Bulldog

In the winter (brrr…California at 59 degrees ), I add 7 yards to the rangefinder number.

Three - red, white and blue.

Thanks for all the input! So, I think this issue needs some marketing. Here are some ideas for mottos to encourage players to choose the appropriate tees: My idea of a good day - Greens in regulation. Move to your tees. Choose the fun tees, you paid for it. Hey Superman, let’s move up a tee box. Faster, higher, lower scores, all from your tees. NFL kickers want to be closer to the goal - play your tees. Choose your tee box wisely grasshopper. Which brings more smiles on Par 4’s? Approach shots with fairway woods or mid-irons? Play your tees. Your buddies’ tee boxes don’t have to be your tee boxes. There’s a reason for multiple tee boxes. Grow a pair and play the tee boxes that are right for your game.

“How far do you hit your 5 iron?” “About 185 (that time last August…when the fairways were rock hard…with the wind…downhill…when the flag was in the front)”

I’m always bemused at players on par 5s who are 225 yards from the green after two shots and wait until the green is clear to hit their 3rd.

That might be another strategy to try. The USGA's Tee It Forward program has recommended numbers based on average driver distance. Might help if the guys see some "official" recommendations. My dilemma is that I'm one of the longer hitters in the group (I'm not complaining ).

I've tired to add a rule for the group along the lines of if your handicap is above X, play the red tees, or if your driver distance is below XX, play the red tees. That dogmatic approach absolutely fails, at least with my guys. Plain talk and being up front about how our distance gets shorter as we age hasn't worked. No one wants to be that first guy to move up to the shorter tee box. So here's my thinking - Plan A - We have a couple of guys on injured reserve, one due to surgery and another due to a nasty car accident. I'm going to suggest that these guys be encouraged to play the forward tees when they come back as part of their recuperation process, and if anyone else wants to join them, they are welcome. Plan B - I've done some informal polling and pretty much everyone agrees the hole number 5 is their nemesis - a dogleg par 5 with water on the right and left on the tee shot. It's like watching the last hole in the movie "Tin Cup." Balls are splashing everywhere. So, I'm going to try to sell the guys on adding two more red tee holes - one on the front nine and one on the back, selected by the group. If they still want to play whites tees on those holes, that's OK too. Change ain't easy...

I think gender bias greatly contributes to the issue. Here's what's my guys see on the scorecard : Hole 1 2 3 4...18 Total Yardage Blue 399 378 335 ... 6565 Combo 372 349 335 ... 6293 White 372 349 307 ... 6026 Men's Handicap 3 7 9 ... Bob Charlie Tim Steve Red 334 319 283 ... 5286 Ladies Handicap 7 9 13 ... So, according to the scorecard, the red tees are the ladies tees - period. The GM is a great guy. I'm going to talk to him about it and ask for his advice. Adding a set of senior tees would be great. I'm not sure how feasible that would be.

I'm the coordinator of a golf group that plays once a week. We have 18 guys in the group. Most, including me, are retired and 65+. Week play a local course three weeks in a row, then take field trip to other courses in the area on the fourth week. At our home course, there are three tee boxes - blue (6565 yards), white (6026 yards), and red (5286 yards). We play the white tees. You know what's coming... Some of the guys can hit drives in the 230 - 245 range (I'm fortunate to still being that group). Some struggle to get 200 yards on their drives - let's call them limited hitters. Golf can be frustrating, but it's especially hard when you have no chance of getting a green in regulation. It also leads higher scores and to slower play. Last winter, I broached the subject of changing tee boxes to make the game more enjoyable. That conversation didn't get very far. One week, on a windy day when the fairways were damp and soft, I said, "Let's play the red tees today." So we did. At the end of the round, the torches and pitchforks came out. Some thought it was OK to play the red tees when the weather was bad, especially hitting into the wind on a long par 3, but several made it clear that they were not happy, including some of the limited hitters. Over time, I kept chipping away at the issue and was able to convince the group that, at least, we should shorten two holes - a 402 yard par 4 and a 541 yard par 5. So, now we play the red tees on those two holes. No complaints! So, I suggested playing a modified red/white tee box combo, but they said that would too confusing to keep track of on the course. So, here's my analysis - male ego. The red tees are the "ladies tees". So, do I continue on the quest to make golf fun again, or close my eyes when I see a 192 yard drive on a 395 yard par 4. I have a few ideas to try, but maybe some of you have better suggestions.

I should have said I was startled to be able to hit the 4 iron off a clean lie. From the rough, not so much. So I've gone with the 4 hybrid which is better for me from the rough. Also, the Takomo 5 iron is also freaky long for me. Last week, I had a 165 yard approach shot to a front pin placement. That was the 5 iron in my previous irons, so I hit the Takomo 5 iron. I was surprised when I got to the green and found my ball had gone off the back of the green. Arccos measured the Takomo 5 iron shot at 181 yards.

I ordered the Takomo 101 heads. You get 4 iron through PW in the set. I built them with Nippon N.S.PRO 8950GH constant weight shafts. I've played 6 rounds with them so far. This combination works great for me. They are power lofted, e.g. 30° 7 iron. I've gained about 12-15 yards per club. I haven't used a 4 iron in 25 years. I was startled when I found I could hit it. Looks Feel Price Performance

For me - Mandalorian The Book of Boba Fest Obi-Wan Kenobi Andor (so far)

Costco members can get ECCO Men's Biom H4 Golf Shoes for $132.99. Regular price is around $200. Costco ECCO Golf Shoes

I found a Grafalloy Supercharged Pro Launch L in my golf club closet. Was going to use it to build a driver for my daughter and didn’t get around to it yet. I’ll join the Otto Phlex club soon (and, yes, I’m still going to build her driver).