Tee It Forward

[MarvChamp]

2 hours ago, Ron said:

What I'm looking for here is:  Does it make you feel like you're a lesser player when you make the decision to move up and Tee it Forward?

No, because I have finally bought into the idea that golfers should play tees that suit their game...That this is good for the golfer, the groups behind/playing partners, and the game itself. I found it to be true in my case, and I think that is why the USGA put out the guidelines. I believe TST had a lengthy thread on this started by @iacas some time ago. It is a fascinating subject because as you indicate, it involves ego and, for awhile in my case, a misconception of how far I really hit my drives. Good topiv. Best. -Marv

[ct-18]

On 1/1/2018 at 8:04 PM, dennyjones said:

One group of guys I play with always thought you had to get your $$ worth when playing golf.   They either played from the tips or the blue tees which were the second longest.    When I suggested the white tees which generally are around 6000 yards, they enjoyed the game much more.   Age didn't come into play.  It's a whole lot more fun to hit a 7 iron into the green than a 3 iron.   

Amen brother. I get no enjoyment in saying i played from the tips but had a miserable round

[RussUK]

How does the Tee it forward concept work? Do you go by the players handicap or average driver distance?

I play of the yellow tees (here we have Red - ladies/seniors, Yellow - most other golfers and White - The really good golfers and/or egomaniacs).

 

[HJJ003]

12 minutes ago, RussUK said:

How does the Tee it forward concept work? Do you go by the players handicap or average driver distance?

I play of the yellow tees (here we have Red - ladies/seniors, Yellow - most other golfers and White - The really good golfers and/or egomaniacs).

 

https://www.pga.com/pga-and-usga-step-new-sets-tees-in-nationwide-tee-it-forward-initiative

The first link is the actual Tee it Forward program, and the second is a very good thread about playing the correct tees started by @iacas

Short Answer- Average Driver Distance is very strongly correlated with handicap, and in my opinion should be the primary factor in deciding which tees to play.

 

 

[RussUK]

10 minutes ago, HJJ003 said:

https://www.pga.com/pga-and-usga-step-new-sets-tees-in-nationwide-tee-it-forward-initiative

The first link is the actual Tee it Forward program, and the second is a very good thread about playing the correct tees started by @iacas

Short Answer- Average Driver Distance is very strongly correlated with handicap, and in my opinion should be the primary factor in deciding which tees to play.

 

 

Thanks, makes more sense now. Going by my avg. driver distance I should be playing the course as 6000yds approx.

My course is 6060yds from the yellows so im about right.

[NJpatbee]

I started at age 40 on the white tees with persimmons and blades and 26 years later I am still on the white tees with today's drivers and 6 hybrids in my bag.  Unlike many of you I never felt that I belonged on the blues, even when I was about 10-15 yards longer than I am now off the tee.  I have played the blues at a few courses as a novelty (usually related to a $$ match) but usually take a beating.  I look at the white tees as appropriate for the average male golfer which I am.   If the OP was a regular on the blue tees I can understand not wanting to acknowledge the fact that you are not as long as you used to be, but the point is to enjoy the game and if you are incapable or reaching most GIR then it may be time to move up.  GHIN will take care of the difference and your handicap will still be accurate.

[Ron]

3 minutes ago, NJpatbee said:

I started at age 40 on the white tees with persimmons and blades and 26 years later I am still on the white tees with today's drivers and 6 hybrids in my bag.  Unlike many of you I never felt that I belonged on the blues, even when I was about 10-15 yards longer than I am now off the tee.  I have played the blues at a few courses as a novelty (usually related to a $$ match) but usually take a beating.  I look at the white tees as appropriate for the average male golfer which I am.   If the OP was a regular on the blue tees I can understand not wanting to acknowledge the fact that you are not as long as you used to be, but the point is to enjoy the game and if you are incapable or reaching most GIR then it may be time to move up.  GHIN will take care of the difference and your handicap will still be accurate.

Good post.  I am 10 years older than you.  I moved up to the white tees at age 66 and that is where I am now at age 76.  I never looked back!  I understood that I no longer belonged at the tips! Upon review, I think I'm going to stay at the whites for now.  FWIW:  Usually, when I play with strangers who play from the Tips, with me at the whites, by the time we play 3 or 4 holes, they move up to the whites!  They just smile and say, "We'll just play from the whites with you so that we're all together." I just smile back and say OK because I know. It happens frequently."  (If you're a serious golfer, you know what I'm talking about here.) 

[shanksalot]

About ten years ago I decided to move up from the white tees (6500yd) to the senior tees (6100). I could not get home in two on 4 of the par 4's in regulation and in three on the two of the par 5's consistently. I was playing golf again and enjoying it. Later in the year my wife and I played with guys who were our are mid to late 60's and they were playing the while tees. I stayed on the senior tees and watched them struggle to reach most of the holes in regulation that I had problems with at 6500 yards. We stated to play regularly together for the next few weeks and it took a little time but I finally talked them into joining me down on the senior tees. They never went back to the whites and thanked me for getting them to move Too many people still play at the wrong tees and struggle with the game. 

[Lihu]

2 hours ago, RussUK said:

Thanks, makes more sense now. Going by my avg. driver distance I should be playing the course as 6000yds approx.

My course is 6060yds from the yellows so im about right.

According to the chart I should be playing from the reds in the winter afternoon months in my area, but that’s really pushing it. If I play mornings, then I’d drop down to white or purple.

The chart generally makes sense, but you kind of have to take the course conditions into account.

Luckily, most courses shorten things up 500 yards or so on a daily basis to keep play up. Watching most people never hitting greens, I’d say they should be at least 1500 yards shorter. The average male should be playing from 4500 to 5000 yards. The average bogey should play 5500, a good bogey golfer can probably play 6000?

[Ron]

11 minutes ago, shanksalot said:

About ten years ago I decided to move up from the white tees (6500yd) to the senior tees (6100). I could not get home in two on 4 of the par 4's in regulation and in three on the two of the par 5's consistently. I was playing golf again and enjoying it. Later in the year my wife and I played with guys who were our are mid to late 60's and they were playing the while tees. I stayed on the senior tees and watched them struggle to reach most of the holes in regulation that I had problems with at 6500 yards. We stated to play regularly together for the next few weeks and it took a little time but I finally talked them into joining me down on the senior tees. They never went back to the whites and thanked me for getting them to move Too many people still play at the wrong tees and struggle with the game. 

Correct!  Good Post.  One thing I'd like to mention that presents confusion is;  there is no universal conformity as to the number and yardage of Tee Boxes.  Being a Lifelong Long Island, NY resident, the structure of most courses on Long Island is from the Tips: Blue, White, Red.  The course that I play now in Texas has from the Tips: Black, Blue, White, Red.  It would appear that down here, the Blue corresponds with the White back in NY, and the White down here is a Senior Tee which I never saw in NY, but I could be mistaken about that.  I have always considered the Whites to be my Tee since I turned 66.  

[Lihu]

3 minutes ago, Ron said:

Correct!  Good Post.  One thing I'd like to mention that presents confusion is;  there is no universal conformity as to the number and yardage of Tee Boxes.  Being a Lifelong Long Island, NY resident, the structure of most courses on Long Island is from the Tips: Blue, White, Red.  The course that I play now in Texas has from the Tips: Black, Blue, White, Red.  It would appear that down here, the Blue corresponds with the White back in NY, and the White down here is a Senior Tee which I never saw in NY, but I could be mistaken about that.  I have always considered the Whites to be my Tee since I turned 66.  

The Texas color scheme is what I’m used to seeing. If you track your games with some application like game golf or arcos the markers don’t matter too much anyway.

[iacas]

I think fewer people actually play back too far than many people think. I think most people play the correct tees already.

Yeah, there are a few schmucks who "want to see the whole golf course" and punish themselves, but I think, by and large, people play the proper tees.

[Ron]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

I think fewer people actually play back too far than many people think. I think most people play the correct tees already.

Yeah, there are a few schmucks who "want to see the whole golf course" and punish themselves, but I think, by and large, people play the proper tees.

Yes, you're probably right.  The whole thing is so silly.  When players play the wrong Tees, it just backs everybody up.  I don't want to leave the wrong impression, but when you become a senior and start to lose yardage, its only natural for a proficient player to concentrate on accuracy and work from the short grass.  Accordingly, when your playing partners are playing "Military Golf" it makes for a long day.  And, I can appreciate that always finishing up your ball on a hole while they're walking around in the woods, can touch a nerve! 

[chilepepper]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

The Texas color scheme is what I’m used to seeing. If you track your games with some application like game golf or arcos the markers don’t matter too much anyway.

    I don’t look at tee colors, I look at yardage on the card and make mr decisions based on that , conditions and course knowledge, if any

[Lihu]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

I think fewer people actually play back too far than many people think. I think most people play the correct tees already.

Yeah, there are a few schmucks who "want to see the whole golf course" and punish themselves, but I think, by and large, people play the proper tees.

More serious players or people playing on country club courses, but public and muni courses the practice of playing back is pretty rampant.

Even people in some of my random pairings justify playing back when we catch up with the people in front of us then stay back there as the group in front drifts away from us.

[shanksalot]

I forgot to add this smart thing done by a few of the courses here. They have taken the white tees (men's tees) and where the par fours are over 400 yards or more made a combination by adding the yardage from the senior tees. Thus those who want to still play most of their golf from the men's' tees can play the combo tees and be able to reach the longer holes on the house in regulation. These tees are about 6300 yards and some of the players would rather play there than go down to the senior tees for all 18 holes. They have also gone from the senior tees and added some of the next shorter tees to shorten for the seniors over 75 or really who ever wants to play them It also gives the some of the women who are good golfers and still can get the ball out there a option rather than playing just the women's tees.

[shanksalot]

14 minutes ago, Lihu said:

More serious players or people playing on country club courses, but public and muni courses the practice of playing back is pretty rampant.

Even people in some of my random pairings justify playing back when we catch up with the people in front of us then stay back there as the group in front drifts away from us.

I agree I see quite often players that are playing our course for the first time want to play all the way back. Those tees are 7300 yards or they want to play the purple tees 6900 yards. If they ever come back I would guess they would more than likely play the white tees. We played behind a group that played at 7300 yards and I give them a little credit because by the seventh hole they were down to the purple tees and on the back one of them was playing from the white tees. A man has to know his limitations. 

[Ron]

Here is something to think about which goes along with this topic.  In 2018, over 40 million people in the United States are seniors and the number is soaring.  It very well might be that the number of senior golfers corresponds with that and may account for more and more golfers Teeing It Forward.  I certainly notice more and more men playing from the more forward Tees, and YES.....They are men who are in my age group.  

The first time I played last August when I arrived in Texas, I was paired with a husband and wife who as it turned out were in their early 70s.  They were EXCELLENT players with every club!  Really good players!!  They told me that they played the White Tees and I said that was fine, so do I, not realizing that the Texas White Tees were shorter than the NY White Tees.  I played a great round and I was tickled to death with myself.  Then I found out that I had played the Senior Tees.  THAT was the beginning of me starting to think about this in a more serious way.