have you played a course if...

[USER1999]

If you go to a named golf course, and are only allowed to play it off a tee that is so far forwards it reduces the golf course to a nonsense, have you actually played the course?

As an example, in Portugal recently, I paid 140 odd euros to play Quinta Do Lago North, which has been the subject of a large rework. We were assigned the yellow tees. Ok, annoying, but not totally unexpected.

However, on many tee boxes, the yellow tee of the day was 80 yards nearer the hole than the yellow block the card is measured from, reducing many holes to a drive and chip.

Surely ifyou pay the fee, you should, within reason be allowed to choose your tees, to suit your game?

 

[Deleted member 16999]

As members at our Club we're not even allowed to play off our whites except in competition!!!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It is never about what tee I can play off for me

Happy to play off any tee - doesn't change the expirence for me.

 

[Slab]

The opposite, I withdrew (temporarily) from a society comp because they stipulated tee's that were too far back (requested by the low handicap guys) and would add greatly to the pace of the round

They reviewed and decided to split handicaps off different tees

 

[patricks148]

If you go to a named golf course, and are only allowed to play it off a tee that is so far forwards it reduces the golf course to a nonsense, have you actually played the course?

As an example, in Portugal recently, I paid 140 odd euros to play Quinta Do Lago North, which has been the subject of a large rework. We were assigned the yellow tees. Ok, annoying, but not totally unexpected.

However, on many tee boxes, the yellow tee of the day was 80 yards nearer the hole than the yellow block the card is measured from, reducing many holes to a drive and chip.

Surely ifyou pay the fee, you should, within reason be allowed to choose your tees, to suit your game?

Totally agree, if you are good enough to play from the championship tee's you should be allowed to. We let visitors play from the white tee's though not the blue unless they ask before hand as we only use them for certain comps so are not always out.

Its always a disappointment when you are made to play off the forward tee's as that does not give a fair reflection of the course.

when i played at kingsbarns last year the consensus was to play from the daily tee's as it was very very windy, but regretted it straight away as it was Micky Mouse off those on all but a couple of holes.

 

[Ethan]

Well I think the old convention of not allowing players too play off the whites (or whatever colour) is outmoded. Partly because almost every type of player finds it easier to hit the ball decent distances nowadays (although not necessarily score better as a result) and also because if you practice for medals it helps to play the same tees. I played The Belfry, (which I then rediscovered is not very interesting at the best of times) at an outing and all the yellow tees were pushed up and all the flags were on the front edges. Atrocious. Some holiday courses do this for pace of play to prevent 40 handicap Germans from causing the entire place to drive up. It still doesn't work.

 

[richart]

I like courses that have a variety of tees to suit all handicaps. Royal County Down springs to mind. It does mean though that they could put you off some forward tees if they wanted to. Not had that experience so far though. I like course where you use all the clubs in the bag, and not just the driver, three wood, wedge and putter.

Personally I would not be put off playing Sunningdale off the yellows. Fine for the Pros, long narrow drives over two hundred plus yards of heather but I like to be able to have a chance of finding a fairway.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Well I think the old convention of not allowing players too play off the whites (or whatever colour) is outmoded. Partly because almost every type of player finds it easier to hit the ball decent distances nowadays (although not necessarily score better as a result) and also because if you practice for medals it helps to play the same tees. I played The Belfry, (which I then rediscovered is not very interesting at the best of times) at an outing and all the yellow tees were pushed up and all the flags were on the front edges. Atrocious. Some holiday courses do this for pace of play to prevent 40 handicap Germans from causing the entire place to drive up. It still doesn't work.

Totally agree, it also can change the layout of the hole which is the issue at our place, 4-5 of the holes are completely different tee boxes or lines off the Tee, worse if visiting a course and you don't get the full experience.
Had the pleaseure of playing Royal Liverpool 5 times in 3 days in a comp, 1st day was off the open Tees and wow, just wow, biggest issue on some holes was simply reaching the fairways, second day those that didn't make the cut played a Stableford comp off the yellows, and it was so disappointing, scored better on the second day but no were near the experience of the first.

 

[MendieGK]

I play a fair few society events and i agree this is always a little dissapointing. i have no issue playing off the yellows but i dont want to play off the reds!

I played the Astbury on Friday (which was awesome by the way) and one of the holes is supposed to be 205yds off the yellows (SI3). it was less than 150yds when we played it.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

but I like to be able to have a chance of finding a fairway.

I can teach you how to do that :thup:

 

[garyinderry]

I played loch Erne on Tuesday off the yellows and it destroyed me.


The length of rough and width of fairways would be the defining factor for choosing tees. plenty of courses you can go off long tees and its fine.


Loch Erne and rossapenna would be two I would tee it forward.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Some clubs are looking at having tees for different ability rather than gender or age. Off the backs sometimes carries to the fairway can be very difficult for shorter hitters and too narrow for less accurate players.
As such you should choose your tees based on how well you play.

I personally prefer the longer courses as they give me opportunity to get the driver out, especially if there are a lot of dog legs to overshoot.

 

[Alex1975]

Surely ifyou pay the fee, you should, within reason be allowed to choose your tees, to suit your game?

Imo Yes

 

[Jay1]

This is always a massive annoyance for me. I really don't like playing courses where they tell you that you have to play from the yellows, which on some days are placed nearer the reds. (even though there are white markers out that are not on the actual white boxes, but nearer the yellows). I'm not a massive hitter, but long enough, and I play to a fairly good standard, and playing off a hugely shortened course can be really disappointing and completely change the way the hole is designed to be played.

We have a reciprocal agreement with a few courses at my club and went to play one of them a couple of weeks ago. It was a very very nice course, in fabulous condition, but they insisted we play of the yellows. The whites for the day were not back on the white markers, but were about half way between the yellow and white. The yellow were about half way between red and yellow. All 3 of us that played were plenty good enough to play from the very back tees, never mind the forward placed whites. Off the yellow markers of the day it probably reduced the overall back tee yardage of 6800+ to around 6000 and therefore completely changed the nature of the course.

My view is that if you have paid a green fee you are effectively a member for the time you are on the course and should be allowed to play of any of the tee locations that are set out that day.

Rant over

 

[Deleted member 15344]

So what if the members are not allowed to play from the whites as well as the club wants to protect those tees for their main comps ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We are allowed to play off the whites at any times and is my tee of preference. I have been to courses where the tee of the day is yellow and like the OP has been way forward at times (including on the ladies tee on several holes) and yes it did detract from the experience. I understand clubs not allowing visitors to play off medal tees which is fine, but I do think if there are doing works on the course you should be made aware when booking and certainly when you arrive and offered a discount or a chance to rebook when the work is done

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As members at our Club we're not even allowed to play off our whites except in competition!!!

Which I believe should be the case at our place as well - 'nother matter though.

To OP. I guess you have to play the course of the day - regardless. I bet their Ts&Cs say that. That said, I would expect you to be told in advance of purchasing tickets of anything that would make a significant difference to the course as you'd expect to find and play it. When I played St Andrews OC the 17th was on a temp

Some time ago my brother and I went to play Western Gailes - it was blowing a gale and the Shop asked us whether we'd played it before. When we told them we hadn't they said it wasn't worth us playing as it would not be at all enjoyable in the wind.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Which I believe should be the case at our place as well - 'nother matter though.

To OP. I guess you have to play the course of the day - regardless. I bet their Ts&Cs say that. That said, I would expect you to be told in advance of purchasing tickets of anything that would make a significant difference to the course as you'd expect to find and play it. When I played St Andrews OC the 17th was on a temp

Some time ago my brother and I went to play Western Gailes - it was blowing a gale and the Shop asked us whether we'd played it before. When we told them we hadn't they said it wasn't worth us playing as it would not be at all enjoyable in the wind.

For 60% of our course the tee makes no difference, the others change the line and distance and a few are across hazards, with no practise, some players struggle in comps, and not for this thread, it slows everything down as either they're back to the tee to reload or searching the cabbage, I'm all for protecting the course but rather than different mens tees, just put one set out mon-fri and mix it up

 

[USER1999]

So what if the members are not allowed to play from the whites as well as the club wants to protect those tees for their main comps ?

Sure, but how many guest would really play from the tips?

My point isn't that, any way. Tees of the day don't have to be right at the back, just not stupidly forwards. I don't get the whole members tee thingy. Tees are tees. They are moved daily to reduce wear and tear. What difference does it make if a few green fees play off the whites.

400 dollars for cypress point for instance. Stick the tees forward, and make it 5000 yards long. Still happy? What about 4000 then, or less.

If there are tee markers out, then they should be in play, for any that want to use them.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The green staff will have moved the tees there for a reason - possibly to relieve pressure from other areas of the tea

The greenstaff aren't putting tee forward to annoy people who want a longer course - they would have done it for a reason. That's a good enough reason for me - won't affect my enjoyment which tee I play from. Have enjoyed many course from forward or backward tees