Bruce
I have been playing hybrid tees for years. So many course are now pushing 7,300+ yards from the tips that they are just too long for me. That being said there are some holes that should be played from the tips to maintain the integrity of the hole. In my younger days I attempted to play courses between 6,900 and 7,000 yards. Age and surgery have moved my targeted yardage to 6,500 to 6,800.
Many clubs recognize the advantages of hybrid tees which include: a different look for members who play the same course very often, better rotation of wear for both tees and fairways, greater flexibility to accomodate a wide variety of ability levels.
Two years ago I played the Creek course at Reynolds Plantation with the Head Pro and he pointed out the hybrid tees (Combination of tips and one step up) actually made it onto the scorecard. He also said they were favored by many memebers. The club had an interesting method of identifying the approriate tee. They put a bench next to the hybrid tee for each hole.It is a great idea and should be welcomed by more courses....remeber this game is supposed to be fun!