These are some of the names that have been given to the extra tee box that numerous courses have installed over the past year. They're closer to the hole than the standard forward tee, and in some places they're referred to as the "fun tees". It's easy to see why.
The game of golf is dauntingly difficult; a fact that's been loudly lamented by generations of players. We've heard it for years, from politicians, preachers and a whole slew of stand-up comics...many of whom were actually excellent players. It's no wonder so many once hopeful golfers give up on the game each year; they simply grow weary of playing a sport they suspect they may never get good at.
Golf is a multi-faceted game, and numerous elements contribute to its high degree of difficulty. However, due to the aforementioned exodus... and a decline in golf participation over the past several years... one of those elements is being addressed at a growing number of North America golf courses. From coast to coast a new set of tees is making golf decidedly more accessible/enjoyable for beginners... and others... who've found frustration on courses that, particularly over the past couple of decades, have become far too long and too difficult for their skill level... even from "forward tees"... because at most of today's golf courses the forward tees play at over (often well over) 5,000 yards which for many beginner / junior / senior / female-weekend / recreational golfers means lots of picking up (frustrating) or an exceedingly slow round (frustrating + annoying / inconsiderate).
Hopefully, this signals the trend that will take Tee it Forward to the next level, making the game more accessible to beginners and less frustrating for casual golfers.
I hate to say it but the stigma of the "ladies tee" is what keeps lots of guys from teeing it forward and I'm afraid its going to be hard to change that. There are also the guys who feel entitled to take as long as they want once they pay their greens fees and that includes playing from the tips with a 20 handicap.
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ReplyDeleteMY favorite JOKE ABOUT men playing from THE RED TEEs:
four men are completing the eighteenth hole when they are struck by lightning and killed and, in heaven, st peter asks the foursome "what law school did you guys attend?" ...."i didn't go to law school" is the response from one guy, and another says...."i didn't go to law school either,...in fact NONE of us did !"
"....OH...oh.." moans st peter, "i'm afraid there has been a mistake....that lightening bolt was meant for the lawyers in the group BEHIND you, on seventeen"....."well i'll tell you what", continues st peter...."you guys can go back to earth BUT on ONE condition, you cannot go back as yourselves, but you can go back as anyone else you like..."
after some intense deliberation, they ALL decided to go back as young lesbians
"....why would that be ?, what is the reason ?...." asked st peter
"well actually for two reasons, one is, we get to eat all the %^$$@! we want, and two, we get to play from the RED TEEs !........."
frankDsoflaftliquordale33316
Good one Frank. ;)
ReplyDeleteMore par3 course would also help. They're the best place to take new golfers because the distances are often just right for them to have a challenging but rewarding round and more importantly, because the less tolerant, unwelcoming, obnoxious players generally generally look down upon par3 course and don't frequent them.
I'm just back from Cali where we spent a weekend at Terranea. Their par 3 course was the best golf experience I've ever had. Even my "blue tee wannabe" boyfriend loved it. I'm sure "far forward tees", well placed would enhance the playing experience for many recreational golfer, even if some of them would be loath to admit it.
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ReplyDeleteit's NOT how back the tees are, its where the player is after his / her THIRD shot, which i use as the benchmark. architect peter dye once said words to the effect "who in the heck knows where the high-handicapper will be after his third shot" as a reference as to how truly impossible it is to design a course for ALL capabilities - the reason is the pro can get OUT of trouble in one shot whereas the hacking weekend warrior only COMPOUNDs mistakes
if you are NOT playing your third shot as a short approach MOST of the time, you are playing from the wrong tees - period - even THREE one-hundred-fifty yard seven irons will travel 450 yards in total ! (and not many of us play 450 yard holes as par 4s)
i cannot count the number of touristing visitors here in soFLA who pull out $600 drivers wanting to play from the tips and not hit even ONE good drive per round
i myself use a two iron off the tee, sacrifice distance for accuracy, and am content with bogey golf for pleasure (and i gave up long drives which i could hit reqularly, alas, only to chunk the chip, and that got old, so i tossed all my woods in favor or a full repeatable swing of the tee same as the approach shot typically followed by a short game of chip and one-putt for par, two-putt for bogey and done)
now the "young ladies" play the back tees from me, and i still get strokes, but i buy the first few bar rounds when i win their money, poor college kids anyway, they have such suppleness and finesse in their muscles its like watching a thoroughbred horse run, easy yet powerful (we don't play for much but like harvey penick says, you should always have "something" on the game to hold your concentration)
as an aside, in the olde dayz, country clubs used to be vigilant about having members play from their appropriate tees, but today, each uber-master owns his own course, and makes his own rules (except at augusta which i am sure condi rice will be mindful of)
ReplyDeletenow i have come across a gender-neutral idea at naples ritz-carlton greg norman course "the tiburon" (means shark in spanish TIB - uh - rone)
they would set color coded tees, say gold, which aligns with that days play, and adjusted for handicap, may be longer or shorter than the previous days play (the idea is to play a back tee position as a par 5 and a front tee position as a par 4) (similarly a short par 3 yesterday might be a long carry par three today)
meanwhile both are the same hole BUT different tee locations (apparently to break the monotony of a long resort stay getting bored with a one-dimensional course lay-out) so each time the course plays differently YET the differences are accounted for in handicapping (as when a long 4 becomes a short 5 or a short 3 becomes a forced carry long 3)
anyway no matter the total yardage - the hardest HOLE will always be the STRAIGHTest one !
frankD
ftliqourdale
soFLA33316