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PGA & USGA Tee It Forward Initiative

Sean said:
Here are the Tee it Forward recommendations:

Driver Distance Recommended
18 Hole Yardages
275 6,700 - 6,900
250 6,200 - 6,400
225 5,800 - 6,000
200 5,200 - 5,400
175 4,400 - 4,600
150 3,500 - 3,700
125 2,800 - 3,000
100 2,100 - 2,300
Click to expand...

Thanks for the chart. Are these numbers average driving distance or longest drives?
 
I can't imagine it hurting your game as you will score a little better and build more confidence. I play solo a lot and end up playing whatever tees the group I'm paired with are playing. I don't see to much difference in my scoring though. Im either playing a 8 iron on my second shot or a 7 or even 6 depending on the tee....When I hit a bad shot it doesn't matter what club is in my hand...Its still bad. same for the good shots. Maybe its just me but a few hundred yards over 18 holes doesn't make or break the round....when you get into 800-1000 yards though it really starts to effect your play.
 
I think playing on tees that allow you a fair sho is the way to go. Whether it be from a distance standpoint or skill level it's more positive for your game than the other way around. The one thing about this game that I love is that it can be so humbling and you have to be prepared to check your ego at the door. The course I played today had a plaque on a rock. It said that it was a "very difficult course yadda yadda..." and it recommended certain tees for certain handicaps.

Alex
 
I use the tee it forward and love it. I now play tee's between 5600 and 6000 yds. Before I would use about 4 clubs in my bag (driver,3wood,hybrid and wedge)

It's so nice to need the other clubs and have chances at par most holes. I get to actually hit 7irons and 8iron into green's, instead of Driver-3wood-wedge in to every par four.

I do get some flack from my golf buddies sometimes. I encourage them to join me at the white tee's and they usually decline, shoot 105 and are miserable.

To your question, I believe it's help my game. I can now swing under control and don't need to "kill it" to get to where I can hit a iron to the green"

It's made golf fun again.

3p
 
Thanks for the replies! I have been working on ball striking and accuracy and playing from the forward tees lets me focus more on that than on distance. But I hit my long irons less so I can see some pros and cons to it. It IS more fun when you have a legit shot at birdies and pars throughout the round. I think I'll keep alternating so I can work on my long game as well though. I'm glad people are giving this a try. I got my dad and nephew to try it they had a blast, as did I. Anybody else have any experiences "teeing it forward?"
 
3putter said:
I use the tee it forward and love it. I now play tee's between 5600 and 6000 yds. Before I would use about 4 clubs in my bag (driver,3wood,hybrid and wedge)

It's so nice to need the other clubs and have chances at par most holes. I get to actually hit 7irons and 8iron into green's, instead of Driver-3wood-wedge in to every par four.

I do get some flack from my golf buddies sometimes. I encourage them to join me at the white tee's and they usually decline, shoot 105 and are miserable.

To your question, I believe it's help my game. I can now swing under control and don't need to "kill it" to get to where I can hit a iron to the green"

It's made golf fun again.

3p
Click to expand...
Smart 3p. :)
 
I think playing the front tees occasionally is imperative for one to learn and capitalize on good course management and learning to hit different shots. This works well for all skill levels if they play the course without bashing driver off of every tee.
 
From looking at the chart I knew I was/am playing the right tees...But I wouldn't think "driver distance" should equal tee choice but overall game. Hence why I look at the slope before choosing tees.
 
If anyone is interested here is the full article from the PGA:

by
The PGA of America Series:

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- To help golfers have more fun on the course and enhance their overall experience by playing from a set of tees best suited to their abilities, The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association have partnered to support “TEE IT FORWARD,” a new national initiative to be proposed for golf facilities nationwide from July 5-17.

TEE IT FORWARD encourages all golfers to play the course at a length that is aligned with their average driving distance. Golfers can speed up play by utilizing tees that provide the greatest playability and enjoyment. The program will be promoted this week, at the 72nd Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, and at both the U.S. Open Championship in June and the U.S. Women's Open Championship in July.

TEE IT FORWARD

This chart is a guideline to help golfers align their average driving distance with the course length best suited to their abilities.

Driver Distance Recommended
18 Hole Yardages
275 6,700 - 6,900
250 6,200 - 6,400
225 5,800 - 6,000
200 5,200 - 5,400
175 4,400 - 4,600
150 3,500 - 3,700
125 2,800 - 3,000
100 2,100 - 2,300

“Simply put, TEE IT FORWARD can make golf much more fun for millions of people,” said PGA of America President Allen Wronowski. “We believe that by moving up to another set of tees, golfers will experience an exciting, new approach to the game that will produce more enjoyment and elevate their desire to come back and play even more golf."

Barney Adams, the founder of Adams Golf, provided the concept that led to TEE IT FORWARD. By playing from forward tees, amateur golfers have the chance to play the course at the same relative distance as a touring professional would over 18 holes. The playing field is leveled by giving golfers the opportunity to play from distances that are properly aligned with their abilities.

With many more golfers hitting approach shots with 6- and 7-irons instead of hybrids and long irons, their chances for enjoyment increase. Also, playing from forward tees should result in fewer overall shots, shorter distance traveled on each hole, and potentially, fewer lost balls.

“The passion that golfers have for our game has the potential to be enhanced by the TEE IT FORWARD initiative," said Jim Hyler, president of the United States Golf Association. "This is an innovation that we think will appeal to golfers of all skill levels because it gives them a new challenge that better aligns with their abilities. We hope that TEE IT FORWARD will be embraced by players and golf facilities across the country."

TEE IT FORWARD is not necessarily about creating a new set of tees -- many facilities already have multiple tees in use every day. It is about changing the mindset of golfers in a positive way -- encouraging people to consider setting aside playing from 6,500-6,700 yards and moving up to a length of 6,000-6,200 yards or moving from 6,000-6,200 yards to 5,700-5,800 yards.

The 6,700-yard course that many amateur golfers play today is proportionally equivalent to a PGA Tour player competing on a course measuring 8,100 yards -- 700 yards or more longer than a typical PGA Tour layout.

Jack Nicklaus, who shares the record with Walter Hagen for most PGA Championship titles with five and also shares the U.S. Open record with four victories, is a proponent of TEE IT FORWARD.

"I love the game of golf but I will be the first to tell you that there are things about our game we need to improve," Nicklaus said. "Now The PGA of America and the USGA have come together to develop ways to that can make the game more attractive and more enjoyable. Tee It Forward is the first of many initiatives we have discussed together, and I think families around the country will enjoy alternate formats like this to make the game more fun.

"All of us deeply involved in the game constantly encourage golfers of all skill levels to play the proper tees, but too often golfers want to bite off as much of the golf course as they can. What ends up suffering is their scorecard and their overall enjoyment. This program should help stimulate people to play the proper tees and maximize the golf experience."

http://www.pga.com/pga-america/pga-...-tees-in-nationwide-tee-it-forward-initiative
 
I think the Tee It Forward program is more for beginners/higher handicaps. I can score the same from 6000 to 6600 yards. Look at the yardage differences for holes at 6000 and 6600, there are usually only a few holes that are dramatically different. So you might have a par 4 playing at 385 vs 435, or a par 3 playing at 140 vs 175, but usually the major difference is spread out between a few holes, not all 18 (600 yard difference = 33 yards per hole). In the overall scheme of 18 holes, it won't matter much, for a 15 handicapper or below.
 
Another thought, the driver distance chart is BS. I've played with 25 + handicappers that can drive it 250+ easily, but that's all they have. My drive is 220 - 240, but I can hit a 185 yd 5 iron or a 200 yd 4 hybrid to get to a longer par 4. And if I can't get there in 2, my short game can save me. So it's so much more than just about driver distance, driver distance does NOT equal overall golf skill (Drive For Show, Putt For Dough).
 
I was already playing at around 6100 yards before this was proposed, but I did play a few rounds moving up a set of tees to 5800 yards, but it did me more harm really than good. It brought more trouble into play and my scores were not better, plus it took the same amount of time, so I just stayed playing my normal tees.

I still think this is a great idea for those that are not real good, or those that don't play often. It should make the game more fun and make it faster which is a good thing. It is not for everyone, but it is for some. I like the idea that they are promoting the idea that tees should be selected by skill, and not by age and gender as has been the case forever.
 
I don't think that's what the chart is saying at all. The point is that playing the game from tees more suitable to your distance gives you the opportunity to play it with clubs that are inherently easier to hit with accuracy. 33 yards is around three clubs difference for me. I'm much more accurate with an 8 iron than a 5 hybrid. That's just common sense. Golf is not as fun when you have driver/hybrid from every hole imo. I've played longer courses and left without using my scoring clubs more than a few times.
 
I acutally like to play longer tees. I like to use more of the clubs in my bag at this point. When I play the forward tees I find myself laying up more with irons and such. Right now my game is a work in progress though. Just started taking it more seriously this year.
 
Hawk said:
I don't think that's what the chart is saying at all. The point is that playing the game from tees more suitable to your distance gives you the opportunity to play it with clubs that are inherently easier to hit with accuracy. 33 yards is around three clubs difference for me. I'm much more accurate with an 8 iron than a 5 hybrid. That's just common sense. Golf is not as fun when you have driver/hybrid from every hole imo. I've played longer courses and left without using my scoring clubs more than a few times.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That 33 yards is huge when you aren't a power player. I hit a 6 iron around 155 yards with a full swing. If I end up with par 4s that have 180 yard second shots I'm hitting 4 irons and 3 hybrids all day, much less the par 3s, which at that length also require long irons or hybrids. Hard to score when you are just hoping to get near the green on every approach. It might not affect my score as much from playing at 6,000 or 6,400 (it doesn't, I score about the same regardless) but it sure is a lot less mental strain hitting mid irons on par 4s than long irons all day, and that is more fun even if the score is about the same.
 
MarcW said:
Another thought, the driver distance chart is BS. I've played with 25 + handicappers that can drive it 250+ easily, but that's all they have. My drive is 220 - 240, but I can hit a 185 yd 5 iron or a 200 yd 4 hybrid to get to a longer par 4. And if I can't get there in 2, my short game can save me. So it's so much more than just about driver distance, driver distance does NOT equal overall golf skill (Drive For Show, Putt For Dough).
Click to expand...

That's what I've been thinking in regard to "Tee it Forward".

I think playing tees that suit one's game is a great idea and I think many people have been reluctant to do that because of ego or peer pressure and in that sense, the Tee it Forward program helps by making it OK to move up.
But I think that the whole concept is based more on distance than overall skill (if not, then why the distance chart?) and as MarkW wrote, there's more to playing this game than driver distance.

The other issue is the concept of what constitutes "fun".

For example, some people think that diving off a 900 foot high bridge strapped to a big rubber band is fun while others may think that's suicidal and the same goes for golf. Even if someone knows that they may not have the game to play from long tees, that doesn't necessarily mean that they wouldn't have fun doing just that. Everybody has their own idea of what is fun to them and just because they may not have a plus handicap doesn't mean that they should never play golf from a championship tee.
Or what about people who are trying to push their own envelope? The only way to develop as a golfer is to keep testing yourself and playing from longer tees may help to that end.

All in all I think that Tee it Forward is a good idea, but it shouldn't become something that either prevents or scares people from stretching things out if that's what they want to do whether they actually have the game for it or not.
Tee it Forward seems to focus on keeping things moving as well as promoting greater enjoyment of the game but as I've said before, playing quickly and efficiently has less to do with skill than it has to do with being aware of what's going on around you and being ready to play and playing when you're ready.
 
Sean said:
Here are the Tee it Forward recommendations:

Driver Distance Recommended
18 Hole Yardages
275 6,700 - 6,900
250 6,200 - 6,400
225 5,800 - 6,000
200 5,200 - 5,400
175 4,400 - 4,600
150 3,500 - 3,700
125 2,800 - 3,000
100 2,100 - 2,300
Click to expand...

Geez according to these #'s I should be playing from the tips at every course I play. I've never play from the tips, usually the ones just in front of the tips.
 
Yeah...according to that I should actually be playing back further than I usually do. I suck already...that's not good.
 
I am going to try this Friday. I haven't played this course in a while, so it should be interesting.
 
drewwood said:
I am going to try this Friday. I haven't played this course in a while, so it should be interesting.
Click to expand...

Are you moving up or back?
 
I ended up moving back one last Saturday with some THPers...Didn't make a difference in my score.
 
At this course I normally play the tips, 7000 yds. I am going to move up to the box at 6600. The guy I am playing with is shorter off the tee and with most clubs in the bag, so this should benefit both of us.
 
I think it makes sense. In Los Angeles, there are a lot of ahem... Asian golfers who play off the blue tees just because their buddies do. And seriously, it slows play quite a bit when you are hitting 2nd shots from 200+ yards away or more on a par 4 from the blue tees on a regular basis because u top it or only drive around 200 yards. You would think the proper way was to start from closer tees and move back as your skills get better no? Novel concept.
 
Seeing as I'm a pretty big hitter with the driver I've had mixed results depending on the course I'm on. At one course I usually play much better from the tips as my yardages match up better with the hazards, but from the middle tees I can fly those but bring a whole other set of hazards that I've hardly ever had to worry about into play.

The other course we've been teeing it forward on is now my new favorite as I've shot 75, 70, 71 the last few weeks out there lol.

I think as a whole this a good program, my Dad and Uncle were getting very tired of not playing as well these days and this has renewed sone if their love for the game I think as we are back to playing every week
 
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