+ holes.
• One day, two days, three days.
• No scrambles, please. Consider events in which players play their own ball.
• Etc.

I think golfers will love playing in this type of tournament. I think it will challenge them to think about how they play and score. I think it will result in faster play, more fun, more birdies, more chances to hit 7-iron into par fives and feel like a Tour player for once, and… lower scores (or higher scores for the dumb players!).

So there you have it. What can you do from here?

1. Pledge here in this thread to talk to your head honcho.
2. Recruit your buddies and local golfers to play in your event.
3. Work with your head honcho to make the event a success.
4. Play in the event!
5. Post here after your tournament has been played to claim your super-exclusive award/achievement!

I'm in. I'll be doing this, hopefully at multiple courses this year. Are you?

[phillyk]

My course is having a tournament the end of this month that is a how low you can go scramble that is played from the reds.   Not a stroke or match play, but it's still a fun tournament that a lot of people like.

[iacas]

I thought about it for awhile and I'll probably exclude scrambles. I'll probably only consider tournaments where you play your own ball under the Rules of Golf.

[Shindig]

Does it have to be the head pro?  I play in a club that has our primary course as a municipal, but isn't "officially" affiliated with that course.  Can I ask the tournament director if he's interested?

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Shindig said:

Does it have to be the head pro?  I play in a club that has our primary course as a municipal, but isn't "officially" affiliated with that course.  Can I ask the tournament director if he's interested?

Yeah, that doesn't matter. Whomever you need to contact about getting a tournament on the schedule. I'll revise the first post.

[Braivo]

Count me in. I will propose this to the head honcho at my two home courses in April. 

[Dave2512]

I will pitch it to the pro. We have a lot of tournaments and this seems like something that would interest him to bring people in when it's slow, early spring, mid summer doldrums and Saturday night.

They hosted a bunch of couples nights with decent attendance. A forward tees tournament late in the day would have appeal IMO. Twofold benefit here brings people in and raises awareness to select tees appropriate to skill.

 

[bkuehn1952]

This is an excellent idea.  The reverse of the typical "Hardest Day of Golf" idea.

If I have any success I will report back.  Right now it is too early to start the dialogue with the course and group I have in mind.  The event needs a catchy title like.  Something like "Go Low Day", "Bust Par or Die Trying", etc...

We also could run a virtual tournament with TST.  Designate a week (or 2) in May or June where we go out and play an 18 hole round from the most forward rated men's or women's tees and report our results (Course Name, Yardage, Rating, Slope, Gross Score, Net Score).  No tangible prize awarded but maybe a 1st Annual "Go Low" Tournament Winner "achievement."

[iacas]

4 hours ago, bkuehn1952 said:

We also could run a virtual tournament with TST.  Designate a week (or 2) in May or June where we go out and play an 18 hole round from the most forward rated men's or women's tees and report our results (Course Name, Yardage, Rating, Slope, Gross Score, Net Score).  No tangible prize awarded but maybe a 1st Annual "Go Low" Tournament Winner "achievement."

We'll probably do something like that. Possibly in combination with GAME Golf.

[Dave2512]

A forum TIF challenge would be great. Always a few high handicap holdouts reluctant to cease playing back in the where do you play from threads. 

[Coronagolfman]

It's a great idea - I believe that no less than Jack Nicklaus was involved for awhile in the USGA's "Play it forward" program (would be something to see Jack teeing it up from the whites on a PGA tour type course).

Funny thing is that type of event might be an eye-opener for many players that might realize how positioning for your approach shot by using different clubs off the tee (given that driver is not necessary on many holes if the shorter tees are used) is more important than trying to just hit drivers off the shorter tees.

[onthehunt526]

I'll talk to the course superintendent it sounds like fun... Hell Drivable par 4s, 7-irons into par-5s, more sand wedge second shots... Hmmm... sounds like a blast...

Erik,

My course is only 9 holes (with two sets of tees), does that count?, so a best-ball would be OK?

[phan52]

We are doing this at our club. Our 108 year old course was around 6170 from the Men's tee for years and around 6500 from the tips. About 15-20 years ago we built a bunch of new tees and lengthened the course to almost 7000 from the tips but the Men's tees crept back over the years until they are now around 6450. We have what we call "Senior" tees at around 5900 but nobody will play them outside of designated Senior events. So this winter, a group of us identified where the old Men's tees used to be and have come up with a new/old set of tees at 6150, approximating what the length was when most of us joined. I am guessing that these tees will be used a lot. Unveiling will be our Opening Day tournament. 

Edited March 18, 2016 by phan52

[Lihu]

All my home courses are already doing this. It really has sped up play. Instead of 7-8 hour rounds they are now a reasonable 6 hours on the weekends.

I'll talk to a couple other courses that do not actively discuss it with the customers as well. We might be able to setup a Stableford tournament for some of the local golfers here.

I will also pledge to move forward myself to the white tees, and suggest the same to everyone I play with. All but one time I broke 80 was from shorter tees. It really felt good having lots of club choices off the tee box, and being able to hit a LW to PW approach on most par 4 holes. Even with a median 260 yard drive, I think teeing forward makes the game more satisfying. I depend a lot less on my terrible short game, which I am hooping to improve soon.

[iacas]

To be fair this topic/thread is about having a (very) forward tees tournament. It's not really about regularly playing a more appropriate set of tees.

[Club Rat]

On ‎2‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 9:44 PM, iacas said:

• Pledge here in this thread to talk to your head honcho.
• Recruit your buddies and local golfers to play in your event.
• Work with your head honcho to make the event a success.
• Play in the event!
• Post here after your tournament has been played to claim your super-exclusive award/achievement!

Since I am the Head Honcho this year, I pledge to hold a Mens Game event this summer from our Red Course - Par 72, 63.9 / 109

I'll even go out on a limb an predict the best gross score will be 67 and hopefully I'll beat par.

 

[MacDutch]

26th of june, I will organise a tournament played from the forward tees of the Scherpenbergh a shorter course. There will be 5 reachable par 5's (in two) and 3 reachable par 4's, even for the not so long hitters. Allready 25 subscriptions so far. Two catagories: cat1 nett strokeplay, cat2 Stableford. And some extra prizes like lowest all time (more winners possible) and bomber (lowest scores combined on all par 5's). Courserating 65.1 slope 110. 

Lots of fun and boasting stories afterwards I bet.

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by MacDutch

[cutchemist42]

Personally, do you play your rounds forward every once in a while?