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Front, Middle, or Back Tees?

Callaway Girl

Callaway Girl

Living the Dream
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Jan 10, 2009
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Does it matter which set of tees people play? Some feel it is unfair for women to play from the forward tees. No matter which set of tees individuals play - they must still hit the shots to score (fairways, greens, putts, etc).
 
Doesn't matter to me CG because on my course the mens and womens tees aren't that much far apart from each other and some are the same plus with the cerebral palsy my girfriend gives me a break on some holes anyway sides, If I'm worring about that any way then my game is gone before it starts, I'm really not going to pay attention to the point where it gets me off of my game I'm in competition with myself no one else.
 
doesnt matter to me at all. i just like to play anything between 6100-6700 yards. if its anywhere in that range, Im good to go
 
I like to play the tees that: a)give me at least a couple of par 3's in the 140-160 range and don't require a 3-wood or driver; b) have yardage between 5,500 and 6,200 yards; or c) have a slope in the 115-125 range, preferably 120 or so. I don't care what tees other people play. If they want to play the tips, if they don't fall into the range above, I'm not joining them back there! If they want to play forward tees, that's fine too.
 
I usually play from the middle tees (which is usually the whites). I personally dont have a problem women playing from different tees or really anyone else for that matter.
I think that you should play from whatever tees give you a chance to score well. Even if that mean you hit from what some would view as the, "ladies' tees". Then, when you start to make par on a regular basis from those tees, move back to the next set of tees.
Ive played with people who tried to be all macho and play from the back tees, who didnt have the skills that you should have in order to play from those tees (because oftentimes, not only do those tees make the hole longer, they position the tee in a way that makes the hole considerably more difficult) and it just causes them to get all frustrated, make triple bogey and not have fun. A couple times Ive tried playing from the tips when playing alone and it made the course a lot harder.
I say, play from whatever tees suit whatever level your game is at.
 
I agree Bake, at my home course the only tees that really have a huge difference in distance are the tips (which I don't play from). It's not only the distance though but the placement of the tees make a huge difference in difficulty.
 
Ours goes (from greatest yards to least)

Gold
Blue
White
Green (Ladies)

I play from the blues. The only thing I don't like is when people play from the tips and can't even break 110.
 
The courses around here have either red and blue tees or they have blue, white and black tees.
 
I usually play the whites when Im by myself and the blues if Im with my buddies. Its always awkward when one person in a foursome plays a different set of tees, so I just suck it up and deal with the higher score.
 
MO_Hacker said:
I agree Bake, at my home course the only tees that really have a huge difference in distance are the tips (which I don't play from). It's not only the distance though but the placement of the tees make a huge difference in difficulty.
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Yup, same here. They position the tee at the tips back and off to the side of the other tees, so you have to either hit around some trees or over some deep rough/water/other kind of hazard; which requires you to be much more precise and in control of your tee shots.
 
It's all about scoring.
Distance and difficulty ( slope rating ) come into play for scoring IMHO.
If anyone play the set of tee which only allowed minimum chance of making GIR even if the best shots were played by the individual, then it's the wrong set of tee to play from.
I'm not saying we should all have GIR for every golf hole we play, but at least have a chance.
 
There is a course near me that has 5 sets of tees, all crazy colors. When you get to the first tee there is a sign that gives you what tees you should be hitting from by both your length and handicap. I think all courses should be set up this way. No ladies tees, senior tees etc.

Floppy: you said no one should play the tips if they can't break 110, I think they shouldn't be playing them unless they can break at least 100, if not 90. I guess the exception to this would be someone who has the worst short game ever, kills the ball and is in the fairway majority of the time, but then their score runs way up around the green.
 
soxngolf said:
Floppy: you said no one should play the tips if they can't break 110, I think they shouldn't be playing them unless they can break at least 100, if not 90. I guess the exception to this would be someone who has the worst short game ever, kills the ball and is in the fairway majority of the time, but then their score runs way up around the green.
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The rule I was always taught was that if you can break 100 on a regular basis, you should move back to the next set of tees.
 
Bakemono said:
The rule I was always taught was that if you can break 100 on a regular basis, you should move back to the next set of tees.
Click to expand...

I see what you are saying, but I also think that is why golf rounds can take so long. If everyone moved back so that they were scoring over 100 every round, that makes for a very long 18.
 
soxngolf said:
There is a course near me that has 5 sets of tees, all crazy colors. When you get to the first tee there is a sign that gives you what tees you should be hitting from by both your length and handicap. I think all courses should be set up this way. No ladies tees, senior tees etc.

Floppy: you said no one should play the tips if they can't break 110, I think they shouldn't be playing them unless they can break at least 100, if not 90. I guess the exception to this would be someone who has the worst short game ever, kills the ball and is in the fairway majority of the time, but then their score runs way up around the green.
Click to expand...

I'd say if you can't break into the 70's on a consistent basis then playing the tips is just adding frustration to a very difficult game. That's just my opinion
 
The tee you play from doesn't bother me. If you want to play from the tips go ahead but you better keep up pace.
 
If I'm playing a new course, I try to play the tees between 5900-6300 yards. Any more than that and I am having to hit a bunch of fairway woods into greens which to me is just not enjoyable at all.

I have had coworkers who just loved to play the tips even though they weren't much more skilled than I am. I just don't have that masochistic gene I guess :act-up:
 
I usually play the back. I have the distance to handle a 180 yd approach which i may have on a par 4. But when im wth my dad we usually play the middle tees.
 
I like to play whichever tees put me at 65-6,700 yards.

I'm not all that good, but just hitting a driver and a wedge or short iron, gets kind of redundant after a while. I like to hit my mid and long irons, so stretching it out a bit gives me that opportunity to play every single club in my bag.

I drop most of my scoring opportunities on dumb moves with my wedges: not swinging hard enough to get out of the sand, catching a chip thin; stuff like that. (which is why I need to keep practicing those shots more)
 
soxngolf said:
There is a course near me that has 5 sets of tees, all crazy colors. When you get to the first tee there is a sign that gives you what tees you should be hitting from by both your length and handicap. I think all courses should be set up this way. No ladies tees, senior tees etc.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. I'm a red tee player, and if I have to play from the whites b/c everyone else in the foursome does, I'll pick up my ball or play my second shot from where someone else's drive landed, or whatever to keep up the pace of play. (Of course it doesn't count for the handicap.)

When Hubby and I play together, he'll play the red tees with me--it's where he belongs. But he'd never do that with other guys.
 
To me it depends on how far apart the tee boxes actually are from each other. At my home course they are so close together it makes little difference. Maybe 10 yards separates the three men's tees. As for the women's tees being closer, I have no problem with that. I have seen male players who should be playing from them, as well as woment who can play well from the men's tees. Me I play from the tips when ever possible. That is as long as I am driving the ball well that day. Most of the time however, it depends on the group I am playing with, and what is comfortable with them. I have seen many score cards that show the player what set of tees they should play from based on their handicap. I think if you can't keep the ball in the fairway, or in play most of the time, you should be using the more foreward tees. That's why they have them. That, or know what your equity stroke control number is. :comp:
 
Another point, though it sort of responds to Soxy's question about whether red tees are perceived as unfair.

In gross generalities, the tee boxes are supposed to be set up so everyone's drive lands in about the same area. The upshot of that is the shorter hitters will have to use a longer club for the second shot. I know a heck of a lot of women who use their seven wood for the second shot, while the guys are using a mid iron or a wedge.

I've seen the argument that tee boxes should be placed so that everyone gets to use about the same club for the second shot, instead of hitting different clubs from the same spot.

I'm not sure at all how I feel about that one. You'd end up with 250 yard par fours, and that's just plain weird.
 
To be fair, one plays one's handicap. Red tees or the tips really should not make much a difference to anyone. If you are competing with someone, the handicap system should resolve the issues. If you think one set of tees are easier due to course layout, etc, join them on that tee.

I would hazard to guess that getting beaten by a woman maybe a bigger issue than from which tee. And it is more PC to complain that the red tees are easier than to say a woman is a better golfer. I would guess many women can beat me on the course, no matter the tees used. It has happened already a few times.

If you are consistently shooting a low score, you might consider moving back one tee placement. Especially if one is striking the ball long off the tee. Obviously what one person considers low or consistent is up for grabs.

I think the only issue with playing different tees is it feels like it slows play. Personally, I want to wait for the farther back tee's players to hit before setting up on a forward tee. Most players are not used to doing this little two step. Thus, there is this slight delay in getting off the tee boxes. Those few times that was an issue, I played from the tees that everyone else was using.


Mike Krolewski
 
I play from the tips simply because it is the most challenging.
 
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