Back Tee colours / Flag colours

[sunshine]

Why is there such a colour difference in the Back Tees/Tips/Competition Tees etc?

How did this some about as pretty much Yellow and Red are standardised across America and GB&I, but I’ve seen courses where Black, Blue, White and Orange are the furthest back?

With WHS and changes to Men’s and Women’s in the naming of Yellow and Red, is there going to be a standardisation of tee colours?

And come to think of it, flag colours too. I’ve played courses where Yellow is the Front 9 and Red the Back, and courses where White denotes pin at the back of the green, Yellow in the centre and Red at the front. Why has there to date been no standardisation of this? Are there moves to do this?

Who cares? What about onyx, jade, garnet tees. Why have colours at all? Maybe name the tees after animals or trees or types of cabbage?

 

[Ross61]

Flags
We use the 3 colour system to denote rough pin positions relative to front, middle and back. It is on our card and there are signs on the course.
.

We have 3 shared greens so have to have 2 colours anyway. If we had front, middle and back it would be a nightmare.

 

[ScienceBoy]

The colour doesn’t matter as long as they are ability based tees and not gender based, play the length of course you want unless specified by a competition.

 

[IanM]

Blue was the very back at Bowood, and Blue are the very very tees at Newport. So the colours are a mix of club's choice and convention.

Shep's point is a good one, the tees need to be about players' ability more than old convention. Nothing dafter than folk going "too far back" in general play

 

[clubchamp98]

Hate it when clubs do something like yellow flags on 1-9 red on 10-18. I'm red green colour blind and really struggle to see red flags on a lot of courses.

This is historical from the likes of St Andrews where there are double greens , so you went for the correct flag.
There wasn’t many other colours when I started playing
But that must be difficult , not as hard as snooker though.
My mate had the same thing ,he just asked us what flag was ours.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

My club‘s tees are red, yellow and white. The flags on the green are the same; red (front), yellow (middle) and white (back). Probably the most usual configuration for both. Nearly Horsham has five tees, including (from memory) blue, green and purple ?

 

[sunshine]

The colour doesn’t matter as long as they are ability based tees and not gender based, play the length of course you want unless specified by a competition.

Yes and no.

I have heard that one of the objectives of ladies tees is to present the same level of challenge for women as men. So not easier, just more appropriate for the physiological differences between mean and women.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We only go as far as whites and have red flags (front of the green) yellow (middle) and white for the back portion

We have blues - juniors and seniors
Yellows - tee of the day
White - comp tees but anyone can play them at any time
Red - ladies

 

[ScienceBoy]

Yes and no.

I have heard that one of the objectives of ladies tees is to present the same level of challenge for women as men. So not easier, just more appropriate for the physiological differences between mean and women.

I see your view but I don’t think that should stop us moving away from calling them “ladies” tees to just having them as an option for everyone.

 

[rulefan]

Yes and no.

I have heard that one of the objectives of ladies tees is to present the same level of challenge for women as men. So not easier, just more appropriate for the physiological differences between mean and women.

Providing the appropriate gender Rating is applied.

 

[Sats]

Still think tees should be off ability rather than gender. I've played with low hcp ladies/juniors that could play off the back tees, but also played with senior that struggle off the whites etc.

 

[LincolnShep]

Yes and no.
I have heard that one of the objectives of ladies tees is to present the same level of challenge for women as men. So not easier, just more appropriate for the physiological differences between mean and women.

But why use a person's sex to define physiological difference? Why not height, or age, or hair colour? A 25 year old woman with a single figure handicap will probably be able to hit it further than an 75 year old man playing off 20. Why should she be told that she has to play the reds and he be told that he's not allowed to play them? Neither will be happy with the situation.

 

[Foxholer]

Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond and Ruby if i remember right. It's a bit pretentious isn't it?

Emerald; Diamond; Sapphire; Ruby. Not something I particularly care about one way or the other (We always play off 'the Whites'!) now. It's certainly the (equal) least pretentious club I've experienced, but those 'labels' did strike me as a bit odd the first time.

Edit. And it certainly resolves the issue of 'Ladies' tees being debated too.
FWIW. The Rose Series played The Shire and mostly played off the Diamond tees. The Jamega Tour plays there quite often, but doesn't play off the Emeralds (Back) tees on every hole (for various reasons).

 

[sunshine]

Emerald; Diamond; Sapphire; Ruby. Not something I particularly care about one way or the other (We always play off 'the Whites'!) now. It's certainly the (equal) least pretentious club I've experienced, but those 'labels' did strike me as a bit odd the first time.

Edit. And it certainly resolves the issue of 'Ladies' tees being debated too.
FWIW. The Rose Series played The Shire and mostly played off the Diamond tees. The Jamega Tour plays there quite often, but doesn't play off the Emeralds (Back) tees on every hole (for various reasons).

Absolutely. If someone gets wound up because the "whites" are called the "diamonds" they need anger management therapy!

 

[sunshine]

But why use a person's sex to define physiological difference? Why not height, or age, or hair colour? A 25 year old woman with a single figure handicap will probably be able to hit it further than an 75 year old man playing off 20. Why should she be told that she has to play the reds and he be told that he's not allowed to play them? Neither will be happy with the situation.

Because competitions are usually played by gender?

Outside of that, I see no reason why people should be prohibited from choosing to play from the tee they want.

 

[LincolnShep]

Because competitions are usually played by gender?

Outside of that, I see no reason why people should be prohibited from choosing to play from the tee they want.

Not sure what point you're making. The competition organiser will determine which tees are to be used. Having all tees rated for everyone gives the organiser more freedom.

 

[sunshine]

Not sure what point you're making. The competition organiser will determine which tees are to be used. Having all tees rated for everyone gives the organiser more freedom.

Just pointing out there might be a reason they are called the Ladies tees: they have been designed to present women with a similar challenge as the "main" (men's) tees. An architect visited my course a few years ago and commented that some of the red tees were not far enough forward from the yellows / whites, and some were too far forward.

I still think we should all be able to play from whichever tees we like.

 

[patricks148]

Just pointing out there might be a reason they are called the Ladies tees: they have been designed to present women with a similar challenge as the "main" (men's) tees. An architect visited my course a few years ago and commented that some of the red tees were not far enough forward from the yellows / whites, and some were too far forward.

I still think we should all be able to play from whichever tees we like.

We can play off what ever tee's we like at both the clubs i'm a member at. but to add to that i like the idea of being able to mix and match the tee's... play from the ladies on all the par 3's

 

[LincolnShep]

Just pointing out there might be a reason they are called the Ladies tees: they have been designed to present women with a similar challenge as the "main" (men's) tees. An architect visited my course a few years ago and commented that some of the red tees were not far enough forward from the yellows / whites, and some were too far forward.

I still think we should all be able to play from whichever tees we like.

I seem to be repeating myself but I don't think all women golfers are the same; and I don't think all men golfers are the same; and I don't think that all men golfers can hit it further than all women golfers - consequently, given those beliefs, I think it's daft that we have tees where the usage is determined along the lines of what we happening to be packing in our pants.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We can play off what ever tee's we like at both the clubs i'm a member at. but to add to that i like the idea of being able to mix and match the tee's... play from the ladies on all the par 3's

Joking apart a good few par 3's would be improved significantly if played from the reds rather than white tees, imo of course.