When the 10th hole is the first hole. Does it really matter?

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#ICanHitADraw
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I noticed a post in the Breaking 90 thread where the poster mentioned they had to play off the back nine which threw their game off.

For a variety of reasons, the pro shop will have you start on the back nine instead of the front nine. At Painted, it's usually league-related. Late afternoon and evening leagues are usually nine hole leagues, and they will alternate playing each nine every week. So when we have them starting on the back nine, we run the entire day starting on the back nine, so that by the time the leagues go off, #10 is open for play. 99% of the people ask why and when we tell them it's because of leagues they are good with it.

But I've seen people get irate that we don't let them go off the front since it's open and everyone is on the back. I ask them if they demand to go off the back when it's completely open when we start the people on the front, and they still don't get it, even when I explain that "for today, the front nine is the back nine". They ask why we do it all day long when the league doesn't start until way later, and the reason is so that WHEN the league starts, we don't want there to be anyone going from #9 to #10 and having to wait.

Is it a big deal to you when you have to start on the back nine instead of the front nine when that is the rule of the day? Our first hole is a Par 4 and our tenth hole is a Par 5.
 
It doesn't bother me, of course my home course is only a 9 hole that plays as 18 with two holes having different pins depending on if it's the front or back 9.
 
I noticed a post in the Breaking 90 thread where the poster mentioned they had to play off the back nine wich threw their game off.

For a variety of reasons, the pro shop will have you start on the back nine instead of the front nine. At Painted, it's usually league-related. Late afternoon and evening leagues are usually nine hole leagues, and they will alternate playing each nine every week. So when we have them starting on the back nine, we run the entire day starting on the back nine, so that by the time the leagues go off, #10 is open for play.

I've even seen people get irate that we don't let them go off the front since it's open and everyone is on the back. I ask them if they demand to go off the back when it's completely open when we start the people on the front, and they still don't get it, even when I explain that "for today, the front nine is the back nine". They ask why we do it all day long when the league doesn't start until way later, and the reason is so that WHEN the league starts, we don't want there to be anyone going from #9 to #10 and having to wait.

Is it a big deal to you when you have to start on the back nine instead of the front nine when that is the rule of the day?

No, it doesn't bother me. They even do it on the PGA for certain tournaments so I think people need to chill out a little when they are put out on the back first.

If the 10th hole is a par 3, that's a little unsettling for the first tee shot of the day but its not gonna get me all in a tizzy.
 
Going to play them all anyway so it really shouldn't matter which one you start on. At my course, the 10th is a much easier par 4 than the 1st is so I stand a better chance on getting off to a good start on the back. But, it is the same hole whether I play it first or tenth.
 
My home course has 27 holes and it's quite common for us to alternate nines as the staring side. Although I have preferences on which nine I'd prefer to start, it's no big deal. If I let that bother me, it's on me, and I'm going to have bigger problems that day.
 
It really makes no difference to me, I'm gonna play all the holes anyway.
 
I always tend to score better on the back nine at my course and I used to attribute it to being move in the game and loose by the time I got there. After being in the situation where because of leagues I have started on the back I realized I always score better on that nine so I prefer it now because then I have a better feel for how I am playing when getting onto the tougher nine. I do have a few friends that can't stand it for whatever reason though.
 
No issue.
 
No problem. My club regularly starts groups on the back.
I don't know why it would ever be an issue.
 
at my club the front 9 is the tougher side with a hole 2 being a 205 yard par 3 with ob left. thats a tough hole when its your second hole. The back nine is alot easier and plays for me several strokes less. I like making the turn on the front nine being warmed up. We played our club champ this year and everyone teed of the back. We had mixed results. Some liked it and some attributed their bad play from having started on the back.
 
I mostly play in tournaments at my local club so pretty much everything is shotgun start, you get used to starting from anywhere on the course! The other club I play at is using a temporary clubhouse with the main clubhouse still under construction so everyone actually starts at 6. So in other words, it really doesn't make that big a difference to me!
 
No big deal for me. At my club our 1st, 7th and 13th are closest to the club house so they are the ones that get used.
 
Doesn't bother me in the least as long as I know where the tee box is I'm good.
 
Doesnt bother me at all
 
No issues here but I have a buddy that is totally thrown off his game when this happens. It doesn't happen often. When we are betting and this happens its a guaranteed win. Even he thinks its funny.
 
Not an issue at all.
 
Its no biggie, as long as you have a good starter that will recognize when you are playing the 18th hole it's really your 9th & he does not send a group to 1st hole while you're putting
 
Shouldn't be an issue...but let me share anyways:

At my old home course, hole is a 520 yard par 5 - pretty straightforward. Can miss some to the right and then parallel to the left is the #9 fairway which can be reached with a bad pull.

Number 10 is a 400 yard par 4. Range & water just left of FW and a creek running through around 210 from the tee box that requires a 220 carry or so to clear.

I can see where many would prefer to tee off on 1 for their first tee shot of the day....and if not warmed up (for whatever reason) may have an issue with trying that 220 carry as their first shot of the day.
 
It doesn't bother me all that much. But I do understand how some people were rather not do that. For the most part, the 1st hole and 10th hole are not similar and if you're used to a course, starting on a hole that may not be designed to be a "starting" hole may throw you off a bit. For me, I'm laid back on my first couple holes. I just try to gauge where I'm at that day and how things are going. Some people are just "flow" people and prefer to do things the way they were created and/or the way they are used to.
 
My home course, the back nine is the tougher of the two (at least mentally for me) so it's good to get through it while I'm still fresh.

The course actually experimented with this last year considering making a permanent change.

Hole 10 is easier then hole 1 and hole 9 even though farther from the clubhouse would make for a much better closing hole than 18 does for tournament play.

So know it doesn't bother me.
 
It shouldn't be an issue.
 
No bother at all. 18 holes is 18 holes whether you tee of on #1, 10, 15 or any other hole. If I'm worried about what hole I'm starting on then my head isn't in the game and I'm not ready to play
 
I don't hate it but depending on the course it can mess with my head a little. Not sure why but it can. I would however never ever complain out loud to anyone about it, that seems kind of rediculous.
 
If it's a course I'm used to playing, it doesn't bother me. My home course growing up actually had a better set of starting holes on the back than the front (in my opinion).

Obviously, if I've never played the course before, starting on 10 versus 1 doesn't matter. But, I don't like doing this with new courses, because the course seems unfamiliar the second time I play it and start on hole no.1.

Perfect example of this is True Blue. First time I played it I started on no.10. The course felt unfamiliar the next couple times that I played it. Weird, I know.


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I think to me its a little aggravating on my normal course because I'm used to it and normally have a rhythm by then. So it gets in my head a little bit. But if I'm on a new course it doesn't bother me cause i don't know the layout.
 
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