Choose Your Tee Markers?

[jim8flog]

When it comes to handicap difference between the 2 there is only 1.7 difference in the rating but for me there is a 3 shot difference.

I used to try to maintain my handicap by playing mainly in white tee comps, however, these days, all my mates want to play off the yellows and the swindles I play in play off them as well. I would now say my H.I. is based upon yellows tees and not whites.

 

[Slab]

Where I play there was a time when playing off the whites in friendly games was restricted to Cat1 golfers.
I often complained about this at it gave them an unfair advantage when playing in comps when others in the same division could not do so (I was 6 hcp at the time).

Now we are free to play off any tee we choose. Sadly though the whites have not been rated for ladies, we have a few very low handicap ones who would appreciate this.

Pity it wasn’t done on last visit. You reckon it’ll be added next time?

I just checked and while we only have a dozen courses on the island, every tee box at every course is rated for women regardless of length/difficulty. The highest being 83.2/148
(also all reds/greens are rated for men)

 

[Backache]

Our own course allows people to choose which tees they play off, there is not a huge difference between the back and middle tees.

His article would be a lot stronger if it considered the fact that golf clubs have to balance care for the course, pace of play popularity difficulty and many other factors. Restricting longer tee usage at times will help them achieve this balance and it will be different for different clubs at different times.
His complaint comes over as a self entitled whinge.

 

[jim8flog]

Pity it wasn’t done on last visit. You reckon it’ll be added next time?

I just checked and while we only have a dozen courses on the island, every tee box at every course is rated for women regardless of length/difficulty. The highest being 83.2/148
(also all reds/greens are rated for men)

I am no longer on the committee so have no way of pushing for it, it was hard to get the reds rated for men. Our rating was done only about 2 years before the WHS so it is probably a long time before we get re-rated and about the only other reason for it is because we are relocating quite a few bunkers but that is a multi year project.

 

[Orikoru]

Our own course allows people to choose which tees they play off, there is not a huge difference between the back and middle tees.

His article would be a lot stronger if it considered the fact that golf clubs have to balance care for the course, pace of play popularity difficulty and many other factors. Restricting longer tee usage at times will help them achieve this balance and it will be different for different clubs at different times.
His complaint comes over as a self entitled whinge.

Agreed. Not worth a whole article at all, particularly when he didn't even flesh it out with the other side of the argument, as you say. He must have been stuck for ideas this week.

 

[D-S]

We have a local course which has a sign on the 11th tee by the clubhouse (bizarrely not on the 1st which is close by) saying members only can play off the white tees. I only have played there as a guest or in Leaague matches so I’ve only played off the whites but it always oddly irritates me. It’s just so unwelcoming and seems as if they are looking down on you.
The exact opposite of a prestigious course in France when I asked, after I’d paid my green fee, if i could hire a trolley and the response was “Trolleys are free for members and today you are a member”. Proper customer service.

 

[Wabinez]

Sadly though the whites have not been rated for ladies, we have a few very low handicap ones who would appreciate this.

We asked about getting our yellows rated for Women, and were told they would not do it as it is too long. Anything over 6600 yards is deemed too long for the ladies, and would rank as some of the longest courses the LPGA would play...so will not rate for amateur play.

 

[harpo_72]

I just play whites and will play the black long ones before the competition that will be off them.
I don’t think the way tee positions are considered properly at the club level. They should not be always at the same place, they should vary but WHS rating has locked this down.
I don’t really care about shots, I think I would draw the line when I see a par 3 at 220yards -260yards .. but courses that trot that out as a hole are not very imaginative.

 

[Morfeen75]

If im short of time sometimes i play off the reds, its a shorter easier course with a lot of the penal rough out of play for my length. Its a different course for sure but still enjoyable.

 

[wjemather]

I just play whites and will play the black long ones before the competition that will be off them.
I don’t think the way tee positions are considered properly at the club level. They should not be always at the same place, they should vary but WHS rating has locked this down.
I don’t really care about shots, I think I would draw the line when I see a par 3 at 220yards -260yards .. but courses that trot that out as a hole are not very imaginative.

There's plenty of scope for variation if the tee configuration allows - which on many courses/holes is not the case. WHS permits a 20 yard range (±10 yards from the permanent distance marker) for tee placement on each hole - that's a 2-3 club difference from from to back.

 

[rulie]

There's plenty of scope for variation if the tee configuration allows - which on many courses/holes is not the case. WHS permits a 20 yard range (±10 yards from the permanent distance marker) for tee placement on each hole - that's a 2-3 club difference from from to back.

And who checks the daily plus or minus anyway?

 

[Slab]

We asked about getting our yellows rated for Women, and were told they would not do it as it is too long. Anything over 6600 yards is deemed too long for the ladies, and would rank as some of the longest courses the LPGA would play...so will not rate for amateur play.

Weird, we've tees at courses well over 7,000 yards rated for women

 

[harpo_72]

There's plenty of scope for variation if the tee configuration allows - which on many courses/holes is not the case. WHS permits a 20 yard range (±10 yards from the permanent distance marker) for tee placement on each hole - that's a 2-3 club difference from from to back.

That’s good because you can then really change the course up as everyone plays off the whites .. just shifting to a red tee on a few holes would really switch it up.

 

[D-S]

That’s good because you can then really change the course up as everyone plays off the whites .. just shifting to a red tee on a few holes would really switch it up.

Only if the red tee permanent markers on those holes are no more than 10 yards away from the white markers.

 

[chico]

Bit unfair to say he'd hack a medal tee up. It is a question I'll sometimes ask if I am going to visit another club if it isn't clear on the website. Some allow you to play from different tees based on your handicap although in some cases this can be a guide and not compulsory. My club and others treat green fees as members for the day and so are happy for visitors to play off the whites if desired

I've been a member at a few clubs and all of them the white tees were for comps only.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I like the plain spherical ones in the different solid colors.

 

[NearHull]

We asked about getting our yellows rated for Women, and were told they would not do it as it is too long. Anything over 6600 yards is deemed too long for the ladies, and would rank as some of the longest courses the LPGA would play...so will not rate for amateur play.

We had exactly the same reply when we applied. The County’s rough estimate was that our yellows would come out at a CR of 78 for Ladies. We only have two ladies who really could play that length.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've been a member at a few clubs and all of them the white tees were for comps only.

My club doesn't restrict but Wimbledon Common where I started did and was very strict about it. Mind you back then they were strict on a lot of things like jacket and tie after 7.00pm and other now outdated rules. Fortunately it has moved with the times

 

[Hobbit]

The siting of bunkers and other hazards in relation to the different tees can make quite a difference to how you play a course and to your score. I’ve never really got a bee in my bonnet about what tee I’ve played off but there has been the odd occasion when I’ve thought a number of holes have been a bit pitch and putt-ish because the yellows have been so far forward.

If I’ve visited to play a practice round prior to a competition I’ve asked can I use the whites. Most occasions it’s been fine but on the odd occasion I’ve got a “no” I’ve played irons off the tee to give me similar distances to the green I’d experience in a competition.

No sense in getting uptight about. That just ruins your day.

 

[Tashyboy]

There is so much that is wrong with this article that it is nigh on impossible of where to start. But starting with his first drive. He sliced it and it went onto the next fairway. But he was confident he could make par. seriously from there it goes south quickly. On another course he could have been 3 off the tee so his “gained” white shots have gone after 1 shot.
One would suggest that ( Nick) is not good enough to play off the whites. I would also have a guess that if there is a starter mid week. It is a course where 99% of us do not play on a day to day basis, so they do not want 99% of us that turn up as guests playing off whites.
The poster comments that he is not happy being told to play off yellows, but our fuddle voted to play off whites on comp day. We have players in there 70’s playing off whites. How is that right being told you must play off whites.
We as a fuddle had three days at Kendrick and Market Rasen, both gorgeous courses. Both course had us playing off the yellows. It worked very well both days.
Golf has many problems, but being told to play off yellows is not in the top 100 never mind top 10