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Course length - How long is too long for you and your handicap

SuperStroke
8000+ just doesnt work for me
 
6600 and under is good for me. Anything over and I struggle
 
6500ish is my happy/fun place. But, I can stretch it back further if needed with no issues (7k max). For me though, its all about what distance gives me the most enjoyment.
 
7,000+ but it also depends on where the course is in the country.
 
bavs said:
I like the longer the better. I like the variety of shots I have to hit. Anything shorter than 6800 leaves me hitting wedges and short irons all day which takes the fun out of the game to me.
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This for me as well
 
I'm a 9-10 hcp and anything over 6600yrds just gets really long. I'm not a strong Driver player (240-250) but I feel I play pretty well. The biggest problem I have on longer courses are par 3s. With the longer par 3s I feel I am just trying to survive with the longer distance. I'm not a pro, I'm out there to have fun and enjoy my round.
 
6600-6900 is comfortable, but if I'm playing well and want a challenge then 7100+ is where I play. As long as it's not a trap course set up at 7100+, meaning they FORCE you to take long clubs into every par 4 because you can't take a driver off the tee on most of them. It's one thing to have a few holes where you have to decide, but not every par 4.
 
Anything up to 6800 is comfortable. I do want to challenge myself this year and play from 7,000 a few times.
 
Locally I like to play 6500 ish. Ive learned that is roughly equivalent to 68-7000 in the desert.
 
Home course plays 6470-6820 depending on which tee, that is about the limit of my comfort level. I have played a couple at 7100, I don't think the handicap effects it. It is the layout and whether you have to layup on different holes. A good third shot can still yield a par on long par 4's that are unreachable in 2 shots.
 
The tees I play most are around 6400. With a crappy tee game I still managed some good scores from time to time. I am curious how my improvements off the tee this winter will translate in terms of length. At my club I could go back to 6700 but I won't try that until I see how I am playing from 6400 this year.
 
I've found that handicap has very little to do with distance. You can have a high handicap for a variety of reasons. I'm a 20 at the moment and just shot roughly a 90 in a match play (a few gimme putts and conceded holes) and did it from 6800 yards. I never once felt like distance was an issue. And if I miss off the tee it's always directional (as opposed to topped, duffed, etc.) and I've found that often going to the back tee allows more room for any misses I might have. From 6800 I'm hitting a short iron in to the green on par 4's, but I could see 7200+ becoming an issue and forcing me to hit a lot of mid irons. I've just never played an entire round from that distance.
 
When I was in my 20's and 30's I always played the back tees no matter the length. Now that I'm 50 I prefer to keep it under 7150 yards at sea level. 90% of my rounds are played between 6650 and 7000.
 
With increasing age and decreasing distance, 6500 is about the farthest I can play and still have a chance to shoot around my index.
 
Anything above 6700-6800 yards takes the enjoyment out of playing for me. Less club selection from the tee and makes it a driver mid to long iron second shot. I can play that distance, just tend to struggle a bit more.
 
I think right about 6500 to 6800 yards is pretty good. Once I start getting over that it becomes a little unenjoyable.
 
At almost 59 I find my happy place tends to be 6500 or less. I can sneak it out there on occasion, and my irons are still pretty strong (Thanks Calloway). However I played from the tips ONCE last season 6944 yards and shot 41/54, I was worn out and frustrated by the end.

Won't say that I won't do it again, but I'd rather have fun.
 
haven't read through this entire thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned. i think it was canadan who started an interesting thread that the usga considers a scratch golfer someone who, among other criteria, carries the ball 250 yards. there are obviously scoring criteria in there, but it's just interesting that the usga considers distance when affirming whether someone is scratch.

at my skill level and distance abilities, 6,800 yards is as much as i can hope to handle, and i better be on point with my driving. i'm far more comfortable in the 6,300 to 6,500 range.
 
I'm around a 11-12 cap and once I get over 6500 or so I can start to have problems with the longer par 4's.
 
Looking at that PGA Tee It Forward guide, 6200-6400 is my comfort zone. It all depends on the fairways though. Open and wide, or tight and sloped.
 
I have played courses upwards of 7300 yds. While I am fine with playing courses of that length. I prefer to play courses around 6800 yds.
 
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