What approximate yardage do you prefer to play?

[Jeff_Brauer]

Here is a specific question for all who care to answer:

Assuming a par 72 (as 70-71 would subtract a few yards, I think) what approximate overall distance is comfortable for you to play?  I know it varies, but presume you are playing a new course and looking at the card - which tees do you gravitate to mostly?

less than 5000 yards?

5400 yards?

5700 Yards?

6000 yards?

6300 Yards?

6600 Yards?

7000 Yards?

7250 or greater?

Distance only is fine, and you can include you and your playing partners.  Explanations are okay as well!

[Bill_McBride]

I no longer have the length to play from the back tees, so usually play the #2 set.  However, that's all dependent in large measure on such criteria as topography and firmness of fairways.  Sometimes a 6,100 yard course can play longer than a 6,500 yard course!

If I were looking at a scorecard with tees at 7,200, 6,900, 6,500 and 6,000 yards, I'd most likely opt for the 6,500 yard set.

[Kalen Braley]

Jeff,

Not be a wise-ass but in the words of Monty Python "African or European?"  

Here in Utah at elevation 6600 is reasonable for me, but closer to sea level I would look for something more in the 6300 yard range.

And unless i'm playing on the top of Mt. Timpaganos which is 12,000 feet, 7000 yards is just too long for me.  

[Doug Ralston]

Jeff;

What I can realistically play from is about 5500yd. BUT, the problem is, if I play exclusively from tees near that length, the par-3's are usually too short. I can hit a fairway wood to a 170yd par-3, but still only hit my driver 200yds, therefor limiting my par-4 practical length to about 370-380yd.

The result, since I have no official handicap, is that I usually play front tees on par-4's, front-middle on par-5's, and middle to back on par-3's.  Again, since I need not post for handicap, I have no problems varying my tees.

Doug

[Mark Pearce]

I play to a 12 handicap from the competition tees at my home club, which is 6800, so I normally look for the nearest tees to 6800, where allowed to choose (most Uk clubs require their visitors to play from the yellow tees).  My most usual playing partners are all similar handicaps, though a couple are a bit longer with their irons.  We're all happy at around 6800.  Given the yardages you give, we'd waiver between 6600 and 7000 before, probably going for 7000, though I might  prefer 6600.

[Jason Topp]

6300-6800 although I think the length of par 3's and short par 4's really varies this number.  If there are a couple of real short par 4's and some short par 3's (which I like) then a 6300 yard course can seem like a 6600 yard course.

Doug - if you want a handicap, there is a formula for adjusting course ratings to reflect precisely what you do.

[Brad Swanson]

7k for me, unless the course is wicked narrow, then the 6600 yd tees would be more enjoyable.

Cheers,
Brad

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Desert would be approximately 6750 and in the Pac NW where I live, summer is 6500 and winter would be 4500

[Jim_Kennedy]

Jeff,
I would say, in general, 6600 yds or so is what I'd gravitate towards, but I'm 'comfortable' playing anything between 6,000 and 7,000 yds.  

[Paul Payne]

Maybe what you are really asking is if we prefer our long game or our short game.

I usually pick the tees that are around 6600 or so. That being said I have played some great courses that only play around 6000 yards. I may have a shorter club in my hand for the second but the green surrounds and greens themselves make it very difficult to get it close and two putt.

Given the choice I think I would rather be challenged from my approach shot in than having to make a heroic drive.  

[Steve Lang]

   the older i get, the longer i used to be.. so

at WCC red is front, green sr, white are middle, blue 2nd from tips, gold/black =tips

prefer the front red tees, its neet to be under par, and great for short gaming, but hard to get guys to play from there

usually play the white tees for socializing, and with ms sheila (~6500-6800 yds)

will play the blue tees when just with guys (index of 10.. +2/-4) or when prepping for tourney

will play the tips when with champ flight guys to socialize, and rely on short game to score

[John Kirk]

I've already thought about this, and I like about 6800 yards.  Before the ball and clubs changed, that number was 6400-6500 yards.

[Mark Smolens]

I play with a group that runs tournaments on most of the quality public courses here in the Chicago District.  They vary the course lenths from about 6200 to 6800 yards, getting complaints from low handicap big hitters when it's "too short," and from the high handicap bunters when it's "too long."  No fun being in charge b/c you can rarely get it "just right."

[Norbert P]

6000-6300 but I usually check the par 3 yardages before I choose tees. And I use my 5 wood often from tees if fairways get tight or hazards encroach.

 Skamania Lodge (Stevenson, WA) plays long at 5700 ish. Six iron tee shots are often the wisest club. (Lots of trees and  small greens)

[Andy Doyle]

I rarely play from 7,000+ as that distance is usually towards the limit of my distance (assuming sea level, relatively flat course, etc.).  It's OK occasionally for the challenge, but  long, forced carries and very long approach shots wears you out after a while.  I also think playing from this distance tends to screw up my golf swing because one of my consistent faults is swinging too hard and losing tempo, and always pressing for distance exacerbates this fault.

Conversely, 6,000-6,300 usually feels too short, for totally unsubstantiated reasons (ego, testosterone?).  I do play from this distance, usually early in the season on my spring golf trip which includes guys with a wide range of abilities.  Opposite of the above, I think this helps my swing in the early season because I can be more relaxed and not worry about trying to kill the ball.

That said, of your choices I gravitate more instinctively to the 6,600 yard distance.  I used to never think about total yardage but would go by which set of tees - usally the second set.  A few years ago I was playing one of the Bear Trace courses in TN and instinctively went to the second set of tees.  When I looked at the scorecard I saw the distance from the tips was ~ 6800, so I moved to the back and had a blast playing from there.

Andy

[Brad Tufts]

As a near-to-scratch...

Par 72...7000 max

par 70....6600-6700 max

I know I generally should be playing the back tees everywhere I go, but its not as fun hitting 6 or 7 4-irons into greens.  Not to mention the fact that I do not posess tour length.

I tend to look at the rating.  My goal is to go out and shoot par every time, so a rating of around par or just over is the right tee for me.

[Jason Connor]

I'm a 13-14.  And as a new playing partner said this summer, "You don't drive like a 13 handicap" (cause I was driving great) to which I replied "Putt for dough."

Anyway, I like 6400-6700.  That frequently puts me at blues.  Sometimes when playing a new course for the first time, especially if I'm playing with family who tends to play shorter courses, I'll play low 6000s.  

But I prefer mid 6000s because I love hitting full mid-to-long irons and I find myself not being able to do that often enough sometimes.

[David Stamm]

6500-7000.

[Brent Hutto]

On a reasonably well-draining USA parkland course, Par 72, I'm most comfortable around 6,200-6,250 yards but can play something like my usual game up to around 6,400 before a bunch of Par 4's become unreachable.

On a links course my ideal length is probably 6,400-6,500 at Par 72 but I can play them a good bit longer in firm and dry conditions if needs be. Even a Par 70 at 6,200+ is fine on firm links or heathland.

A converted rice paddy at Myrtle Beach will play longer'n hell at 6,200 for my game. Plugged drives and approaches plugged in aprons kill me.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I am a 60 year old with a 5 handicap.  I prefer a course between 6600 and 6800.  If I go to a new course and the back tees are at that number I will play there if the back tees are 7400 and the next set is 7000 I will play the 7000.  My ego won't let me go up any farther.

[Cory Lewis]

6600 yard tees on a windy day, 7000 yards tees on a calm day.  My biggest pet peeve is when the PGA Section puts a tournament on a 7200+ yard course, the tournament becomes survival of the longest hitter, we ain't the PGA Tour

[Jay Flemma]

At sea level, 6400-6500...

[Andy Troeger]

I would tend to fall into the camp that prefers something around 6600 for a par 72 at a "normal" elevation. I'll play the back tees at longer courses sometimes and have the length to handle longer courses but its usually not as fun from 7000+ for me. That's as about a 5 hcp give or take depending on the year.

[Mike Benham]

Based on yardage only, I would say 7,000 yards.

However, yesterday, at Morgan Creek from 7,250 yards and only had one 4 iron and one 5-iron into par-4s.  But on the par-3s, I had 2 4 irons and utility and 1 5-iron.  And for me, only 1 of the par-5s was reachable in two.  

[Tim Bert]

6300-6600 for me at normal elevation.  Anything shorter and I feel like I'm hitting too many wedges into the greens (not that I'm tearing the course up with wedges, but I prefer a mix.)  Anything longer and I'm struggling with too many longer irons or hybrids in my hand.

The course and tees I play most regularly is 6569.  It has a good mix of longer and shorter holes, so it provides the variety I like.  It also has a set of tees that is 6195 for really cold winter days.  It has a set of tees at 6926 that I might play once a year when I'm feeling frisky.  I don't even entertain the 7190s.