PGA "Tee It Forward"

[Golfanatic]

Wondering how you all feel about this program.

http://www.pga.com/pga-america/pga-...-tees-in-nationwide-tee-it-forward-initiative

I tried it once so far...move up one tee...and it did make a big difference given my drives are 190-200 yards or so since I wont use a driver much.
Only lost one ball in the water (ponds on both sides of this particular green and pretty close at that) the whole day.
Since I lost one ball instead of 3 or 4 I think my game was a bit quicker, so I think I spent a little less time holding up anyone behind me looking for a lost ball. Plus with my driving distance I was able to hit more greens in regulation than I would have from the other tees.

I certainly wish the stigma of playing forward tees were not a problem. I feel like this ego trip a lot of amateurs like me are on wanting to believe they drive 270 yards is a little ridiculous. Its ok to admit that you only hit it 225 on a good drive.

Seems like a really good idea that could possibly make the game a little easier on the short drivers like me, while still keeping the rest of the game pretty much as is....ie my subsequent shots down the fairway and onto the green still require the same skill and accuracy, so its not robbing the player of playing golf, just being realistic about his/her driving distance/ability.

Thoughts?

 

[BigJim13]

Most amateurs lose shots around the green and from 100 yds and in, so I doubt it will make any significant impact on scores and handicaps.

I'd be more impressed with a free 1 hr short game clinic with Dave Pelz or Dave Stockton-now we're talking!

 

[eclark53520]

Doesn't make that much difference for me. I've played up there with my wife and on all but the par 5's it's only a 10 yard difference...so 1 club difference into the green typically. I still miss green's and moving up a tee doesn't help me scramble...

Might be different on other courses though. This is just around here.

 

[BigJim13]

Doesn't make that much difference for me. I've played up there with my wife and on all but the par 5's it's only a 10 yard difference...so 1 club difference into the green typically. I still miss green's and moving up a tee doesn't help me scramble...

Might be different on other courses though. This is just around here.

Thats a good point. There aren't many 7000 yd course around here and alot of times the forward tees are only 5-10 yds ahead of the next set. Maybe if it was a 40-50 yd difference, but I still doubt it would make much difference.

 

[shep3470]

I think is is a great idea.

Thats a good point. There aren't many 7000 yd course around here and alot of times the forward tees are only 5-10 yds ahead of the next set. Maybe if it was a 40-50 yd difference, but I still doubt it would make much difference.

I agree with you, BigJim, that most amateurs lose a lot of shots from 100 yards and in. But i think you missed the point of the article. It doesn't say to just move up 1 set of tees. It says to move to the set that corresponds to your driving distance.

I have seen so many people playing the back tees (6,928 yards) at my local course of choice that can't hit the ball over 200 yards. If they moved up to the suggested tees, they would be playing from the ladies tees at 5,282 yards. It would make a big difference. The yardage distance is so much shorter, a player who only hits a 200 yard drive would be looking at around 18 less shots a rounds. For example: hole #18 is a par 4, 442 from the back tees, 310 from the ladies. Someone with a driving distance of 200 yards would be going for the green in 2 from the front tees instead of 3 from the back tees.

But how many guys do to you know that would play from the ladies tees? lol

 

[BigJim13]

I think is is a great idea.




I agree with you, BigJim, that most amateurs lose a lot of shots from 100 yards and in. But i think you missed the point of the article. It doesn't say to just move up 1 set of tees. It says to move to the set that corresponds to your driving distance.

I have seen so many people playing the back tees (6,928 yards) at my local course of choice that can't hit the ball over 200 yards. If they moved up to the suggested tees, they would be playing from the ladies tees at 5,282 yards. It would make a big difference. The yardage distance is so much shorter, a player who only hits a 200 yard drive would be looking at around 18 less shots a rounds. For example: hole #18 is a par 4, 442 from the back tees, 310 from the ladies. Someone with a driving distance of 200 yards would be going for the green in 2 from the front tees instead of 3 from the back tees.

But how many guys do to you know that would play from the ladies tees? lol

I didn't read the article. I have heard the concept though. I think you missed my point actually. Regardless if you hit your drive 200 or 300 yds, once you get within 100 yds whether its your 2nd or 3rd shot, that is where the amateur starts really throwing away shots.

I'd be willing to bet that scores won't change that much, all things being equal, if you just moved up to a shorter set of tees. I'm pretty sure this has been tried and proven before. That is why you hear many teaching pros preach learning the game from the green back to the tee.

Also, even on the PGA what's the difference maker when it comes to winning and just getting a top 10 or 20? Putting. Short game too, but mainly putting.

 

[Golfanatic]

To me it makes perfect sense.
If youre on a par four you'd want to be in a tee position where you have at least some remote chance of getting on in two strokes for your normal distances.
Im not going to hit a ball 270 yards. One time back in the 90s I accidentally caught a ball just perfect and hit it about that far, but it didnt happen again back then when I tried to play for a short while...and it hasnt happened since I really started to try to learn to play right last August.
I know a number of guys who have gotten those lucky shots who think they're Tiger Woods now, and I believe most guys at my level then start playing the blue tees thinking every shot now is going 270, but in reality are barely making it 220-230 on a daily basis.

If I hit 1000 balls certainly a couple of them might do exactly what I want it to and be out there at 270. Hell I had a couple lucky strikes with my chopped down 3 wood that made me pretty excited at the range the other day, but the fact is that was a couple balls out of 200 or so that I hit that day. The rest were just under 200 yards, but consistent enough to play a decent round especially if I use the tees for that distance.

If a persons accuracy is good, but short distance, I dont see how this couldnt take one stroke off per hole on average. Even the par 3's which can be an absolute nightmare from the black tee's on my home course, but relatively easy to play from the more forward tee's.
If it takes you 2 to get to a par 4 green instead of 3 because you hit short, it only makes sense that you'd score better.

I think for beginners such as myself this program is perfect.
Then as we get better and can start hitting the big gun longer and more accurately, we move back a tee.

Just my thoughts as a beginner...

 

[BigJim13]

If a persons accuracy is good, but short distance, I dont see how this couldnt take one stroke off per hole on average. Even the par 3's which can be an absolute nightmare from the black tee's on my home course, but relatively easy to play from the more forward tee's.
...

Your logic makes sense, the USGA's logic makes sense. When its put into action though, it has little to now affect on bringing down scores and handicaps. All things being equal, the person with the better game from 100yds and in will beat the other pesron 99 out of 100 times. Regardless if I play tees at 7000 yds and my opponent plays tees at 5000yds. At most I would guess it would cut maybe 3 strokes off per round, no way 19 though.

 

[Golfanatic]

Your logic makes sense, the USGA's logic makes sense. When its put into action though, it has little to now affect on bringing down scores and handicaps. All things being equal, the person with the better game from 100yds and in will beat the other pesron 99 out of 100 times. Regardless if I play tees at 7000 yds and my opponent plays tees at 5000yds. At most I would guess it would cut maybe 3 strokes off per round, no way 19 though.

Actually, if it only saves just a few strokes it sort of proves what I was saying to the guys I play with...that the 'ladies' tees arent actually much of an advantage over the others and it shouldnt be such a stigma to just move up to the front tees.
These guys have to get all macho about it. My step father was really getting insulting when I mentioned it to him, but based on what youre saying its really not that big a deal. Not like we'd be moving up to 50 feet from the green or anything.

I havent tried it but once, so I dont know exactly how many strokes it would save on average....my thoughts were more a guess than anything.

 

[BigJim13]

my guess, unless you have a pretty sharp short game, moving up at all won't save any strokes.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

my guess, unless you have a pretty sharp short game, moving up at all won't save any strokes.

So if me and you go out, you would let me play the red while you play the tips? I personally think it would make a big difference. I think it would save me at least a half stroke per hole on front vs. back tees. From the ladies tee, I'm not going to be hitting any more than a short iron into the par 4's. In most cases I would basically be trying to get up and down for birdie on the par 4's.

I just pulled a scorecard out of my desk drawer from one of the more challenging courses that I play. The tips measure 7039 while the reds are at 5169. The difference is 100 yards per hole.

 

[shep3470]

So if me and you go out, you would let me play the red while you play the tips? I personally think it would make a big difference. I think it would save me at least a half stroke per hole on front vs. back tees. From the ladies tee, I'm not going to be hitting any more than a short iron into the par 4's. In most cases I would basically be trying to get up and down for birdie on the par 4's.

I just pulled a scorecard out of my desk drawer from one of the more challenging courses that I play. The tips measure 7039 while the reds are at 5169. The difference is 100 yards per hole.

+1.

If moving up would not save strokes then why the hell are there multiple sets of tees?

 

[BigJim13]

So if me and you go out, you would let me play the red while you play the tips? I personally think it would make a big difference. I think it would save me at least a half stroke per hole on front vs. back tees. From the ladies tee, I'm not going to be hitting any more than a short iron into the par 4's. In most cases I would basically be trying to get up and down for birdie on the par 4's.

I just pulled a scorecard out of my desk drawer from one of the more challenging courses that I play. The tips measure 7039 while the reds are at 5169. The difference is 100 yards per hole.

Maybe. How sharp is your short game? My argument is that all things being equal, unless you have a pretty sharp short game then moving forward won't affect your score that much.

If your game is like mine, then no, I would not let you play the reds while I play the tips. My game from 100 yds and in is decent. If you are a beginner though, I could care less what tees you play there is a good chance I am going to beat you even if I let you tee off 200 yds from the green each time.

PS-how often do you get up and down for birdie?

 

[Golfanatic]

Well, now I'm officially confused.

It helps, it doesnt help.....help me out here

 

[BigJim13]

Ok, lets try this again.

All things being equal, if your short game is decent then moving up will help.

How much distance are we really talking anyway? If you move from one tee to the next how much distance are you giving up? Most courses I play, one tee to the next is only 5-10 yds a hole. The example of one person playing at 7000 yds and the other at 5000 yds is extreme. Will teeing off 5-10 yds closer to the hole make you hit 6 or 6 more greens per round? Because that is the point of moving up, to hit more greens.

Basically what I am saying is, if your short game isn't decent moving up a tee or two won't help all that much.