While the majority of golfers do not generally know how far they hit the ball on average off the tee, more data is available than ever from devices such as Shot Scope and their popular V3 watch.
According to the USGA, if you average 225 yards with the driver, the recommendation is to play a course between 5800-6000 yards.
When we talk about handicaps not dropping in large amounts (they are dropping) despite better equipment available, its also important to note how much agronomy plays a role here as courses have become longer, faster and more difficult than ever before.
Going back to that note from the USGA, it simply isn’t happening. The majority of rounds for those in that driving distance are played from 6325 yards or longer based on our research of multiple data device companies.
When we want to look at times on the course increasing, while nobody thinks they are actually slow or deliberate, this is something to consider. What yardage do you play from and what do you believe you average off the tee?
Just checked it – I can see it when I post through their website, but it doesn’t come up for me in the mobile app. Thanks though, I never even realized it was a thing on the website!
It is there in the mobile app:
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Had we been one tee shorter, the difference would have been staggering. Fairway bunkers wouldn’t have been in prime driving distance (220 yds every hole). So instead of hitting driver, I am hitting 3w or 4i to be short of bunkers. This leads to 2nd shots where you have no chance making a green.
It’s not like we are playing for anything, besides fun. So why are we making the game so much harder by tacking on yards when we don’t need to be.
One of our favorite courses plays ~6600 from the back and I normally play those tees with my single digits buddies. Moved up to 6350 yesterday and shot my best ever round. It’s a bit odd having wedges into most greens but I have a lot more fun in that 6300 range.
up to 89 uses the 6300 tees
90-99 5800 tees
100 and up uses 5200 tees
This has kept many guys still playing while allowing them a realistic chance for skins, pin shots
Multiplying my avg drive by 28 says I should play courses just over 7,000 yards…no thanks…if I use my performance average…it says 7,700 yards. I don’t think the multiply by 28 is a good indicator
That is why I qualified it by saying most golfers, not all.
I strongly disagree that yardage (within reason) is a primary reason for slowness. In fact imo its way down the list. Problematic slow players are problematic no matter where they play from. They also very often can come from long hitters and good players.
I have to be honest and i was just think this very thing today about failed ball striking. When some mid…mid/high…high capper has a bad day they may fail miserably at ball striking. And maybe at times every 2nd or 3rd attempted strike is a fail. When that happens it doesnt matter what the distance is. Its just a failure. Going to happen from any tee, from any approach distance etc….
Chunk an 8i 5yrds or chunk a 3hyb 5yrds….it doesnt matter. They are both fails. Slice a tee shot into the woods from one tee or do it from the tee 20 yrds up…it doesnt matter.
Then only time yardage really matters is actually when one is playing ok enough golf…not when playing badly. This is why the whole notion about tees and pace is imo far overrated and imo misguided.
moving along keeping respectable pace is not about yardage (within reason) but is simply about whether or not one simply is aware of and understands they need to move about even if it means picking up. But as said,….many those playing their so called correct yardage and playing well are often slow. So again as for that part….its the person.
Playing ok enough to good (better relatively speaking for that person) golf? thats when the more correct tee choice matters most imo. Thats when the player can then see the difference in thier score and or make more approaches etc….via the 3,4,500 yrds less vs more.
I just don’t have it in me to move up to sub-6000 yard tees. I’m sure my handicap would probably improve, but at age 61 I want to give myself a few years before moving up.
As someone who usually goes off as a single, I will play the tees the people I am paired with play off (unless they choose the Tips).
Every data point captured suggests golfers of all abilities having a higher success rate closer to the hole.
It is not unreasonable or even accurate to suggest that the success rate would be the same with an 8 iron vs a 3 hybrid over the course of a round.
More accurate means faster playing, from a general sense.
The biggest thing for me in moving up this year (my league allows men over 65 to move to the gold tees) is that I now use all of the clubs in my bag and no longer have to automatically reach for the HW or 9W for second shots on Par 4s. The best way to look at this issue is not how the course chooses to mark a specific tee, but rather what is the most appropriate course length for the individual golfer’s particular game. I feel comfortable playing a course somewhat longer than the USGA’s recommendation because with short irons, wedges and putting, I’m better than my 22.3 index would suggest…. and improving. I’m also getting better with approach shots.
Next day played too long at 6700 yards…first two holes, trying to keep up with a kid who is on the team at Gonzaga, on a completely unrelated not was 9 over after 2. Settled down, played my game rest of the way and ended day 20 over…so 11 over for last 16 holes.
Oddly, did not feel like I was playing all that well on the long course but, outside the first two holes, it was very good (for me). Made par on multiple 400+ par 4s. Was a good learning experience. I still prefer to play 6200-6400, but I can score both shorter and longer.
I wish I saw this before I posted right beneath you, ?
That should be your guide, but let’s be honest, in the real world that doesn’t happen. Most of us want to play further back than we should, because we think we hthe ball better and further than we do.
No doubt more accurate and fwiw fewer strokes will take the same player more and or less time. But that does not at all translate to it being problematic slow. Nor is it among the dominant reason people are problematic slow.
The idea that some people have about tee choice in relation to slow play is far overestimated. Thats wrongfully given far too much blame.
I am a fan of playing yardage suitable to one’s hitting distance. But not for the reason of pace.
My other point wasn’t really pace related but more something I was considering about yardage and playing badly.
Proper yardage is much more relevant and worthy only when playing at least ok golf. Bad and outright swing fails which so many us mid to highest cappers do too often just doesn’t matter as for tee choice Imo
So when striking balls respectably well enough the 8i is far better than the 3hy for accuracy and success. But chunk either 10 yards and it don’t matter.
by that I should be playing 7020 yards…not sure it is a real good method for me
Going by what you said, you hit your 5 iron 190? what length do you think you should play?
There’s no right or wrong answer btw, you can play any tee you want, obviously. I’m just curious about why you feel this way.
Also at many courses there can be a couple or even a few oddball length holes a bit out of sync with the rest of the course. And that can also lead to total yardage not being represented so well. Or perhaps also an extra par3 and or only 3 par5’s etc…etc…
Tee choice imo should be based on the "average of ones better play distances" not their poor play nor certainly outright miss hits. This imo is where much of the entire notion gets misunderstood. Almost no one gets on a tee with a driver knowing thier decent to good driver hits go 250 to 270 and plans on hitting a miss hit 210 yrds. They plan on hitting it the 260 (thier capable distance via a good enough hit) and use it accordingly with that intent vs the layout of the hole. from there they judge if perhaps they may only need a 3w or 5w or whatever shorter club from the given tee. This is why it makes almost zero sense to dictate one should move forward based on overall play ability or lack of. You dont make one who hits 260 go tee off 30yrds forward where as a hard turning dog leg is only 210 out just because they are a poorer player. That tee would be imo for one whos better hits are perhaps 230 (not 260).
I hate the taking driver out of the hand argument. Play the front tees, bomb away and move back when you break par. That is how I would teach a new golfer with potential.
i respectfully yet greatly disagree with that. Truth is for a slew of reasons that is not (for most people) an achievable method.
But the issue is for just one example a person who can hit (lets say) 270 is on a dogleg that (from forward tees) turns hard at 200. What that does is take driver and even 3w out of thier hands and probably 5w too. So they are not bombing anything away and would be a bad choice to use longer/longest clubs there and in fact are simply playing a non full (for thier capable) length golf game but a partial version of it.
What your suggesting is something others have ….is that one should start and defeat a par3 course then graduate to executive course then defeat that then only go and play a full course and yet still defeat every tee before moving back to the tees suitable for thier capable distance.
Its just not practical nor achievable in any kind of timely enough manor and maybe never achievable. That entire ideology in reality of life is simply much too great a daunting task and can take many years and likely never be reached by most people.
I’ve chosen, at almost 75 years of age, to have fun and move up to the senior tees basically full time. I can handle the White’s yardage-wise for the most part (except for the many par 4s well over 400 yards), but I am really having fun from the Senior tees! Additional yardage alone can be a challenge, but I prefer the "challenge" of having to "think" my way around the course instead of automatically pulling the driver out on every par 4 and 5.
You missed the point…
That is often overlooked when looking just at yardage. Yes, playing from longer tee boxes can add difficulty just based on length, but make it actually make it somewhat easier if you don’t hit it long enough to bring trouble into play.
Index 11.2, Driver distance 274 based off golf App
if you play shorter distance on a course which may be 6000 y but only play 5400 y, which means you get compressed rounds in terms of time frames / per round, ergo more opportunity to have additional bookings and increase also profitably?
Most courses can’t cram tee times any closer together than they already have them. And shorter distances don’t necessarily make for shorter rounds. Never underestimate the ability of one slow golfer to bring the entire course behind them to a jammed up crawl!
it very much accepting of standard not challening you
lol true , they do tend to load them close together 7 mins apart usually , and as you stated doesn’t take much to upset the conga line of golfers playing .
will be more happily enjoying a longer course than a shorter one ) though personal preference ,
Number 1 rule is to maintain the pace of your group to that of a foursome. That’s what all tees times are based on. If you do that, play from whatever tees you want. If you want to experience club selection closer to what you see on TV as in their approach club then try taking your driver CARRY distance multiplied by 27 for a total yardage. If you find that you can hit 10 or 12 Greens in Regulation easily, move back a tee box. If it’s 7 or less, move up.