Is this just an American thing?

[99problemsbutapitchaint1]

Americans it seems play from different tees often, seems quite normal for people to play from different tees based on their standard.

I have NEVER played this way, exception being mixed games

They do a lot of stuff I consider weird, driving carts, mulligans, playing off different tees, not following the rules, it barely qualifies as golf, no wonder they are shouting mashed potato and similar

I find it weird am i alone in this?

 

[palindromicbob]

Americans it seems play from different tees often, seems quite normal for people to play from different tees based on their standard.

I have NEVER played this way, exception being mixed games

They do a lot of stuff I consider weird, driving carts, mulligans, playing off different tees, not following the rules, it barely qualifies as golf, no wonder they are shouting mashed potato and similar

I find it weird am i alone in this?

Noticed this on a sticker in the golf buggy when I played in Florida. Basically targeted at social rounds to increase enjoyment and speed of play. They also encouraged that if you weren't within 6 feet with two putts you pick up and move on.

They still take competitive rounds seriously though and made it clear there was a distinction. Can't say I've ever had the impression that American golfers routinely ignore the rules in competitive formats.


As for buggies. The course I played was a pretty short one. Four sets of tees. Red - White - Blue - Black. 6929 of the black. But thats just the tee to green distances. A quick measure using google maps and from the 1st tee box to the 18th green is 8.34km which comes out at about 9120 yards and that doesn't account for elevation or the more likely zig-zag approach that one might take. Fun walk when the temperature is 38 in the shade.

 

[nickjdavis]

Americans it seems play from different tees often, seems quite normal for people to play from different tees based on their standard.

I have NEVER played this way, exception being mixed games

They do a lot of stuff I consider weird, driving carts, mulligans, playing off different tees, not following the rules, it barely qualifies as golf, no wonder they are shouting mashed potato and similar

I find it weird am i alone in this?

Its actually quite a common sense approach which allows golfers of a range of abilities to actually enjoy their social round together. By playing off a tee commensurate with their ability or the distance that they typically hit the ball golfers can all have good opportunities to hit some GIR's....or perhaps a short hitter playing from a forward teen can still play the course as the designer intended as hazards would possibly come into play that wouldn't if they played from a tee further back.

I see the opposite in much casual/social golf....a round is organised at a top notch venue... folks think that they need to play the course off the longest of tees so they get the best value or, play it as the pros play it.... you end up with a group of mixed ability golfers, some of whom are just about coping with the 6,800 (of more) yards and others are finding it a right unenjoyable slog.

Unfortunately in this country we don't perhaps have the variation in tee positions at most courses to allow a player to choose the most suitable set of tees to play from.... but, in terms of social golf this is one area where I actually think the folks across the Atlantic have actually got a good idea.

 

[the_coach]

OP as folks have said for social golf & because we've usually got many more tee box positions it's a ways higher index players can play a course that's a little ways kinda to their own abilities but nevertheless a challenge if there's an index range in the 4 ball then they all can have relative to their ability a 'challenge' still - also it's an attempt to help speed up play

playing most of my own golf (though not completely) with other cat 1 players & playing a good deal of amateur competitions both regional, state, national & open I usually playing from the back tee boxes & am walking carrying or with a caddie

but if you've ever had a lunchtime tee time slot in summer you'll be glad of a ride for both yourself & your water bottles

 

[Hacker Khan]

Americans it seems play from different tees often, seems quite normal for people to play from different tees based on their standard.

I have NEVER played this way, exception being mixed games

They do a lot of stuff I consider weird, driving carts, mulligans, playing off different tees, not following the rules, it barely qualifies as golf, no wonder they are shouting mashed potato and similar

I find it weird am i alone in this?

Am loving the user name by the way.

But I agree with others, for a bounce game this is fine as I think it will mean more people will enjoy the game. In fact I would say it is to be encouraged. I like the fact they have 4 or 5 tees to chose from and it's not like here were you have comps, mans and womens and that's mostly it.

Having played a bit in the States I get the impression that they seem to treat bounce games more as something 'fun' to do than we can do over here. Yes they may take a mulligan or two and give themselves puts that we would more than likely see over here. But you could argue that if by doing that they are finding it fun and everyone playing is OK with it then what's the problem? As I state many times, golf for 99.9% of people that play the game is supposed to be an enjoyable leisure pursuit, so why not make sure you enjoy it?

And as for buggys then generally I am not really in favour of them as I like to get the exercise. But I do notice when I play in the states and have to use a buggy I feel a lot fresher at the end of the round. Plus having played in Vegas in over 100 degrees F heat it was a life saver, as I would really have struggled to walk round whilst at the same time retaining enough energy to play decent golf and therefore enjoy the round. The game is hard enough for me as it is without also making it a test of coping with high temperatures on top.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I'm a big fan of using different tees based on ability, especially in bounce games. I think all clubs should have all their tees measured with both men's and women's par and SSS to allow anyone to pick their tee and have a meaningful idea of how they've scored from each.

 

[99problemsbutapitchaint1]

Weird, i have literally never played a game where i even though someone should go to other tees and i have played with some real hackers in my time.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Weird, i have literally never played a game where i even though someone should go to other tees and i have played with some real hackers in my time.

I'm usually coming at it from the other direction, wanting to play the longer course but knowing that if I do so I'll have no idea how I score relative to my handicap.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Weird, i have literally never played a game where i even though someone should go to other tees and i have played with some real hackers in my time.

Over here no man will play from the red tees as there is too much of a stigma about it as they are 'womans tees'. Where as in the US from what I can tell, the tees are not classed by sex so to speak.

Even in my relatively little experience of playing in the US I have got teamed up with guys once that whilst being perfectly nice company, probably should have been teeing off from a couple of tees forward to where they were. Believe you me I'm no Jason Day, but when I was out driving them by up to 100 yards, then you factor in I was playing off a tee that I thought was a sensible one for my standard, and they were playing from the back ones sometimes up to 30/40 yards behind me, then it becomes a little silly. Then they do start giving themselves mulligans and puts even though they are several feet from the hole, just to stop themselves going into double figures on some holes.

 

[upsidedown]

I'm a big fan of using different tees based on ability, especially in bounce games. I think all clubs should have all their tees measured with both men's and women's par and SSS to allow anyone to pick their tee and have a meaningful idea of how they've scored from each.

Me too
As per the slope system :thup:

 

[99problemsbutapitchaint1]

Me too
As per the slope system :thup:

Pretty sure that comment or similar got Jeremy Clarkson into trouble

 

[Ethan]

Some Anericans insist on playing "from the tips". Technically they are supposed to put in all their rounds towards their handicap (aka index) although many appear to suffer amnesia after a round which does not suit the desired direction of travel for their index. Some of the same players also have a flexible attitude to playing the ball as it lies and gimmes.

 

[AmandaJR]

I'm a big fan of using different tees based on ability, especially in bounce games. I think all clubs should have all their tees measured with both men's and women's par and SSS to allow anyone to pick their tee and have a meaningful idea of how they've scored from each.

From what I understand the current review of all courses SSS, from all tees, is to allow such a system...not sure what the time frame is though as we have to do something like 5 courses a year!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have white or yellow tees (unless we play of the ladies). Hardly a plethora of choice but I like the concept

 

[nickjdavis]

I'm usually coming at it from the other direction, wanting to play the longer course but knowing that if I do so I'll have no idea how I score relative to my handicap.

Don't compare your score to par.... compare it to SSS.

 

[palindromicbob]

Don't compare your score to par.... compare it to SSS.

Think FD is alluding to the fact that only one set of tees has an SSS relative to a women handicap. The rest are rated for male handicaps.

 

[craigstardis1976]

It is a very bad thing as it allows golfers with no ability to play off the back tees do so with a "I paid my money, I can play where I like" attitude and it clogs up the pace of play like you would not believe. I wish I could say it is unusual to find that situation. It happens at every golf coruse I have played on a frequent basis in the USA!

Craig

 

[LanDog]

I would like the tees to be a more significant difference on courses, so they could represent a different challenge rather than being 5-10 yards or whatever shorter only.

I realise that space is an issue for some courses, my own included.

I don't like playing off shorter tees because I don't think it is as challenging as it should be, for bounce games or friendlies.

But if the tees were placed more strategically on the course it would combat this.

I'm happy to play from wherever my playing partner wants to but would like to see the tees manoeuvred around so the reds, greens, yellows and whites (at my course) each gave their own challenge not just length.

I think this would encourage clubs to bring about different kinds of games where to get rid of the stigma you have to play from each tee a certain number of times during the round in order for your score to be valid or something to that effect.
That way I think the stigmatism of playing from certain tees will be lost.

(Not sure if any of that made sense but in my head it did)!

 

[99problemsbutapitchaint1]

Totally agree that tees should be spaced out more, but the last thing i want is to be introduced to a system that makes the course shorter, most courses i have played regularly at are 6650 or less (Home course for many years was 5850) making these already short courses shorter to remove stigma for some would make many golfers unhappy I am sure.

I would like to see a standard deal
BACK TEES
then 20s, 40s, 60s, 80s 100s

So obviously in my numbered system you the 20s are 20 yards forward from the back tees etc
Once you are sub 90 on the 60s you are allowed on the 40s and so on

Thing is though, if someone was only good enough to play of the 60s I would play off those tees too, i think it is pretty antisocial to play from different parts of the course if you are playing together in a bounce game!

Only ever played off a different tee once and that was because I wanted to play a long par 5 at full length as it was the longest hole I had ever been on and we had a nice breeze

 

[garyinderry]

Tee placements can also be used to change the shape of the hole on occasion.

Our 4th for example. From the yellows it quite possible to play any shape you want off the tee. when its shifted back 25yards or so to the whites and pushed tight against the right side it removes the possibility of playing a big hook off the tee. Pushes the player to play a fade unless he is confident of getting it up rather quickly to avoid the trees.