White or Yellow Tees

[Seamer]

Hi everyone, new to the forum and still fairly new to golf, so forgive me if this question is a bit daft.

I understand that the yellow tees at my local club are the men's and the whites are competition tees, but at what point does the crossover occur for a player to start using the whites instead of the yellows, is there a certain handicap level before you should make the transition or is it anyone who is playing a competition, regardless of handicap?

Cheers!

 

[User101]

Play off the whites whenever you wish, as Mark Crossfield said in one of his vids, what are they keeping them for, the Open Championship.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Play off the whites whenever you wish, as Mark Crossfield said in one of his vids, what are they keeping them for, the Open Championship.

We’re not allowed to play off our whites unless it’s in a comp! Ridiculous.

 

[patricks148]

my clubs let you play off what ever tee's you like except over winter, so pretty much always play from the whites all the time. Like to do the same when visiting a course as well, unless its a 7000 yard soggy parkland of course

 

[paddyc]

Welcome to the madhouse mate. Comps are usually played off white tees, regardless of handicap, though depending on the course they do let you play off whites in general play if you ask, but as a rule its usually the tees of the day which are yellow. There is no point at which point you crossover, but the lesser ability players more often than not prefer to play off yellows, especially if the course plays longer and subsequently usually more difficult.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Hi everyone, new to the forum and still fairly new to golf, so forgive me if this question is a bit daft.

I understand that the yellow tees at my local club are the men's and the whites are competition tees, but at what point does the crossover occur for a player to start using the whites instead of the yellows, is there a certain handicap level before you should make the transition or is it anyone who is playing a competition, regardless of handicap?

Cheers!

Welcome to the forum. I think you'll find it varies from club to club. Some are precious about their competition tees and they are strictly out of bounds unless its an official event. Others, like mine have seen the light, and allow members and visitors to play off whatever tee they want. To be fair, it seems to be a growing trend and a few other local course I've visited allow the same

 

[Imurg]

It's very common to keep the whites for competition play.
Not something I agree with but if that's what the club rule is then you have to go with it..

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Most courses use a “tee of the day” and for social golf that’s the tee that is used , there are clubs that allow you to pick any tee you wish - there is no right answer just different ways that courses want to manage their tees and at times the pace of play

So the best thing is to check with your pro shop and ask them what the teeing procedure at your course and follow that

If you have a choice then go for what tees you feel comfortable playing at that moment in time

And comps will mainly be off your whites but there might be comps that are played off the yellows or if you have tees further back

 

[Seamer]

Thanks everyone, I'll ask the question when I'm there tomorrow, at my club the white tees are rarely much further back than the yellows anyway unlike some other clubs I've played.

 

[karlcole]

Can someone confirm how the tee off the day works? Is it normally yellows but sometimes they will change it to whites allowing you to play off those tees? I take it red is never tee of the day?
Thanks

 

[ScienceBoy]

I prefer to play off the yellows when visiting other courses or just out for a knock.

The odd practice off the white is fine but if I am out for fun then there is no reason to make it unnecessarily harder.

Every now and again it was fun to play the tips on a quiet evening, really made it tough but was a laugh. Breaking 90 off them in a comp was probably down to those off practice sessions.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Can someone confirm how the tee off the day works? Is it normally yellows but sometimes they will change it to whites allowing you to play off those tees? I take it red is never tee of the day?
Thanks

It’s mainly the yellow tee - dont recall many if any days where the tee of the day is white tees

 

[karlcole]

That’s what I don’t understand. What’s the point in the tee of the day if they keep it on yellows? Or do they have to odd day of moving it too whites if so what dictates what colour the tee off the day is

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I prefer to play off the yellows when visiting other courses or just out for a knock.

The odd practice off the white is fine but if I am out for fun then there is no reason to make it unnecessarily harder.

Every now and again it was fun to play the tips on a quiet evening, really made it tough but was a laugh. Breaking 90 off them in a comp was probably down to those off practice sessions.

I disagree. If I am paying a green fee I want to enjoy the course in it's full glory. A lot of courses market themselves with "6700 of the championship tees" and then make a visitor play a significantly shorter layout. Most are not overly difficult off the white tees, but do ask different questions in terms of positional play and as holes may be out of reach asks the handicap golfer to think more and plot where to leave the second shot to make the next easier.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

That’s what I don’t understand. What’s the point in the tee of the day if they keep it on yellows? Or do they have to odd day of moving it too whites if so what dictates what colour the tee off the day is

Again I don’t ever recall the “tee of the day “ being anything other than the yellow tee - no idea why they call it that.

 

[User101]

I disagree. If I am paying a green fee I want to enjoy the course in it's full glory. A lot of courses market themselves with "6700 of the championship tees" and then make a visitor play a significantly shorter layout. Most are not overly difficult off the white tees, but do ask different questions in terms of positional play and as holes may be out of reach asks the handicap golfer to think more and plot where to leave the second shot to make the next easier.

Absolutely, if I'm paying a green fee, I want to play the full course.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

As a member i would like the choice to play off the whites as and when. It should be the perk of being a member.

 

[NWJocko]

As a member i would like the choice to play off the whites as and when. It should be the perk of being a member.

Completely agree with this, our whites are out every day and we can play off them (I do every time I go for a game). Although our tees are all pretty big so they can move them around a bit to avoid any wear and tear etc, maybe why some places don't?

 

[Tommo21]

We’re not allowed to play off our whites unless it’s in a comp! Ridiculous.

Next AGM sort it out.....

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I disagree. If I am paying a green fee I want to enjoy the course in it's full glory. A lot of courses market themselves with "6700 of the championship tees" and then make a visitor play a significantly shorter layout. Most are not overly difficult off the white tees, but do ask different questions in terms of positional play and as holes may be out of reach asks the handicap golfer to think more and plot where to leave the second shot to make the next easier.

Why not use that mantra at your own course?
You struggle off your whites, why pay to be miserable at another course.