Sean

Earthbound Extraterrestrial
Albatross 2024 Club
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Sam Snead was quoted as saying something about a golfer should play from the forward tees until he/she can break par. It makes sense to me. Do you have any thoughts on this?
 
Do you think he would say that today with the technology that is available to the beginning golfer vs what they had back in the day? I would have to think that a golfer starting out today has a huge advantage over someone that took the game up 50-60 years ago.
 
Vegan: I think he probably would. I'd say that most people couldn't shoot par from the forward tees today, even with the technology of the day. I know I couldn't. Maybe your really low handicappers but not someone in double digits. They/we have more issues than distance.
 
At least on my course, playing from the forward tees probably wouldn't help me toward par very much. On the Par 4's, right now I'm often hitting my 3w from the middle boxes to leave myself a full shot. Most of our Par 3's aren't much more than 350yd from the whites, and I'm not really fond of trying to guess at how much to take off a pitching wedge if I don't have to. Playing from the red tees would have me hitting hybrid or 4 iron on every tee shot, and I don't think I'm any more consistent with my 4i than I am with my 3w.

Interesting thought though.
 
Testosterone will make you stupid. I play the forward middle. I used to play whatever the "group" played but all they did by playing the tips was make the game a defeating endeavor at best. Even for themselves. I bet I could shoot in the 80's if I played the forward tees but man...I ain't no sissy...

The most profound thing Slammin' Sammy ever said...imo is " If you are not thinking about *****, your not concentrating.":D
 
I wonder why they make us use the back tees in tournaments, etc? I know I couldn't even come close to breaking par from the front tees. However, because they separate the tees based on age, sex and handicap, I am stuck on the next to last tees in the case of 4 tee boxes or third to last on 5-6 tee boxes. I guess I kind of agree with Snead as if you can't break par from the front, why play the back? Once you break par, move back until you break par, then move back and so on. It's just like poker, you don't move up in limits until you are consistently beating the limit you are in.
 
It would also depend on how far apart the tees were. I have been to some courses that the difference between tee markers was just a matter of a few feet.

Obviously some things have changed from Snead's day to now days. Courses are better manicured. Todays's fairway surfaces are better than yesteryears' greens. Today's greens are much faster. Equipment is better, and balls are better built, longer. But the golfers' swings have not changed that much. Folks still slice, hook, shank, top, push, pull, fat, and sky shots just like they did in Snead's day. I read all the time that handicaps have not changed that much...for the better. You can see it every day on the driving range.

I suppose a 10+ yard gap between tee markers might make a difference for the better golfer. By the same token if you don't have a decent swing, and impact position, I don't think it matters what tee marker you play from. You are still going to hit poor shots, while still playing to your average score.
 
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To me it's kind of a numbers thing. If you have given distances with your sticks and you are a short knocker, then a course from the tips that measures 7000 yards and say...6100 from the white...then you have to come up with 900 yards to play the tips. If you have 210 with the driver, which more do than will admit...it's bye bye birdie. Let's go for scratch and even settle for bogey. A lot of the slice and hook and fat and thin shots are caused by over swinging your ability because of the unreachable distance. You can get as many as 3 clubs less on the approach shot from the forward tees and for short knockers closer is always better.:D You should play whatever will give the most fun. Challenge...Ha! Every hole is a challenge for me no matter where I shoot from.
 
We keep having this discussion. Your tee box should be based on your handicap. End of sentence. Get over it and move up.
 
You meant 4 par...right?

Naw, I meant par 3's. :bulgy-eyes: Nice catch. Posting before caffeine again. Yes, I meant par 4's. In fact, most of the par 5's are 450 or less.
 
We keep having this discussion. Your tee box should be based on your handicap. End of sentence. Get over it and move up.

I agree, however, we can't! I play in my mens club tournaments and the SNGA (Southern Nevada Golf Association) tournaments and I am forced to play the next to last tee boxes. It doesn't matter if your handicap is a 1 or 30, if you play in the net division that is your tee box. The scratch division plays the back tees. I think it should be broken down that each tee box represents a range of handicaps that should play from there, whether women, men or junior. Anyone 20 or higher should probably be playing the very front tee, 15-20 the next ones back, 10-15 the next ones and single digits play the back, not counting courses that also have tournament tees.
 
To me it's kind of a numbers thing. If you have given distances with your sticks and you are a short knocker, then a course from the tips that measures 7000 yards and say...6100 from the white...then you have to come up with 900 yards to play the tips. If you have 210 with the driver, which more do than will admit...it's bye bye birdie. Let's go for scratch and even settle for bogey. A lot of the slice and hook and fat and thin shots are caused by over swinging your ability because of the unreachable distance. You can get as many as 3 clubs less on the approach shot from the forward tees and for short knockers closer is always better.:D You should play whatever will give the most fun. Challenge...Ha! Every hole is a challenge for me no matter where I shoot from.
Well said, Blue Arc. :)
 
I agree, however, we can't! I play in my mens club tournaments and the SNGA (Southern Nevada Golf Association) tournaments and I am forced to play the next to last tee boxes. It doesn't matter if your handicap is a 1 or 30, if you play in the net division that is your tee box. The scratch division plays the back tees. I think it should be broken down that each tee box represents a range of handicaps that should play from there, whether women, men or junior. Anyone 20 or higher should probably be playing the very front tee, 15-20 the next ones back, 10-15 the next ones and single digits play the back, not counting courses that also have tournament tees.
Doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun for a lot of folks.
 
I typically play the middle tee's at courses but if I'm playing for money with guys I'll play from the back tee's. I'm still young enough and long enough that it doesn't affect me too much unless we are talking about a 7000 yard course.
 
We keep having this discussion. Your tee box should be based on your handicap. End of sentence. Get over it and move up.

I don't agree with that. Handicap alone can't make up for a lack of distance & if you are say a 10 handicap at your home course from the white tee's & you go to another course which may have the white tee's playing 500+ yds further, you will be miserable.

You should play a course how it suits your distance & don't worry about what tee boxes you use. Most of us shouldn't be playing tee boxes which are setup at 6800+ yds. Multiply your average 5 iron shot by 36 & use that as the distance to play from.
 
You should play a course how it suits your distance & don't worry about what tee boxes you use. Most of us shouldn't be playing tee boxes which are setup at 6800+ yds. Multiply your average 5 iron shot by 36 & use that as the distance to play from.

Great--the kiddie tees.
 
Last weekend I played a round where I got paired with 2 young guys and a woman. She played the forward tees at 5419 yards and she was pretty good. Had a real nice swing. You could tell she had lessons and for a mature woman she had a real nice butt. I was likin' her a lot. Keep in mind I'm single and I'm allowed to look. I figure she shot in the low 90's. The 2 young guns wanted to play from the back tees. 6520 yards. This course I always play from the white. 6186. The course is not easy but the the price is right. Anyway I told the guys that if they wanted to play the blues then I would too. First hole is a par 4 and the second is a par 5. On both holes the woman and I are standing on the green reading the line and these boys are 150 back looking for their lost "balls' in the creek.:D On the third hole I managed to talk them into us all moving up to the whites. I had some good holes and some bad. Couple of pars was the best. I shot 101. Those boys must have shot 300 strokes between them. It took 5.5 hours to finish. The only saving grace for them was they were real good guys. They were real frustrated and beaten when we finished. A real contrast to when we started and all I could think is...why?:banghead:
 
Multiply your average 5 iron shot by 36 & use that as the distance to play from.

What if you hit your 5-iron 170 yards . . . into the woods?
 
I hit a 5i 170 to 175. That x 36 = 6,120 to 6,300. I do that and I'm hitting wedge approach shots on most par fours. I hit a fair number of wedge approach shots on my home course from the blues at 6,450 to 6,500. I step back to 6,900 and I can't score as well, but it tests more of the clubs in my bag. I feel guilty from the blues and frustrated from the blacks.

I think the 5i distance x 36 formula is flawed, at least for my game. Maybe it means I'm fairly long off the tee, but a wuss with a middle iron in my hands. Of course it seems like I haven't hit a solid middle to long iron shot in about two months.

Whatever all that means.

Kevin
 
I don't agree with that. Handicap alone can't make up for a lack of distance & if you are say a 10 handicap at your home course from the white tee's & you go to another course which may have the white tee's playing 500+ yds further, you will be miserable.

You should play a course how it suits your distance & don't worry about what tee boxes you use. Most of us shouldn't be playing tee boxes which are setup at 6800+ yds. Multiply your average 5 iron shot by 36 & use that as the distance to play from.
+1. I average around 200 off the tee and b/c of my handicap had to play from 6800 in a tournament. It was a LONG day, and not much fun.
 
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