White or Yellow Tees

[Deleted member 16999]

yep, not sure why pins would ever be a priority, but playing from the whites often gives you the option to play the course as it was designed to be played, esp real championship courses. My place is a far better course off the whites, and would say the same for plenty of others, where maybe the yellow are a bit of an afterthought

I’m not totally sure I agree with the argument “to play the course as it was designed to be played” very few old courses are still in their original design, most have undergone reviews that added tees, removed or added bunkers, planted trees or bushes etc.
The play as designed line is trotted out to suit a particular view point.
My issue with the whites isn’t all about distance, there isn’t much difference in overall length at our place between whites and yellows, my issue is that on 3 or 4 holes it changes the angle of your tee shot as well and alters Club selection.

 

[garyinderry]

To play it as its designed is a bit of a misnomer.


Our first can play driver sand wedge for some and others driver 3 wood won't get there. It all depends on the wind direction and strength and how soft the course is.


Granted on some courses when the tees are well forward, the course can become a driver and a wedge all day which is not very fun.


Pretty much any course can bare its teeth when the wind gets up and little run involved. Other times they are laid bare to good scoring and you have to shoot the lights out to compete at the top of the leaderboard.

 

[94tegsi]

At ours it is pretty much open to choice by those playing, which is as it should be I think.

I think it is a little different when playing a "true" Championship course, which tend to have a few more tee choices than the traditional red/yellow white. Adding Green/Blue/Black etc where you can really stretch out the course...whenever I have played these I have generally gone one tee back from the "tee of the day" which is usually one or two tees forwards from tips.

What I would say about "protecting" the teeing areas, all that would mean is more traffic on the yellow tee areas, so would disadvantage a larger proportion of the playing clientele, spreading the players over the available tee boxes should in theory help more?

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I've never selected a course to play based on yardage. When at a club it really is dependent on what's advised or feel that day, but I can't say it changes my view on enjoyment.

When I had the option at old club I'd vary but in part played whites so I knew what to play on competition days. Lot to be said for mixing it up so you get different shots and thought processes on each hole.

 

[patricks148]

I’m not totally sure I agree with the argument “to play the course as it was designed to be played” very few old courses are still in their original design, most have undergone reviews that added tees, removed or added bunkers, planted trees or bushes etc.
The play as designed line is trotted out to suit a particular view point.
My issue with the whites isn’t all about distance, there isn’t much difference in overall length at our place between whites and yellows, my issue is that on 3 or 4 holes it changes the angle of your tee shot as well and alters Club selection.

I'm talking most championship courses. I find and many guys i play with would agree, better courses on the whole off the whites.
a couple of examples.

Kingsbarns, mickey mouse of the yellow/Greens same shots over and over taking most of the danger out of it/

Castle Stuart.. same

Even Trump Aberdeen, was way better course off the further back tees.

My own home course, far better challenge off the white than the yellow and there is only 400 yards in it.

No one makes you play off the whites, but if you want to play the back tee and have the ability, you should be able too.

 

[Foxholer]

...
No one makes you play off the whites, but if you want to play the back tee and have the ability, you should be able too.

This!

Course/Tees of the day are usualy somewhere in the Yellow (non-comp) area. They are moved around to reduce wear in that area.

My 'nomal' course allows play off whichever course you want. And that's one of the reasons that it's my 'normal' course! We don't play off the very back tees very often!!

 

[User101]

If yer visiting a course and paying full visitor fee, you should be picking what tees you play from, not them.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

If yer visiting a course and paying full visitor fee, you should be picking what tees you play from, not them.

Sorry but the club should dictate how “their” course is played - they are the ones responsible for looking after it 365 days a year and the needs of the club will always outweigh the needs of a green fee. The paying visitor will have the same rights as a member but nothing more than that and I would expect any visitor to respect the wishes and rules of the club

 

[HomerJSimpson]

What I would say about "protecting" the teeing areas, all that would mean is more traffic on the yellow tee areas, so would disadvantage a larger proportion of the playing clientele, spreading the players over the available tee boxes should in theory help more?

Good point. I've turned up to a number of courses where it's been yellows only and whites kept for competitions and the tee boxes weren't overly large and so looked very worn and tired.

For me, the whites at most courses I play, aren't miles longer, certainly not compared to some championship courses, but in my opinion do give an added challenge and one as a green fee paying visitor is one I'd like the opportunity to do so more often

 

[User101]

Sorry but the club should dictate how “their” course is played - they are the ones responsible for looking after it 365 days a year and the needs of the club will always outweigh the needs of a green fee. The paying visitor will have the same rights as a member but nothing more than that and I would expect any visitor to respect the wishes and rules of the club

Fair enough, I guess politely asking to play off the whites is probably the best way.

For me, the whites at most courses I play, aren't miles longer,

Not at our place, it's a different course altogether.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I'm talking most championship courses. I find and many guys i play with would agree, better courses on the whole off the whites.
a couple of examples.

Kingsbarns, mickey mouse of the yellow/Greens same shots over and over taking most of the danger out of it/

Castle Stuart.. same

Even Trump Aberdeen, was way better course off the further back tees.

My own home course, far better challenge off the white than the yellow and there is only 400 yards in it.

No one makes you play off the whites, but if you want to play the back tee and have the ability, you should be able too.

That’s not what you said though, I totally agree it maybe better off the whites or back tees, but even some Championship courses have undergone changes over the years and changed some elements.

 

[patricks148]

That’s not what you said though, I totally agree it maybe better off the whites or back tees, but even some Championship courses have undergone changes over the years and changed some elements.

so they are not designed with the back tee's in mind then??? even updates to courses,, still done with the back tee's in mind.

when i say championship courses i mean ones the hold championships not just courses that call themselves that

 

[Deleted member 16999]

so they are not designed with the back tee's in mind then??? even updates to courses,, still done with the back tee's in mind.

when i say championship courses i mean ones the hold championships not just courses that call themselves that

So every championship course is the same now as when it opened on day 1?

Most courses have evolved over time and been redesigned. :thup:

 

[patricks148]

So every championship course is the same now as when it opened on day 1?

Most courses have evolved over time and been redesigned. :thup:

who says they are? but most even with changes are done so with the championship tee's in mind

 

[Deleted member 16999]

who says they are? but most even with changes are done so with the championship tee's in mind

Hence the point about “playing a course as designed” being a misnomer, which design? The current one or one of the 4-8 previous. :thup:

 

[patricks148]

Hence the point about “playing a course as designed” being a misnomer, which design? The current one or one of the 4-8 previous. :thup:

thanks for that LP....

check my OP, i didn't say originally designed... just designed be that modern updated included changes done buy course designers

 

[Deleted member 16999]

thanks for that LP....

check my OP, i didn't say originally designed... just designed be that modern updated included changes done buy course designers

“Where the yellow are an after thought” or were there before a modern designer put a new tee in further back.
Lot’s of complaints about modern designers ruining holes on courses with changes, but hey ho for you long hitters it’s all about distance.

 

[patricks148]

“Where the yellow are an after thought” or were there before a modern designer put a new tee in further back.
Lot’s of complaints about modern designers ruining holes on courses with changes, but hey ho for you long hitters it’s all about distance.

i'm not a long hitter, and yes i would say some of the yellow are an after thought, Kingsbarnes and CS and my HC spring to mind there. A load of the guys from my group all went and play Trump when it opened and played an open there. all came back saying how disappointed they were with the course due to the forward nature of the tees they were playing from. we had a freebee there last year and every one of those guys loved the place as we played off the much further back tee (gold).

I play many courses i would say are better off the whites without question all links mind. can't say if this is the same with parkland courses as i so rarely play at those, but one i did play last week the queen at GE, only 6000 off the back tee's

Sure the game at the moment are obsessed with length its not something i agree with myself. I would rather have a fast hard course, that would in IMO negate the need to lengthen many great courses (links anyway)

 

[User101]

The 6000 off the whites at the Queens is quite deceiving though as there are a lot of par threes. Quite a few of the par 4s were far from short is my recollection.

 

[patricks148]

The 6000 off the whites at the Queens is quite deceiving though as there are a lot of par threes. Quite a few of the par 4s were far from short is my recollection.

yes but there wasn't much run if any and i can only think of one i couldn't reach in two with a good drive, the other one was because i hit it OOB