The 60 and over Thread

[Birdman03]

For some of us, we play the tees we play because it is more fun and has nothing to do with ego. There is of course a max distance at which it ceases to be fun for each of us, but a mix of wedges and longer clubs for approaches as well as driver and other clubs off the tee makes the game a lot more fun (for me) than simply scoring a little lower from forward tees. And scoring lower never mattered as much to me as hitting a low differential.

Everyone finds enjoyment in different ways. If ego was still a factor, I’d have given up the game a long time ago. As for shooting par, I’d struggle to shoot 72 on a par 3 course.

I will say that for the first time, I played a course this year at 5200 yards that I’ve always played at 6,000 and it was the right decision. The problem came in that the course rating was for women which gave me an unrealistically low differential.

To each their own.

I had the same problem, there was no Men's course rating for our 4800 yd forward tees. I was however able to find the full ratings at https://course.bluegolf.com/.
The rating went from 67.9/111 to 63.7/106. An even par 72 from there is a 7.8 HC differential!

 

[cuonthe1t]

I had the same problem, there was no Men's course rating for our 4800 yd forward tees. I was however able to find the full ratings at https://course.bluegolf.com/.
The rating went from 67.9/111 to 63.7/106. An even par 72 from there is a 7.8 HC differential!

wow - that is quite the drop - course next year - white tees are 6100 yds to 6250 - 69 /122 - gold tees are 5400 to 5600 - 66.8/114 - because there are 3 nines I did the average

 

[boggyman]

I changed my swing because of my back, which has taken a lot of stress off of it.

I’m steep but have a high flight. I use to play it back in my stance but switched to one length for one main ball position and a few other various other reasons. Chiropractor uses the term repetitive motion a lot. So far so good with the OL a couple months in the bag.

 

[BH 43]

I changed my swing because of my back, which has taken a lot of stress off of it.

Sorry Sean I remember you saying that now, our backs take a lot of pressure during the swing.

 

[leftshot]

Hitting 50% of greens from 200 yds is very impressive! The PGA tour average is 58% from 175-200 yds.

As I have aged, it has allowed me to play from longer tees than I would otherwise be able to. But again, I was only able to make progress starting at the shorter distances and working my way up. At every juncture, I learned something I needed to learn to hit greens from that distance that I didn't necessarily have to have up until then. For example, learning to hit a high cut or baby fade became essential to hold the green at longer distances. It was not really required for the shorter distances. Those longer distances in general require a lot more precise clubface control. The backspin you get with higher-lofted clubs tends to take a lot of the curve out.

 

[Carolina Golfer]

Tip #2 Allistair once again correctly identifies a fault, but provides a solution that won’t be effective.

Yes, most amateur players set up with their hands too high. The vast majority of the time, they have a poor grip. Specifically, the club is running diagonally across their palm leading to a grip that is in the palm and not the fingers. This restricts or wholesale sabotages the hands from properly hinging and releasing.

Allistair’s tip gets the hands lower at set up, but does not fix the fundamental grip problem, especially in the lead hand.

Sure, a bad grip may lead to a problem. I think he was just suggesting to get the trail shoulder/arm lower and the lead side higher. It is just squaring up.

 

[MonroeBob1955]

There is also the fact that on the approach shots I have to hit 2 or 3 clubs longer, but that's a separate issue that most don't want to recognize.

As I was reading your post this immediately came to mind. In my weekly group some play blue, some white, some gold and some red. When I’m playing golf and DeChambeau-ing my drives 200 yards out there, I’m frequently well in front of my group. BUT, we end up hitting the same club on approach. Yes I’m 30 yards past them, but we’re all hitting 8 iron.

 

[MonroeBob1955]

For some of us, we play the tees we play because it is more fun and has nothing to do with ego.

I bounce around when it comes to tee selection. Winter/wet time, I play golds around 56-5700. Dry or competition time I’m back to the whites at 6200. when I want to really have fun I play a game where par back one tee next hold, birdie back two, bogey or worse up one. Never play same tee two holes in a row. Have rounds where I’ve played greens back to black. Actually a lot of fun.

 

[Birdman03]

As I was reading your post this immediately came to mind. In my weekly group some play blue, some white, some gold and some red. When I’m playing golf and DeChambeau-ing my drives 200 yards out there, I’m frequently well in front of my group. BUT, we end up hitting the same club on approach. Yes I’m 30 yards past them, but we’re all hitting 8 iron.

I am not sure I understand this - you are driving it 200 yds from Senior tees and frequently outdrive those playing further back?

 

[cuonthe1t]

I am not sure I understand this - you are driving it 200 yds from Senior tees and frequently outdrive those playing further back?

makes sense to me - most par 4 's or par 5's have a 40 to 80 yd difference between the gold and white tees no? how many 70 year olds hit it 250 to 285yds

 

[Buckeyegolfnut]

For some of us, we play the tees we play because it is more fun and has nothing to do with ego. There is of course a max distance at which it ceases to be fun for each of us, but a mix of wedges and longer clubs for approaches as well as driver and other clubs off the tee makes the game a lot more fun (for me) than simply scoring a little lower from forward tees. And scoring lower never mattered as much to me as hitting a low differential.

Everyone finds enjoyment in different ways. If ego was still a factor, I’d have given up the game a long time ago. As for shooting par, I’d struggle to shoot 72 on a par 3 course.

I will say that for the first time, I played a course this year at 5200 yards that I’ve always played at 6,000 and it was the right decision. The problem came in that the course rating was for women which gave me an unrealistically low differential.

To each their own.

Exactly! My main golf buddy and I were scrambling against another twosome when my drive and his 3 wood reached a par 5 green. We had a tap in for birdie after nearly making the eagle putt. As we walked off the green I asked him, "Isn't it fun putting for eagles and birdies again?" He allowed that it was and said he was glad that he finally moved up.

But now that I think about it a little more, some ego may have entered into his decision. After quite some time of asking him to move forward, I finally told him that he could play whatever tees he wished, but I was going to play the tees that were more suited to my game. I was tired of having to slug my brains out every round. One of the upshots of this was that I began beating him far more often than he was confortable with. Eventually he joined me and out normal equilibrium was restored.

 

[Birdman03]

makes sense to me - most par 4 's or par 5's have a 40 to 80 yd difference between the gold and white tees no? how many 70 year olds hit it 250 to 285yds

Ok I get it now, I think. Some seniors are playing tee boxes further back and not hitting it far enough to keep up with @MonroeBob1955.

 

[bkuehn1952]

I play a fair amount of blended tees. A number of courses don’t have tees at a yardage I like. One par 71 course has Blue at 6,560, White at 6,339 and Gold at 5,606. White is too long and Gold is too short. I play 6 of the par 4 holes at Gold and everything else White. Yardage comes in at 6,050 and on a good ball striking day I hit approaches with everything from sand wedge to 3-wood. I adjust the rating/slope using Appendix G.

 

[skigolfmike]

I first had to learn how to consistently hit greens from under 100 yards. When I got good at that, then I graduated to getting proficient in the 100-125 yard ranges. I continued this progression until I could hit the green 50% of the time from 200 yards.

If only I could hit a green from the fairway from 200 yards. I’d say I have one chance in 20. My fairway wood is a 190 +/-10 club with +/- 20 yards left / right. At 200 yards I’m probably going to be short. I’d be happy be 90% from the fairway from 100 in.

 

[MonroeBob1955]

I am not sure I understand this - you are driving it 200 yds from Senior tees and frequently outdrive those playing further back?

Yes. Because the blue tees are sometime 60-80 yards behind the golds. Outdrive meaning my ball is further down the fairway. Not longer total yards. My bad.

 

[MonroeBob1955]

I play a fair amount of blended tees. A number of courses don’t have tees at a yardage I like. One par 71 course has Blue at 6,560, White at 6,339 and Gold at 5,606. White is too long and Gold is too short. I play 6 of the par 4 holes at Gold and everything else White. Yardage comes in at 6,050 and on a good ball striking day I hit approaches with everything from sand wedge to 3-wood. I adjust the rating/slope using Appendix G.

At my home course I’ll play golds front and whites back. Which equates to 5900 ish yards which I consider my sweat spot.

 

[Hacker67]

Well boys I went to the dark side and picked up a set of Mizzy 925 HM and was blistering them. I miss my Stealth HD but I really want to work on my swing and make these work. I have the SS but need to work on the hip turn a little but these clubs are the bees knees. It's like throwing darts! Wish me luck as I have my maiden voyage tomorrow. Cheers!

 

[4hourrule]

Hitting 50% of greens from 200 yds is very impressive! The PGA tour average is 58% from 175-200 yds.

Definitely impressed. I barely reach 200 with 5 Iron. Back when I played a lot my 5 Iron had a lot of Spin so it would stop instantly. Slower Swing, not so much now.

 

[mav52]

I barely reach 200 with 5 Iron

Your how old

 

[Sean]

Yes I’m 30 yards past them, but we’re all hitting 8 iron.

I notice the same thing when I play the senior tees and the younger and longer hitters play back.

 

[4hourrule]

Your how old

66. Looking forward to saying 69 without getting weird looks.

 

[Sean]

But now that I think about it a little more, some ego may have entered into his decision.

A couple of years ago I was paired with a twosome. We were all around the same age. They asked my what tees I would be playing and I said the senior tees. One guy said in a voice filled with pride, "We always play the blues." We all drove the ball about the same distance, but while they were hitting fairway woods into greens, I was hitting irons. By the seventh hole they joined me on the senior tees for the rest of the round.

 

[Sean]

I barely reach 200 with 5 Iron

I don't even have a 5-iron. All the stars would have to be aligned for me to hit a green from 200 yards.

 

[4hourrule]

I don't even have a 5-iron. All the stars would have to be aligned for me to hit a green from 200 yards.

5 Iron is a bit of a cheater, 3- 6 are Srixon U85s.

 

[JLHinNC]

…

I have a low HC in my 9-hole league playing from Senior tees, and occasionally the younger guys grumble that I should be back there with them. I then point out that if my good drives end up in the same place as their good drives, then we are on the correct tees. I can assure you I am not outdriving any decent golfer who is under age 60.

…

100%

One of the guys in my usual foursome is 80. He’s a near scratch golfer who is robust and still bangs it a mile. I’ve joked with him that it’s borderline cheating for him to play from the forward tees and he agrees!

But even so, he acknowledges that it’s really all about the short game.