Visitors: White or yellow tees?

[Piece]

Played my local course as a visitor today. I've played this course so many times I've lost count, but today something happened that got me wound up a bit, and also raised a question (see end of this post).

Just after midday today, my PP teed up (as usual) off the whites, only to be halted by a bellowing voice marching up the cartpath.

"Excuse me! Are you members?!", he asked.

"Err, no", I replied.

"You can't play off the whites as you are not members", he answered.

"Sorry, I don't follow. We've paid our full green fee. Aren't we honorary members for the day?", I said, stating my opinion.

"NO!", came the reply.

"Other clubs allow visitors to use the whites..."

"I DONT CARE!!!", he bellowed, interrupting me.

I said nothing after this, as I was fairly shocked at his manner. The course was quiet, no medal, comps or societies going on, so I couldn't see the problem. I don't have an issue in not being allowed playing off the whites; it's his attitude that stuck in my throat a bit. He's not selling the club in the right manner, IMHO, coming across as old fashioned, confrontational and symptomatic of why golf is struggling today. To add some context, the yellow yardage is a mighty 5521 and the white a whopping 5890.

Anyway, the point of this thread is not my moan, it's:

should visitors be allowed to play off what colours tees they wish? What does your club do? Should it depend on capability or should visitors who pay full fee be able to play the full course? What other factors need to come in??

 

[GreiginFife]

I think, personally, that any tee should be fine as you pay your money to have the same rights as a member for that round (or day if a day ticket).
That said, one of my clubs allows it and has an easy going relaxed attitude with a great pro and the other is strict tees of the day for visitors funnily with *infractionable* for members and a *beep* of a pro....

I can actually imagine that very instance happening at the latter of the two.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Visitors play off the tee of the day at most places I thought ( same with members )

Comps tees should be for comps only

But if the club allows members to play off any tee then that should be valid for visturs

 

[GreiginFife]

Visitors play off the tee of the day at most places I thought ( same with members )

Comps tees should be for comps only

But if the club allows members to play off any tee then that should be valid for visturs

Are they 'comp' tees though. Looking at both my clubs info and scorecard/strokesavers they are just referred to as 'yellow' and 'white' no description just one is a longer lay out. It is inferred they are competition tees but not explicitly denoted as such.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Visitors play off the tee of the day at most places I thought ( same with members )

Comps tees should be for comps only

This happens at my Club, only Team members are allowed to use the Comp Tees on non comp days, find it very frustrating as a member as the Comp Tees change 4-5 holes, so no practise before comps!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Are they 'comp' tees though. Looking at both my clubs info and scorecard/strokesavers they are just referred to as 'yellow' and 'white' no description just one is a longer lay out. It is inferred they are competition tees but not explicitly denoted as such.

A number of courses have tee boxes specifically for certain comps

But I guess a general rule at most clubs is the white tee is comp tee and yellow is normally designated tee of the day

 

[matt71]

Think you should play of any box you want, unless the pro says you can't (reseeding the box etc) !

Really cant see the issue personally

 

[williamalex1]

Our white tees are only used for official comps . We have a choice of yellow or blue for guests and red for ladies, I'm not sure if ladies are allowed to use the yellow tees .

 

[Ethan]

At Bearwood Lakes you can play off any tee you like if not specified in a comp. I don't remember when I last played off the yellows. It is at least 3 years. Don't play off the blacks too often either, though.

I think the idea of comp tees and visitor tees went out years ago.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Think you should play of any box you want, unless the pro says you can't (reseeding the box etc) !

Really cant see the issue personally

Surely it should be the club that dictate which tee you should use and not the player

 

[Piece]

At Bearwood Lakes you can play off any tee you like if not specified in a comp. I don't remember when I last played off the yellows. It is at least 3 years. Don't play off the blacks too often either, though.

I think the idea of comp tees and visitor tees went out years ago.

Good to hear that Bearwood allow this. Unfortunately the club i played today still believe in a members only tee.

 

[CMAC]

Visitors should be allowed of medal tees- I dont pay full whack to play a shortened course

 

[Grantley1988]

Played at Celtic Manor last week and played off the whites. After teeing off we proceeded to our balls only to be waved by the starter. He asked for our handicaps and then said that's fine! I though that was strange.

I would always play of the whites. I'm my mind that's what the course architect would have based the tee shots from so your playing there design.

 

[bluewolf]

Members and visitors can choose which tee they want to play from at my Club. I can't remember the last time I played from the Yellows TBH.. If the Club wish to protect certain areas of the teeing ground, then just move the tee markers..

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Any tee box at my place. I always play off whites.

However, on non comp days whites are often in the same place as yellows in order to protect the white tee boxes.

 

[Oxfordcomma]

I think my place limits green fee players to the yellows, members and members' guests can play off green (which are as close as anything to white), white is comps only.

Agree that as someone paying the green fee I want the choice but a handicap limit for the back tees, as Grantley suggests Celtic Manor have, shouldn't be a problem. I think it depends a little on the type of club as well, and the proportion of pay and play rounds that they allow. At my old place they had a lot of pay and play and the blanket rule of 'visitors play off yellows' was needed, partly to protect tee boxes and partly because of speed of play.

And if the length of course really matters, how many of us have played the first hole off yellow and the rest of the course off white? I know I have on occasion, I also know that I shouldn't have, but I bet I'm not the only one.

 

[LanDog]

The club I play at has Blue tees, Whites, yellows, reds, red/whites

I've not played a competition there but I assume:

The Blue tees are for big competitions like captains day etc

Whites for all other comps, monthly medals etc

Yellows for societies and social rounds?

Reds for Ladies

And red/whites for juniors.

I usually play the yellows because I play with beginners from my university to try and get them into the game. But have never had any trouble when playing from the whites when I want to.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Visitors should be able to play off any tee that is open to members, including the reds for men if they want to.

 

[Foxholer]

At Bearwood Lakes you can play off any tee you like if not specified in a comp. I don't remember when I last played off the yellows. It is at least 3 years. Don't play off the blacks too often either, though.

I think the idea of comp tees and visitor tees went out years ago.

At Bearwood Lakes,guests/visitors are officially 'Members for the Day', so no restrictions anywhere (except the Car-park sign). Other clubs are not the same - with Members Lounge and/or Changing Rooms even.

I'm a 'any tee you like' fan, provided they have been made available. Been a while since any stuffy Club has insisted on 'Tee of the Day' only, though wouldn't object in Winter.

That said, I can appreciate Members not being too happy playing behind a bunch of hackers who were playing off the back tees! But the converse also applies - longer, or even average, hitting Visitors being forced to wait behind Members playing off 'their' tees!

 

[Tongo]

I always play off the yellow tees. My general understanding is that they are for everyday, run of the mill golf whereas the whites are for comps. But i'm guessing that understanding may well be a bit antiquated!