Teeing areas

[Peter Galea]

We have probably been over this before but I can't find it in the archives.

Please vote:

Rectangular or freeform.

[re(dan)ctangular man]

rectangular  

[Paul Perrella]

 Pete,

From some of the comments I've heard over the years while playing golf many people would elect free form because rectangular tees sometimes "point" you in the wrong direction.
Although I am in favor of rectangular tees I am more concerned with their placement re the previous green.

[THuckaby2]

Some of each, depending on what's appropriate for the hole, but in any case never ALL of one or the other on an 18-hole course.

Or is that what you were asking?

If it's just what I like better, put me down with redantangularman.  And the narrower and longer the better.  #4 at Pasatiempo has the narrowest tee I've ever seen, you barely have room to stand on it.  But it's long as all get go so it never gets beaten up - it can be moved up and back... I thought that was cool.

TH

TH

[aclayman]

I prefer flat, but if the hole is an easy one I don't mind a slanty tee. We have several here and one even has a baby elephant buried in the middle.

Cheers,
adam

[Sri Bunga Raya]

I think it depends on the course – if the bunkers and greens look like Rorschach Ink Blot Tests, the freeform tees “fit” best -- otherwise I vote for square or rectangle.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Tom, are you sure you're not thinking of the 3rd tee (long, uphill par 3) at Pasatiempo? I distinctly remember that one being about as wide as one's stance, since it's cut out of the side hill.

[THuckaby2]

Scott:

#3 has a fairly narrow tee, at least the bottom one where the blue and whites normally are (there's another slightly uphill to the left that is wider on which the blocks are sometimes placed), but #4 is the VERY narrow tee I am talking about above.  #3 is the long uphill bitch of a par 3, #4 is a relatively short but still bitchly par 4.  Both are MacKenzie at his best.  #4 tee is directly up the hill to the left of #3 green.

TH

[redanman]

To give an expanded answer, one reason that I like rectangular tees is that you can get the proper 2 clublengths behind the tee as the rules allow.  If the tees are placed far enough forward in the teeing area.

Not so with freeform.

[aclayman]

Peter-
How'd it go today? Did the dozer come on-time? I wish I had made it to watch you do your magic, and Conner, What a team member.
Maybe Thursday?
Tells us what you went with, did you stay with the similar style as the tee your replaceing? or did you cut it more into the hillside allowing for more yardage?

[Peter Galea]

Adam, It went well yesterday, we got a lot done. It fits. This morning, my seven year old, Conner, will lay out his first greensite (with expert help). A push-up experiment with native soil.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pete,

Rectangular

[TEPaul]

I think I prefer squared corners whether rectangular or square or even L shaped like #10 at Atlantic City. I also like the very low profile type that seem almost seamlessly on the ground. I also like the look of the tees on #4, #15 and #18 Atlantic City that were sort of hidden in some mounded, fescuey areas.

But the coolest I saw was #1 Atlantic City. The back tee was on the far left side of the long narrow practice putting green and the middle tee was on the far right and front of the practice putting green. There was absolutely no demarcation at all--just two tee markers right on the practice putting green--that's all.

I would only recommend such as this on a hole where everyone is guaranteed to hit a driver though.

[John_Sheehan]

I prefer what I consider the more natural looking of the two, free form. Especially on courses with some elevation changes. It just looks too artificial to me to see squared corners. One of my favorite tees is on a par four, with the tee fronting a lake, the back tee actually forms a crescent, following the countour of the pond. The forward tees follow the same contour, but don't demand the forced carry.  It fits quite naturally into the landscape.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

I like the more natural the better. Where practical let them be flat or almost flat. Let the land on each hole dictate it.

[Slag_Bandoon]

  Rectangular is uninspiring and uncreative.  Functional and easy to mow but a total suit and tie hangup.
  Freeform, groovy, cosmic launchpads float my dharmic mantras, man!

[Craig Disher]

Rectangular gives more teeing area for a fixed amount of maintenance.  

Can anyone give me an approximation of the sq. footage needed for tee boxes on a par 70, 6300 yard course, about 25k rounds/year?

[PJ Wycoff]

Pete:

Tradional rectangular or Contemporary freeform, or a combination of the two? Rectangular with a small radius at the cornors, just make sure they align to the turning point.  phil

[Matt_Ward]

Either way is OK with me just as long as the tees are level.

Although it may be a small detail you would be surprised how many clubs do not have level teeing areas.

Doesn't anybody check every year on this???

I mean all tee positions not just the middle, back or front areas.

[Craig Disher]

Ok, I'll try again.  In 1985, the USGA recommended 100 sq ft of teeing area per hole for every 1000 rounds played each year. On par 3s, they recommended 200 sq ft.  Are these good benchmarks?

[Pete G.]

Good benchmarks, yes. 200 sq. feet on the 1st tee also.