What tee box are you playing from?

[jbsap]

Interesting read.  I typically have used the 7 iron carry x32 method to determine the boxes i SHOULD play from.  That puts me at about 6500 yards with a carry at 175.  Admittedly, I am on the faster end of the swing speed scale, dispersion is my issue.  Another thing I have found is that although a majority of my friends want to play closer to 6200 yards, I do not notice any real fluctuation in my scores from playing further back.  I have come to the belief that when I move up, it could be a good drive that is simply too long for the tee boxes, that puts me into water or a fairway bunker or otherwise, where the same shot from one set back of tees could have left me short of the trouble and more playable.  Even when its just a friendly wager, if you are someone who has the luxury of hitting the ball further than someone you are playing against, but they tend to be straighter, your advantage will only come from being able to hit from closer.  Forcing a layup off the tee to leave yourself the same distance in from a full shot from a deeper set of tees doesn't do you any good.  

[Erin B]

50 minutes ago, jbsap said:

Interesting read.  I typically have used the 7 iron carry x32 method to determine the boxes i SHOULD play from.  That puts me at about 6500 yards with a carry at 175.  Admittedly, I am on the faster end of the swing speed scale, dispersion is my issue.  Another thing I have found is that although a majority of my friends want to play closer to 6200 yards, I do not notice any real fluctuation in my scores from playing further back.  I have come to the belief that when I move up, it could be a good drive that is simply too long for the tee boxes, that puts me into water or a fairway bunker or otherwise, where the same shot from one set back of tees could have left me short of the trouble and more playable.  Even when its just a friendly wager, if you are someone who has the luxury of hitting the ball further than someone you are playing against, but they tend to be straighter, your advantage will only come from being able to hit from closer.  Forcing a layup off the tee to leave yourself the same distance in from a full shot from a deeper set of tees doesn't do you any good.  

I’ve never heard of the 7 iron method. You have some good insight! Thanks for sharing it!

[Erin B]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

I guess I'll never know what it's like to play a course like Rory.  Tee boxes that short don't exist.   I'm OK with that, and I'm also OK with Rory not playing 10,000y courses.  Stop messing with the game.

I moved up a set of tees 2 years ago when I turned 75.  I will probably not move up to the Forward tees because that's where my wife plays, and that would be totally unfair to her.  

I played a lot on the white tees last year. The year before that was strictly the tips. But alas, I’m not getting younger. I do love this golf game though!!! My wife doesn’t play. I wish she would. 

[Hacker60521]

I try to play a total course length around 6,000+ which on my home course is the set of tees just in front of the tips. That said, when I’m just playing alone or with newer players I won’t hesitate to play from different tee boxes. It gives the course a different look and course management becomes more interesting 

[Golf2Much]

My home course golf association set guidelines for moving forward on the tee boxes.  To move from the white tees (6035 yards) to the golf tees (5448 yards) your age and handicap from the golds must be 85 or greater.  Unfortunately, there's a lot of ways to "skin a cat" or maintain a handicap at a certain level, so that guideline methodology does not meet the needs of some golfers.  I'm 67 with a course handicap from the golds at 13 (needing five years or strokes added to my total to move up).  My Shot Scope performance driver distance tends is around 175 yards and 7 iron performance distance about 132 yards.  Using several club distances multiplier guidelines I should be playing from the golds or even the red tees (5025 yards).   Finally, I had enough frustration and announce to my playing partners that I was "moving on up" to the golds even though I fell short of the requirement.

It's been about two months since the move.  I'm not sure I'm playing that much better from the shorter tee boxes, but I know I'm having more fun playing the game.  The par threes now are mostly reachable with mid to high iron shots, though I can't reach most of the par 4's in two, I'm closer and the par 5's can be reached in three (depending on the wind strength and direction).  It costs me two strokes on my course handicap to move up, but I'm less frustrated and enjoying the game more.

Our next golf association board meeting, I'll be proposing new rules for moving up so that others can hopefully enjoy the game more.

[Kenny B]

19 hours ago, Erin B said:

I played a lot on the white tees last year. The year before that was strictly the tips. But alas, I’m not getting younger. I do love this golf game though!!! My wife doesn’t play. I wish she would. 

My wife is our Ladies Club match play champion the last two years; playing off 16 index from the Forward tees and can't get to half of the par 4's in two shots and none of the par 5's in three shots.

[Kenny B]

2 hours ago, Golf2Much said:

My home course golf association set guidelines for moving forward on the tee boxes.  To move from the white tees (6035 yards) to the golf tees (5448 yards) your age and handicap from the golds must be 85 or greater.  Unfortunately, there's a lot of ways to "skin a cat" or maintain a handicap at a certain level, so that guideline methodology does not meet the needs of some golfers.  I'm 67 with a course handicap from the golds at 13 (needing five years or strokes added to my total to move up).  My Shot Scope performance driver distance tends is around 175 yards and 7 iron performance distance about 132 yards.  Using several club distances multiplier guidelines I should be playing from the golds or even the red tees (5025 yards).   Finally, I had enough frustration and announce to my playing partners that I was "moving on up" to the golds even though I fell short of the requirement.

It's been about two months since the move.  I'm not sure I'm playing that much better from the shorter tee boxes, but I know I'm having more fun playing the game.  The par threes now are mostly reachable with mid to high iron shots, though I can't reach most of the par 4's in two, I'm closer and the par 5's can be reached in three (depending on the wind strength and direction).  It costs me two strokes on my course handicap to move up, but I'm less frustrated and enjoying the game more.

Our next golf association board meeting, I'll be proposing new rules for moving up so that others can hopefully enjoy the game more.

Our Men's Club has similar "requirements" for moving up which is why I don't play with them.  The yardages of your tees are very similar to ours.  To move from our Blue tees (6000y) to the White tees (5400y) your age and handicap from the Blue tee must be >90.  I'm 76 and my course handicap from the Blues is 9, so I won't qualify for many years... unless I get a lot worse at golf!!  I moved up anyway two years ago and I'm having a lot more fun, but my course handicap is now 5.

[Erin B]

15 hours ago, Hacker60521 said:

I try to play a total course length around 6,000+ which on my home course is the set of tees just in front of the tips. That said, when I’m just playing alone or with newer players I won’t hesitate to play from different tee boxes. It gives the course a different look and course management becomes more interesting 

I think I am going to start doing this when I am by myself.

[Erin B]

20 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Our Men's Club has similar "requirements" for moving up which is why I don't play with them.  The yardages of your tees are very similar to ours.  To move from our Blue tees (6000y) to the White tees (5400y) your age and handicap from the Blue tee must be >90.  I'm 76 and my course handicap from the Blues is 9, so I won't qualify for many years... unless I get a lot worse at golf!!  I moved up anyway two years ago and I'm having a lot more fun, but my course handicap is now 5.

My handicap is the same from the back tees to the mid tees at my home course, but I have to play different shots depending on the box. I like how everyone is commenting and saying to try different tee boxes when the opportunity arises. I'm going to do this.

[Erin B]

2 hours ago, Golf2Much said:

My home course golf association set guidelines for moving forward on the tee boxes.  To move from the white tees (6035 yards) to the golf tees (5448 yards) your age and handicap from the golds must be 85 or greater.  Unfortunately, there's a lot of ways to "skin a cat" or maintain a handicap at a certain level, so that guideline methodology does not meet the needs of some golfers.  I'm 67 with a course handicap from the golds at 13 (needing five years or strokes added to my total to move up).  My Shot Scope performance driver distance tends is around 175 yards and 7 iron performance distance about 132 yards.  Using several club distances multiplier guidelines I should be playing from the golds or even the red tees (5025 yards).   Finally, I had enough frustration and announce to my playing partners that I was "moving on up" to the golds even though I fell short of the requirement.

It's been about two months since the move.  I'm not sure I'm playing that much better from the shorter tee boxes, but I know I'm having more fun playing the game.  The par threes now are mostly reachable with mid to high iron shots, though I can't reach most of the par 4's in two, I'm closer and the par 5's can be reached in three (depending on the wind strength and direction).  It costs me two strokes on my course handicap to move up, but I'm less frustrated and enjoying the game more.

Our next golf association board meeting, I'll be proposing new rules for moving up so that others can hopefully enjoy the game more.

Awesome that you're finding it more enjoyable. That is the biggest key to the game in my humble opinion.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I say just do what is best for you. If you go by all the formulas (driver distance, handicap, age plus handicap, 7 iron distance x32) or whatever, it’s a guideline. Guidelines don’t work for everyone.

In my case I’ll be 65 in a couple months. My handicap is 0.5. I should be playing the tips. Wrong on several counts. My driver distance is only 215. I had my back broken 35 years ago downhill skiing. They wanted to fuse my back then and I elected to live with the bone on bone in L2, L3, and L4 area for as long as I could. Still going strong. Then lost my spleen in an accident, and survived cancer. In order to play I have a restricted back swing.

I am fortunate and consider every day on the golf course a blessing. I’m not going to hurt myself because some formula says I should be playing from somewhere else. I play the senior tees because that’s where it’s most comfortable for my body to play 18.

My handicap is a home handicap. Meaning it’s from playing my home course over and over. It doesn’t carry over to a course I never played. So what does this really mean. At the end of the day, nothing other than I can play golf and get around a course decently. 
Golf is about having fun for most of us. If you are a tournament player well that’s a different story. You have to play by set rules. For the rest of us I say play what you are comfortable playing. 

 

[Erin B]

1 hour ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I say just do what is best for you. If you go by all the formulas (driver distance, handicap, age plus handicap, 7 iron distance x32) or whatever, it’s a guideline. Guidelines don’t work for everyone.

In my case I’ll be 65 in a couple months. My handicap is 0.5. I should be playing the tips. Wrong on several counts. My driver distance is only 215. I had my back broken 35 years ago downhill skiing. They wanted to fuse my back then and I elected to live with the bone on bone in L2, L3, and L4 area for as long as I could. Still going strong. Then lost my spleen in an accident, and survived cancer. In order to play I have a restricted back swing.

I am fortunate and consider every day on the golf course a blessing. I’m not going to hurt myself because some formula says I should be playing from somewhere else. I play the senior tees because that’s where it’s most comfortable for my body to play 18.

My handicap is a home handicap. Meaning it’s from playing my home course over and over. It doesn’t carry over to a course I never played. So what does this really mean. At the end of the day, nothing other than I can play golf and get around a course decently. 
Golf is about having fun for most of us. If you are a tournament player well that’s a different story. You have to play by set rules. For the rest of us I say play what you are comfortable playing. 

 

Great take! I can relate to you. I am 50 and had to get a fusion and two artificial disks while on active duty in the Air Force. I had to retire from the Air Force sooner than I wanted to because I just couldn't meet the physical demands anymore. (I would have served for the rest of my life if they would have let me.) Anyway, I am lucky because I had somewhat successful surgeries, although I cannot run anymore. My golf swing was affected, but I still kept most of my distance. But, I am getting older and am starting to see some drop off. I play on the VGA (Veterans Golfers Association) tour, but I do it more for the companionship with fellow vets than I do for competition. What I believe is that wherever you tee off, as long as you are getting the full enjoyment of golf, that is all that matters. Thank you for your insight!

[tdc1]

My membership includes two courses that differ significantly in style (one relatively flat and fairly open; the other more ground movement, tighter, more water).  Both have 4 sets of tees: Blue, White, Gold, Red.  I have recently moved up to Gold tees (5907/5563 yds.) when playing with my usual group but will go to White tees (6321/6123) or a combo of Gold/Red when alone and working on a particular shot.  When I travel to other courses I will look for tees in the 5800-6000 range.

Question for @Golf2Much and @Kenny B:  when you say your “association” and “Men's Club” determine which tees you can play from, should I assume that is for competition only?

Seems to me that the beauty of GHIN is that it produces an index that is easily converted based on the tees being used.  (I was also going to say that it is portable but, as @Tom the Golf Nut has noted, what I shoot at home doesn’t necessarily travel well.)

[Erin B]

2 minutes ago, tdc1 said:

My membership includes two courses that differ significantly in style (one relatively flat and fairly open; the other more ground movement, tighter, more water).  Both have 4 sets of tees: Blue, White, Gold, Red.  I have recently moved up to Gold tees (5907/5563 yds.) when playing with my usual group but will go to White tees (6321/6123) or a combo of Gold/Red when alone and working on a particular shot.  When I travel to other courses I will look for tees in the 5800-6000 range.

Question for @Golf2Much and @Kenny B:  when you say your “association” and “Men's Club” determine which tees you can play from, should I assume that is for competition only?

Seems to me that the beauty of GHIN is that it produces an index that is easily converted based on the tees being used.  (I was also going to say that it is portable but, as @Tom the Golf Nut has noted, what I shoot at home doesn’t necessarily travel well.)

Good info! 

[Kenny B]

36 minutes ago, tdc1 said:

My membership includes two courses that differ significantly in style (one relatively flat and fairly open; the other more ground movement, tighter, more water).  Both have 4 sets of tees: Blue, White, Gold, Red.  I have recently moved up to Gold tees (5907/5563 yds.) when playing with my usual group but will go to White tees (6321/6123) or a combo of Gold/Red when alone and working on a particular shot.  When I travel to other courses I will look for tees in the 5800-6000 range.

Question for @Golf2Much and @Kenny B:  when you say your “association” and “Men's Club” determine which tees you can play from, should I assume that is for competition only?

Seems to me that the beauty of GHIN is that it produces an index that is easily converted based on the tees being used.  (I was also going to say that it is portable but, as @Tom the Golf Nut has noted, what I shoot at home doesn’t necessarily travel well.)

It's strictly the Men's Club for their daily gangsome; same guys play every day except on Fridays when the big money game is played.  It's a team game (lowest team score wins); the captain (lowest index) is usually the one who keeps everyone's score but the team score is what counts.  Everyone plays from the Blue tees (~6000y) except those that meet the age+hcp >90 rule.  There is one guy who they let play from the Red tees, because he's 93... but he's a former pro.  I haven't seen anyone play from the White tees where I play, but there may be... I don't pay attention to them.

Edited January 22 by Kenny B

[Golf2Much]

6 minutes ago, tdc1 said:

Question for @Golf2Much and @Kenny B:  when you say your “association” and “Men's Club” determine which tees you can play from, should I assume that is for competition only?

For us, it includes the monthly fun scramble tournaments we run as well as the three days a week men's and ladies leagues.  

A couple of positives did come out of the age/handicap guidelines.  First, we pushed the course to have the typical ladies red tees be rated for men.  We have some older men who were struggling from the golf tees and needed an alternative.  Now all of the tee boxes are rated for both men and women.  Second, the course had a set of special green tees that were very high handicap golfers.   We never had guidelines for using them, so they were never used.  Once we established an age and handicap sum from the green tees being 100, they became a viable tee option.    With the stigma of the green tees removed, older and less skilled lady and men golfers started to use them.  Before we put them into play, the handful of golfers were viewed as a scramble team liability because they had to play from the red or gold tees.  By having them move way up to the green tees, they became an asset!  If they could hit the ball 100 yards, it was better than a men golfer from the white tees hitting it 270 yards.  All of a sudden, people wanted the green tee players on their teams!

[jolter1]

In 2023, I hit the age of 70 and playing my home courses I would bounce back and forth from the white to senior tees during the year. After a trip to Williamsburg, in the fall, and playing a couple courses that I had previously played easily from the whites, I had come to the realization that for me, having to put the ego aside, that in 2024 and beyond, the senior tees are going to look quite good.

[Erin B]

21 minutes ago, jolter1 said:

In 2023, I hit the age of 70 and playing my home courses I would bounce back and forth from the white to senior tees during the year. After a trip to Williamsburg, in the fall, and playing a couple courses that I had previously played easily from the whites, I had come to the realization that for me, having to put the ego aside, that in 2024 and beyond, the senior tees are going to look quite good.

It's all good if you're having fun!

[Erin B]

On 1/22/2024 at 8:47 AM, Golf2Much said:

For us, it includes the monthly fun scramble tournaments we run as well as the three days a week men's and ladies leagues.  

A couple of positives did come out of the age/handicap guidelines.  First, we pushed the course to have the typical ladies red tees be rated for men.  We have some older men who were struggling from the golf tees and needed an alternative.  Now all of the tee boxes are rated for both men and women.  Second, the course had a set of special green tees that were very high handicap golfers.   We never had guidelines for using them, so they were never used.  Once we established an age and handicap sum from the green tees being 100, they became a viable tee option.    With the stigma of the green tees removed, older and less skilled lady and men golfers started to use them.  Before we put them into play, the handful of golfers were viewed as a scramble team liability because they had to play from the red or gold tees.  By having them move way up to the green tees, they became an asset!  If they could hit the ball 100 yards, it was better than a men golfer from the white tees hitting it 270 yards.  All of a sudden, people wanted the green tee players on their teams!

Maybe more courses should do this.

[Swood1994]

For me it all depends on the group I’m playing with. If I’m playing with people my own age/skill level we tend to play the blues ~6200-6500 yards. I play a lot of golf with my dad and his friends so I tend to play under 6000 yards more often than not. Back when my grandfather was alive I would play the senior tees just to keep things moving. I liked the change up because it allowed me to play the course in a completely different way. If I’m playing by myself then I do the same as what @cnosil said it’s whatever I’m feeling up that day or want to practice more.

I’m sure you can apply math/science to determine what tees everyone “should” be playing but if someone wants to play the tips and shoot 120 and they’re having fun doing it, as long as they keep up the pace of play, who am I to say anything.

[Mark In Land O Lakes]

I'm now playing from the forward ("Senior") tees (at age 76).  Definitely the right move for me.  Even my best drive won't go 200 yards anymore, and I was getting tired of my 2nd shot always being a fairway wood.  Now I actually get to hit irons into greens!   

[PrismFlopper]

I’ve been playing from the whites but been toying with the idea of playing off the forward tees after reds just to work on my game. I’ve always chose the whites just out of pride but maybe it’s time to swallow that pride and do what I need to do to fix my game

[Hacker60521]

@PrismFlopper I totally hear you. I normally play whites, but when I’ve played with my daughter or wife, I’ll play red or even ladies. What’s fun is that it gives the course a completely different look so your course management is different and at least for me, I end up working my bag a bit differently. 

[Haile]

In a group setting I play whatever the group is doing. I've played from every tee box. To be fair, my average drive is around 265ish. Putting some gas into it I can reach between 280 and 290. However, that's not the end all be all. I think it depends on the course, and the individual hole. For instance, playing from the tips may put you into a spot with a shot you just can't pull off. It's not that the distance is the issue, but you may need to hit a dramatic draw or fade to get around something. Playing from the forward tees with some friends puts me in precarious position as well on occasion. I may have to tee off with a 5 wood. I'm just out there to have a good time though. I'm up for whatever. I know that playing anything longer than about 65-6600 yards starts to get a little iffy. It's not just pure distance, sometimes it's not being able to see where the next shot is going. I don't trust myself that much yet. I think this article may just further prove that the pros need their own stuff like distance limiting balls and whatnot. Not so much with the average Joes. 

[Golfjopa]

I am 62 and I try to play at about 6,000 yards or so  so that I am not hitting nothing but 5-wood or 4 or 5 hybrids into par 4 greens. My driver is usually in the 200 to 210 range. The course I play at the most has yellow/blue/white/red tees so I play the whites, which is 5,968 yards. I have played several courses that have a combo set of tees (where some holes are the white tees and some the silver tees, for example) and I really like that because almost always on the 400+ yard par 4s or the par 5s you are on the shorter tee box and (for me at least) I don't have to hit driver/5-wood/PW to a 415 yard par 4.

I played with a group recently (not my normal group or normal course) and the course we were on had five holes that from the tee box we were playing, you had to carry your driver at least 170 just to get to the fairway and I only managed it two of the five times, After the round I realized I should have just swallowed my pride and moved up a tee box rather than play a 6,600 yard course (I did shoot a 92 though, even with five penalty strokes so I was pretty happy with that). The three guys I was paired with all hit their driver a lot further than me so I am pretty sure I got to hit my second shot first every single hole, so I had that going for me!

Like a lot of people have already said, golf is a game and games should be fun so play the tee box that makes the game fun for you.

[matt_puttercup]

It depends entirely on the course.  Anything 6200 and below will be a bit boring, as I'm very likely hitting several 4 irons or 3 hybrids off the tee -- but it could also be a super tight track, which makes that no cakewalk.  I feel like 6200-6600 is my sweet spot (again depending on how open it is).  Once it gets above 6600, I'd probably stick to whatever tees are below that unless it's wide open.

[AverageSizedDog]

10 hours ago, Golfjopa said:

I am 62 and I try to play at about 6,000 yards or so  so that I am not hitting nothing but 5-wood or 4 or 5 hybrids into par 4 greens. My driver is usually in the 200 to 210 range. The course I play at the most has yellow/blue/white/red tees so I play the whites, which is 5,968 yards. I have played several courses that have a combo set of tees (where some holes are the white tees and some the silver tees, for example) and I really like that because almost always on the 400+ yard par 4s or the par 5s you are on the shorter tee box and (for me at least) I don't have to hit driver/5-wood/PW to a 415 yard par 4.

I played with a group recently (not my normal group or normal course) and the course we were on had five holes that from the tee box we were playing, you had to carry your driver at least 170 just to get to the fairway and I only managed it two of the five times, After the round I realized I should have just swallowed my pride and moved up a tee box rather than play a 6,600 yard course (I did shoot a 92 though, even with five penalty strokes so I was pretty happy with that). The three guys I was paired with all hit their driver a lot further than me so I am pretty sure I got to hit my second shot first every single hole, so I had that going for me!

Like a lot of people have already said, golf is a game and games should be fun so play the tee box that makes the game fun for you.

Likewise, I enjoy having the system of easy holes are the white tee's and harder holes are the forward tee's. It makes me feel a little bit more comfortable over the tee box when a long par 4 is just a liiiiiitle bit shorter and the landing area is more reachable. 

[WaffleHouseTour]

At Whispering Creek I play Silver, at the Prairie Club the White, and at Landmand the Yellow.  What does that tell you? 
 

6,100-6,200 yards.  When playing an unfamiliar course I first look at the slope one the card. I don’t want to be playing anything harder than par.  
 

Colors on tee boxes mean nothing. At Landmand the tips are Red, and the shortest are Black. I love that.

[David Leighton Reid]

My home course recognizes age 65+ to play the senior tees and I am not quite there yet, so I typically play the white tees.  Occasionally, I will play the tips to give my long clubs a good workout.  And to mix things up, I will occasionally play the senior tees.  

Blue tees - 6500 yards

White tees - 6000 yards

Golf tees - 5500 yards.

 

[itsteetime]

First time at a new course, I use the posted yardages on the scorecard.  I look for tees at 5500 to 6000 yards +/- 100 yards.  I'm comfortable at that distance for most courses.  After playing it, I have a better idea of where the trouble is, bad shots too wide left or right, and forced carries beyond my comfort zone. The next time, if I am so lucky, I know where to try to hit my tee and approach shots. (Even at my 9.5 H.I., all good results are gratefully accepted.)

For example, one of my local courses, at 6000 and change, has a 200 yds par3 with a forced carry of a 170 yards over wetland (starts about 10 yds after the tee markers and about 10 yds short of the green not to mention alligators and snakes so no chasing mishits.  My driver is too long and my 3 wood barely long enough.  Add a headwind of 10 mph or more and it is "par 5" at best. 

Thanks for letting me whine a little!