Which tees, Blue or White?

[cachecropp]

I have a regular foursome and we play about 2-3 times a month.  None of us are great and in the interest of pace of play and enjoyment, I always suggest we play from the white tees.  (Don't understand why some golf courses change the tee colors to some other arrangement!)  

 

Two of us drive about 250 on average, the other two drive it closer to 200.  We average scores from 90-105. I know I routinely see golfers playing from the Blue tees, who hack it or drive the ball less than 200.  But I wish the PGA and golf courses would standardize the tee colors and publish guidelines for everyone to use.  When we watch 3 groups tee off from the Blues in front of us, it is hard to convince my friends we should stick to the White tees.  Advice welcome.

[PlaidJacket]

There is no requirement where you must play from on the tee. I play mostly from the back tees (blue) on my home course. It's fairly short at around 6560. I'm not a long driver of the ball averaging 245-250 yds day in and day out. Now to be honest.... I should probably play from the next tee up which is our white tee. The reason I don't is because most of the guys I play with play the back tee. (they're macho men ya know) And if truth be told all of them should be playing the white tee. I've tried to get them to move up but they won't. I told one of the guys a while back that unless he can shoot under 80 4 out of 5 times from the "tips" then he needs to move up. How do you think that was received? And... this fellow rarely breaks 80 !!

I like the tee it forward program and wish more people would follow it.

[jbil8802]

I typically play from the whites. Our club has blacks, blues, and whites. Then senior, ladies and junior. It's a general rule at the club that you don't play the tips unless your handicap is 0-5, and you don't play the blues unless your handicap is 6-11. Whites are for everyone else, senior tees are for 70+. It's not a be all, end all, but it keeps play moving pretty well. Most events and groups that I play in go by this.

 

My personal opinion is that if you can't break 80 from the whites, why move back? We should be trying to shorten rounds, not lengthen them. Egos need to be put aside.

[fozcycle]

We have Blue, White, Gold & Red Tees. The Whites are 6,100 and the Gold(Senior 65+) are mostly used by our Weekly Saturday Game where we have 40+ each week. I play the Whites (hcp 17) but will move up to the Gold in December, when I turn 65. I am anxious to play the shorter tees but am sad at moving up. I guess it signals a Lifetime change for me.

[cachecropp]

I like the guideline that if you can't normally break 80 from a set of tees, then move up.  Obviously you can play from any tees you like, but if the USGA offered a basic guideline like this, I think it would help the game.  It would also help if they got rid of the names like "Senior" and "Ladies" tees.  They should label the tees by handicap.

[fozcycle]

We play a Stableford Points game so a lot of guys don't track their Handicap......I like the idea of Tees by Handicap though.

[revkev]

I like the tee it forward initiative -

 

Regardless any guideline that you publish will not work because people over inflate how far they hit the ball.  If you say use this tee if you hit it over 250 there will be tons of guys who hit it 220 who still play from that set.  For me it's not about the score it's about the time - if you can't play the round in under 3 1/2 hours you're on the wrong set of tees - that's how it should be done.

 

Since that's not happening I'd ask - are you slowing down the course?  If not play the tees that are the most fun to play, enjoy yourselves and don't worry about it. At my course we have five sets of tees plus three blended sets for eight different possible tee combinations.  90 percent of the guys play the Men's Golf Association blend - half white, half blue - That works for me.

[silver & black]

I play from the white tees 98% of the time. I play from the blue tees sometimes.... depending on who I'm playing with. I can play from either and actually score better from the blue tees because I don't find myself between clubs as often.

 

I'm not sure how a sub 3.5 hour round of 18 holes is possible... most of the time. I can do it if I'm by myself and have an empty course in front of me. Otherwise... no way! More often than not, rounds are 4.5 hours on most courses in my area.

[apprenti23]

It's all ego. Those same clowns hitting it 200 yards from the blues are the same idiots that you can't convince to swing. Regular shafts because their club head speed is sub 80 mph. All ego.

[apprenti23]

***Humble Brag alert***

Played today at a nice semi-private course by my house that I've never played and was paired with a very nice husband wife (early 50's) who were both members. Getting ready to tee off they of course asked me where I'd like to play from and I said well, where are you playing me from? I don't care because I am just there to relax and practice- hell I'll play from the Reds with Mrs. Haberkamp- I don't care great day to work on wedges. Anyway, starter says "well what's your handicap because Mr. Haberkamp (A flight second place I found out :-) ) is playing from the Blues and its 71.4 and 135 from there." I said okay I'll play from there. Slight dog leg left- Pound one and was left with 65 yards to the back pin. Hit my approach to about four feet and Mr. Haberkamp says "you may want to move back to the golds the rest of the round." I said no I'll play up with you. But he insisted and said he wanted to play the golds, too. So we did. And he struggled on a couple holes, but for the most part played well from back there.

[HighFade]

I've said this before, but I'll repeat myself:

There is a golden rule. If you aren't worried about hitting the fairway bunkers, you're on the wrong tee.

 

If you always go over the bunker, move back.

If you're short of them every time, move forward.

 

If you have to maneuver around the bunkers, you're playing from the correct tee box.

 

Handicap really has nothing to do with it.

 

That said, I think it would be really nice for the course to post on the first tee the recommended tees to play from based on your average driver distance (and some do)

[jbil8802]

I've said this before, but I'll repeat myself:

There is a golden rule. If you aren't worried about hitting the fairway bunkers, you're on the wrong tee.

 

If you always go over the bunker, move back.

If you're short of them every time, move forward.

 

If you have to maneuver around the bunkers, you're playing from the correct tee box.

 

Handicap really has nothing to do with it.

 

That said, I think it would be really nice for the course to post on the first tee the recommended tees to play from based on your average driver distance (and some do)

So if a 30 handicap can carry the fairway bunkers he should move back to put yet another hazard in his way and potentially slow him and everyone else down even more?

[HighFade]

How is he going to put another hazard in his way? Generally speaking, there's a fairway bunker where the drives end up. There aren't any more until you get to the green.

 

Unless it's water lining the fairways. And then it doesn't matter.

[jbil8802]

I just don't think driver distance alone can be the golden rule. There's got to be some way to account for skill. I think that tees based solely on handicap won't always work either. A mix of the two would probably be ideal.

[HighFade]

Agreed.

[Mr_Theoo]

I tend to look at the card and try to play around 6300-6500 yards. That distance is where I'm most comfortable but it is fun to play shorter or longer tees from time to time as well.

[Kenny B]

I tend to look at the card and try to play around 6300-6500 yards. That distance is where I'm most comfortable but it is fun to play shorter or longer tees from time to time as well.

That's exactly what I do if I am playing an unfamiliar course. I can play 6300-6500 yards but I enjoy it more at 6100-6300. I normally play Whites but if I am playing with someone who is playing Blues and they are in that range, I will join them there.

 

I did play with a buddy and his friends once in Albuquerque at 6700 but it was hot, dry and 6000 feet in elevation! I need roll... If it's soft, then shorter is better for me.

[RoverRick]

I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express this week, so I can give my "expert" opinion.

 

I disagree with all who have said anything about handicap when picking a tee. Also, you can pick up the tee markers and look closely at them, they have no sex organs on them, and most of them are about the same age. Therefore, basing where you hit from based on sex, age, or handicap is poppycock.

 

The tee should be based on how far you hit the ball. The course rating and slope are adjusted on the course to take care of handicap. It all depends on what you would be hitting into most of the greens.

 

A typical golf course will have 4 par 3's, 4 par 5's, 2 long par 4's, 2 short par 4's, and 6 "typical" length par 4's. These par 4's and the par 3's are what you should base your decision on. You should be hitting a 6-8 iron into these greens.

 

If you are having to hit 3-4-5 irons to greens on par 4's more than twice and par 3's more than once you need to move up, period.

 

If you hit your driver 250 and 7 iron 150 then the "typical" par 4 for you would be 400 yards, and probably 2 of the par 3's should be about 150 yards. Often, you find a long, a short, and 2 medium length par 3's.

 

Of course, you pay your money and at least in this country you can pick whatever tee you want.

[RoverRick]

And one more thing, looking at just the overall course length doesn't really telll you what you need to know.

 

My course has 4 very short par 5's. A 250 hitter can reach (reach not hit, haha) all the par 5's in two. However, that does not necessarily mean they should play the back tees. If they do, they will learn that 250 does not make the turn or clear the hazard on three or four holes.

 

And they may also learn just because you can reach a par 5 does not mean they should try, but that is a different subject.

[PlaidJacket]

After yesterday's round I've made up my mind. I'm moving up a tee. 95% of the time I play from the back (blue) tee at my home course which on the card measures 6560 yds. The next tee up is our white tee (which I played yesterday) that measures 6030 yds. Of course on any given day those measurements can vary longer or shorter depending on where the tee is placed. Course conditions and weather also factor in. Anyway.... I'm moving up.

 

Last Saturday I played with two guys in my foursome that are a 5-6 years younger than me, (I'm almost 61) taller, and stronger than me. We all played from the back tee. I normally average 248 off the tee with a good drive in the fairway. These guys were out driving me by 20-30 yds. And...one guy hit his 3w most of the day. I've never been particularly long. Of course these guys were hitting their approach shots on par 4's with 8i or less all day. On par 5's they had chances of getting on in two. I'm capable of shooting much lower scores more often than I do but I don't many times. Why? Because I'm playing from the wrong tee with the distances I can produce. It's that simple. I want to play to the best of my ability and skill level. I also enjoy competing. However, I can't effectively compete with guys when I'm starting from a disadvantage due to me playing from the wrong tee. I know I'm probably going to start hearing some grumbles from a few guys. They'll want some strokes and such. But you know what? These same guys should also move up.

 

Anybody else out there have similar thoughts?

[Blade]

I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express this week, so I can give my "expert" opinion.

 

I disagree with all who have said anything about handicap when picking a tee. Also, you can pick up the tee markers and look closely at them, they have no sex organs on them, and most of them are about the same age. Therefore, basing where you hit from based on sex, age, or handicap is poppycock.

 

The tee should be based on how far you hit the ball. The course rating and slope are adjusted on the course to take care of handicap. It all depends on what you would be hitting into most of the greens.

 

A typical golf course will have 4 par 3's, 4 par 5's, 2 long par 4's, 2 short par 4's, and 6 "typical" length par 4's. These par 4's and the par 3's are what you should base your decision on. You should be hitting a 6-8 iron into these greens.

 

If you are having to hit 3-4-5 irons to greens on par 4's more than twice and par 3's more than once you need to move up, period.

 

If you hit your driver 250 and 7 iron 150 then the "typical" par 4 for you would be 400 yards, and probably 2 of the par 3's should be about 150 yards. Often, you find a long, a short, and 2 medium length par 3's.

 

Of course, you pay your money and at least in this country you can pick whatever tee you want.

This is summed up in two words....common sense. However, common sense is quite the oxymoron. In reality it's very uncommon, whether we're talking on or off the golf course.

 

Choosing the length of the course you play should be mostly guided by the "length" you hit the ball. Kind of a no-brainer when you think about it.

[fozcycle]

I also stayed at a Holiday Inn recently. I played in a Seniors invitational tourney in Ocala, FL. Been going for about 6 years. We go up on Friday for a practice round then Sat and Sunday tournament. The H I is nice with breakfast in the am. But what does this have to do with the thread? Nothing. Happy Thanksgiving from any tee that you desire.

[Kenny B]

This month I joined another club and the yardages are different.  The whites are 5500, blues are 6100, and blacks are 6600.  So now I am playing blues only because they screwed the yardages.  It's actually pretty difficult for me to play the whites because it brings all of the trouble into play.  However, I can't play the whites because it's not fair to my wife who plays from the red forward tees.  I suppose that one of these days I probably should play the whites, but I never will.  How can I move up a tee box when my wife can't?  

[NiftyNiblick]

I  play from the Field Turf tees, whatever color those markers are.  Since there is only one line of yardages on the card, I'm guessing that those are the only tees.  I would have seen the others by now.

 

(The club was founded for tennis, trap/skeet shooting and high-stakes, by my standards, card games.   Golf came in when the WPA project-built muni that abutted  was purchased from the town and restored with private funds.  At that point, the club also stopped being member owned and proletarians like myself were given the opportunity to join.)

 

There are always plenty of broken tees on the ground, and since I tee my ball low, I'd just as soon use broken tees that other people bought. 

 

If I find a green one, that's usually good luck.

[PlaidJacket]

As of late I've been playing both the back, blue tee and the next tee up; white on the two of the courses I play. I hadn't really realized it until today but I've broken 80 4 of the 6 times I've moved up to the white. Was it more fun? Of course. But, there's more to it than that. By playing the course shorter I'm hitting 1-2 clubs less with my approaches depending on the hole. I have more confidence for sure. I'm hitting more greens and have more opportunities at bird. Currently I'm adjusting to the newer shorter distances. Several of the guys I play with are still on the back tee and at times still out drive me. But not by much. We're now evenly matched I feel. And they know it. Sure... they've been picking at me some but they'll get over it and probably eventually move up too. But that's up to them.