Playing from a poorly maintained Tee deck

[MuskokaMisfit]

We have some pretty attrocious tee decks at the course I mainly play at. Right now the tees are pretty much as far back as they can be. So no matter where I place the ball I'm standing in deep divots and I feel like it really affects my swing. I know you're supposed to be behind the pins but is there any stipulation that allows you to pick a smoother spot to stand on? Not all decks have the sand/seed mix nearby so I can't fill in divots to fix my stance which is also why these tee decks are getting so bad. That being said when they do have the sand and seed nearby it seems like nobody uses it except me.

[GolfSpy_APH]

I think a note to management would be needed if it's really that bad....

[h2ohzrd]

Our tees are consistently on either a slope, in a mud hole or bare ground.  When I mentioned this to the clubhouse manager his reply was the maintenance staff doesn’t play golf, has no idea what they are doing and said to move the tee markers.  Simple.

[WaffleHouseTour]

At my home course Hole 12’s tee box is sloped from back to front - so my lead foot is always lower. It’s a Par 5 with long fescue on the right and left that yields hundreds of balls when they mow it in the spring. I’ve brought this up w the super(s), the manager(s), and put it in my comments in the annual member survey for YEARS.   I won’t play between the markers until they fix it.  Way over on the right side of the box is a flat spot so I always peg my tee there.  If that invalidates all the bogeys, doubles and others that are built into my handicap then so be it. 

[Shapotomous]

I have noticed slopes on tee boxes and adjust my aim or swing accordingly as if it was a fairway shot.  The tee box that is aimed away from the fairway seems to invite the most mishits.  A lot of people seem to just align themselves with the markers rather than aim toward their target and end up in trouble.

I often wondered why tee boxes aren't designed with intentional slopes much like fairways.  I would design a green on a par 3 angled left to right inviting a right handers fade while sloping the tee box so the ball would be above their feet promoting a draw.  The same for a dogleg par 4 or 5, slope the tee box so it is opposite of the shot shape.  Or maybe a par 3 with a shallow front to back green but the tee box gives you a slight downhill lie making it more difficult to hold a shot.  The distance of the hole would be a little shorter to make up for the shot difficulty in my design.  I wouldn't do it on every hole but would incorporate it into the design of some holes.  My tee shot design would be like #13 fairway at Augusta if you want to go for the green in 2.  The 2nd shot there needs a left to right ball flight to the green but the fairway is sloped for a right to left flight.  That intentional slope is often mentioned a a key design feature of the hole.

 

[Cmra1]

Ours sometimes slopes, bare dirt or are very wet. By rule you can go back but if all bad we will go outside the box. We hate when they set them behind the trees…..

[NM01]

7 hours ago, MuskokaMisfit said:

We have some pretty attrocious tee decks at the course I mainly play at. Right now the tees are pretty much as far back as they can be. So no matter where I place the ball I'm standing in deep divots and I feel like it really affects my swing. I know you're supposed to be behind the pins but is there any stipulation that allows you to pick a smoother spot to stand on? Not all decks have the sand/seed mix nearby so I can't fill in divots to fix my stance which is also why these tee decks are getting so bad. That being said when they do have the sand and seed nearby it seems like nobody uses it except me.

You have up to two club lengths behind the markers to pick a spot

[MN Loon]

Public courses, especially those setup for beginners are worst culprits.  My Country Club, others I’ve played, and most of the better public courses have good tee boxes.  I think is mostly an economic issue.  Private courses spend member money to enhance the course and keep tee boxes in good shape.  Entry level public courses, whether a muni or privately owned, have a difficult time economically and lack both financial and employment resources.  

[IceIce]

Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do for uneven surfaces.  They get that way over time and require renovation to address that condition.  Unkept tee boxes on the other hand are totally within the control of the golf course.  You should mention it to the operators and if their response is not satisfactory write a course review for other golfers to see.  
 

As for what to do while you’re playing, find the most level spot and focus on the shot not the lie. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Public courses get a lot of play and unfortunately they have a lot of beginners. Therefore a lot of tee box tear up. 
The smaller the tee boxes the smaller the area that the grounds crew has to be able to move the tees to let the teeing area heal.

Golfers are greedy, they want all the distance they can. Most are right there teeing up between the markers. Per the rules you can go back as far as two club lengths behind the markers. That’s what I do when the teeing area is beat up. You can generally find something greener back there.

[MILGolfing]

uneven/unmaintaned tee boxes are the worst imo! For all the money they charge per round, having a fair shot when you tee off should be the bare minimum lol. 

[nvizble1]

I'll play deeper backwards in the box even if more than one club length back.

[cnosil]

Just now, nvizble1 said:

I'll play deeper backwards in the box even if more than one club length back.

Good thing the rules allow for 2

[nvizble1]

[Firmadge]

I played at a couple of places where the only option was two club lengths back. I also played at one course where the tee box was so wet that I was unable to find a spot to stand in that was not sloppy, so believe it or not (an yes it is no legal) We moved the tee marker on the right to become the one on the left and thus created a usable tee box. The struggle can be real depending on the course.

[jbern]

If my golf group is in a situation like you're describing, as long as we're not in a competition, we talk it over as a group and decide the best course of action. Most of the time it's moving to a different set of tees or playing around the tees somehow. As long as we're all doing the same thing, it's not affecting our $20 matches very much 

I think if you're in a comp, you need to address it with the leader of the comp, or you have two club lengths behind the tee pins...

[Ahart4444]

Find the best spot you can, closest to the tee markers as possible.  Another huge annoyance, is when they don't give you the full 2 club lengths in room behind the tee boxes.  Slightly different issue but still a course setup annoyance.

[Aussie02]

I hate to admit this but I have, in the past (not a lot) moved the tee box markers to a less throttled section of the tee box. Other than that, I’ve rarely if ever seen a tee box that was a complete disaster that hasn’t had a mat available while it was under repair. 

[HBaum]

I go back and play it from flat area, grass or no grass doesn't bother me.

[bmess51]

Just about every tee box at our 36 hole club is crowned or sloped. They will actually restrict the tee area to a narrow width with the uneven ground throughout.  When mentioned we're told it's the only place on the course where you get to tee it up., leveling is part of a long range plan.  Probably won't see it in my lifetime so I just deal with it.

[MikeL Pittsburgh]

I play a mix of private and public courses. It seems like the tee box is always the last thing to get upgraded. While I understand that the condition of the greens is probably most important, followed by fairways then bunkers, then paths, and then carts (the last two could be reversed). I think most club owners underestimate the importance of the tee box to making a good impression of their golf course in terms of condition. Playing from the Senior Tees, I have found some very well-maintained courses' senior tee boxes are borderline at best. I always take my time figuring out where I will tee the ball and will move it when my set-up is affected. Many times I am teeing it up at the very back of the tee box (2 club lengths from the markers) as the forward positions are bombed out. Some courses recognize the problem, having large teeing areas and putting the markers where a portion of the teeing area can recover, rotating the teeing area to reduce fatigue of the tee box.

The tee box is the key to making a good first impression IMO. Allowing them to deteriorate does a disservice to the course, analogous to having the entryway to your home in shabby condition. I understand they take a pounding, but those first impressions linger. A tee box with ruts or weeds screams poor conditions for the entire course. Short-changing the senior tees ignores where most players will be teeing off, at least on the courses I play.

WITB
Irons PXG
Wedges Cleveland
Putter Odyssey Ai-One Seven S Putter
Hybrid Calloway
Driver: Honma

Edited July 15 by MikeL Pittsburgh

[DaveP043]

15 hours ago, MuskokaMisfit said:

I know you're supposed to be behind the pins but is there any stipulation that allows you to pick a smoother spot to stand on?

In the Rules of Golf, no, you don't get a choice.  In a Competition, you have no choice.  For your casual play, I can see trying to find a decent spot to play from.  I know that many times the guys who set the markers aren't golfers, the can be poorly aligned, or placed on sloping areas.  But remember, sometimes they CHOOSE to put the tees in those spots to even out the wear and tear.  Personally, I'd rather have a level lie with absolutely no grass, I tee the ball up anyways.

[MissionMan]

Our course has quite a few sloped tee boxes. I’ve learnt to play them because in competition you can’t pick another spot. 
The best way to find a flat spot is to stand on the tea box in a spot, and then put your ball down after you’ve taken your stance. That way you don’t waste time putting a ball down and finding your foot in a hole or bad spot

Edited July 15 by MissionMan

[Beach84]

I tee it up wherever the tee box is in good shape 

[TJ Hall]

I tend to look at cost of the course…many of the courses I play aren’t too expensive, so it comes with some beat up tee boxes.

But, if I’m paying for a nice course, would expect better conditions.  Mentioning something to the pro shop might help.

Competitive rounds-suck it up, play in the appropriate area

Social rounds-work it out amongst the group

[MuskokaMisfit]

Good advice, thanks everyone. It's a public course, mid range pricing. $110 for a round of 18. It's by far the most popular course in my area so I think it's just hard for the staff to keep up with it. Would be nice if people used the sand and seed mix on the tee boxes that have it.

[digit]

Be grateful I am out there playing. 

[That’s Mr. Dirt]

Oh, the tee boxes I have played from. Dead grass, puddles, sand, divots, dirt, mud, slopes and abused.  I try to pick an area that is best with a decent stance area.  If it’s near impossible, I will treat it like a shot from the rough.  I’m supposed to play this weekend at a course with garbage tee boxes and I will post my recap, if I remember it.

[aldilar7]

Our very diverse foursome plays all over southern Ontario (from Pickering to Barrie, Hamilton and Niagara Falls).  All courses are either public or semi private and we don't mind it if the tee is a bit chewed up.  However if the tees are sloping too much we have our fastest player step in and "move" the tee area to a flat spot!!  I know blah, blah whatever but we are recreational golfers with 12 to 15 handicaps and don't need to add those kind of challenges to our fun time.

Edited July 16 by aldilar7

[cksurfdude]

On 7/15/2024 at 1:18 AM, MuskokaMisfit said:

I know you're supposed to be behind the pins but is there any stipulation that allows you to pick a smoother spot to stand on?

The ball itself must be within a box where the front edge is the tee markers and the sides are two club lengths straight back.

If there is a better place to stand outside that box you could, for example, put your ball on the left hand sideline and take your stance outside the "box". 

Otherwise all you can do is try to maintain a firm footing and swing in balance so you don't slip.....