Survey: What Yardage Do You Actually Play From?

[Tim_Weiman]

Tom,

For more than 30 years, off and on, I have played and watched many people play Big Met, one of the Cleveland Metroparks courses that has little to no architectural value except as a reality check on the real game of golf in America.

Big Met has maybe two holes worth looking at if you happen to be within ten minutes. But, it has often been one of the busiest courses in Ohio hosting more 60,000 rounds per year.

Watching people play makes clear: the vast majority of golfers do not need more than 6,100-6,300 yards. I really doubt this distance is not adequate for about 90% of the people who play the game.

[Carl Johnson]

Answers to 1and 2 are the same.  At my home course (par 71) I play from tees that are listed on the card at 5,891 yds. (rated 68.4, slope 125).  (For what it's worth, age 71, high handicapper.)  Works for me.

[Matthew Rose]

The 3 courses I play the most:
6,592 yards par 71
7,157 yards par 72
7,100 yards par 72

I'm a 2 handicap at altitude, so as a rule I usually play the tips up to about 7200 or so. Anything longer than that and I will have to consider several things like the weather, the wind, the state of my game, and my playing partners. If I think I'm gonna have more than 2-3 approach shots with a 3-wood or hybrid, then I will generally move up a set.

On the third course (7100) there are some fairly long par-fours on the front nine with forced carries on the second shot.... I generally will move up to the 6,700 yard tees most of the times I play here.

[Dave Herrick]

Last - Monterey Peninsula Dunes - 6100.
Home - Lakewood CC (Colo) - 6400, at a mile high.

[Dan Herrmann]

about 6400 yards at 650' elevation.

[Jamey Bryan]

Bogey:

Riverside is a FUN and challenging golf course!  I played it a couple of years ago as a part of a celebration of the Carolina Golf Association's Centennial (they invited reps of all the original members of the CGA).  Brian Silva really nailed it on this renovation.  I'll try to post some more detail after the tournament, but I'm told that Riverside now is played by the members 2:1 over Chanticleer (no disrespect to Chanticleer, but it just beats you up shot after shot!).  More later, but believe me it is a very, very good and fun course.

Jamey

[Bill Brightly]

6650 Blue tees, Hackensack Golf Club. I play 60% from these tees, 35% from the Black, 6950 yards.
5% from the White (aka senior) but these are most most fun rounds, but there is a huge handicap problem here, IMO, my scores are far better when I move up. If I played here on a regular basis, I would be 2 rather than 4 hdcp, and I think that is a problem with the handicap system at most courses.

[Clyde Johnson]

1. Sea Island (Seaside); GA, USA - 6657 yards; Par 70; Blue

2. Kendal; Cumbria, England - 5792 yards; Par 69; White/Medal [Front 9 is 2560 yards...talk about balance!]

[Ken Moum]

My last round was at Albuquerque CC and I think I played at ~6000.

My home course is Shawnee CC in Topeka where the white tees are 6400 and the golds are under 5800. I'd like to play something closer to 6000, but mostly play the whites.

FWIW, when I'm on the road I rarely play anything over 6100.

K

[Bryan Izatt]

Last:  Twineagles - Eagle course 6500 yards par 71 (a bit too long)

Home:  Club at Bond Head North  6100 yards par 71

           Club at Bond Head South  6500 yards par 72  (Once a year we play our Black and Blue night at more than 7500 yards which is
                                                                            way too much)

[JLahrman]

Last round was at Monarch Bay at 6,560.

I would generally prefer to play in the 6,500 - 6,800 range. I'm a 9 handicap, fairly long, but I hit enough wild ones that anything approaching 7,000 is going to make for a long round unless I have a pretty good day off the tee.

[hhuffines]

Played Pasatiempo today at 6521 yards.  Carolina CC in Raleigh maxes out at 6300 yards although it does have 6 par threes.  I am comfortable up to 6800 yards or so, depending on the course.

[Brett_Morrissy]

1: Last round - Thirteenth Beach - Beach course - day after the Vic Open, Men's course set up with tees and pins the same as Sunday - with an additional 3 club previaling wind that they were lucky NOT to experience all week of the tournament.
7044 yards (6434 m) Par 72
- interestingly, I caddied for a young gun amateur for the week, she is a great player, I would rather have played the tournament course the girls played (the Victorian Open I believe is the only professional event with both Men and Women competing together) at 6,294 yards (5749m) par 74 - would have been a hell of a lot more fun! 

2: My home club is Thirteenth Beach - Beach & Creek courses -
Blue tees - Beach 6713 yards (6139 m)       - Creek 6595 yards (6031 m)
Black tees (Medal days only - first Sat of the month) - Beach 7048 yards (6445 m)     - Creek 6947 yards (6353 m)
interesting that the Creek Blacks seem much longer and tougher than the Beach - perhaps it is the green tee walks and more exposed layout.

[Chuck Glowacki]

Last round played Indian Island,  6100
April thru mid June and Sep thru early Dec  NGLA 6500

[James Boon]

1. Notts (Hollinwell) from winter tees, which is mostly the same as the yellow with a few further forwards and a few further back but approx 6,600 yards.

2. Notts (Hollinwell) from either whites at 6,900 or less frequently from blues at 7,250 depending upon who I'm playing with.

2a. I am very close to getting a cheap second membership either closer to home for summer evening practice or further away from home and just to prove that as a short hitter Hollinwell's yardage isnt something I obsess over, the regular play from this second course could be either 5,552 or 5,855 or 5,872 yards depending upon where I end up.

Cheers,

James

[Martin Toal]

Bearwood Lakes white tees around 6500 yards.

[Anders Rytter]

Last course:
Torrequebrada - tips - 6400yds

Homecourses
Værløse GK - ~99% Tips - 6900
Rungsted GK - ~75% Tips - 6600

At home I play the tips unless i'm playing with some one that prefers Members-tee, Never play more than 1 set of tees pr gender.  

[Stewart Abramson]

Sand Hollow, Hurricane UT - White  tee - card says 6462

Home Course is called Otterkill (Orange Co, NY) a 1957 WM F Mitchell - Play the middle tees which  are about 6500, but can't find a card to confirm exactly

[Chuck Glowacki]

Brian:  We play NGLA at the discretion of the caddy master, thus the spring and fall dates.  Rarely play during the height of the
season (mid June thru mid September)

[Niall C]

My last round was on the Ballindalloch Castle course which is a modern 9 holer designed by Tom MacKenzie with two varying lots of tees. When I played last week, only one set was in play. I've no idea about the yardage.

The week before that, I played Boat of Garten off the red tees as the yellows/whites were in hibernation for the winter. I suspect the yardage would be about the 5,000 yds possibly/probably less, didn't look to see.

Until recently I was a member at Moray GC and generally played off the white tees which I suspect are a touch over 6,000 yds although I've never really paid attention to that. There are a number of chmapionship tees tucked amongst the gorse but never bothered playing off them.

Niall

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Bro-Bålsta for both 1 & 2. I play most of my golf off the yellow tees (6450 yds).

I play off 5 and 6450 yds is just about right for me. We sometimes have competitions off the white tees, but I definitely struggle as they're 7150 yds.

[Willie_Dow]

The Moorings Club, Vero Beach, FL plays from the White tees @ 3891 yards.  Its rating is 61.4/108.

Pete Dye gave us a great track right out into the inland water way.  It is just off Rt A1A, south of town.  Perfect course for senior play.

[Paul Gray]

Most recent: Corhampton - 6088 yards, par 70. I believe in the summer it's normal to play it at 6388 yards, par 71.

Home: Cams Hall - 5860 yards, par 71. Again, summer yardage comes in at 6201, par 71.

As a fluctuating mid single digit duffer I would suggest 6500 yards sits about right for me on paper, typically with a par of about 71. But I couldn't really care less about length, just so long as variety is there in ample measure.

As a side note to this issue of longer courses, the club pro was bemoaning playing a tournament the other day off back markers at 7,000+ yards. Fine in the summer, but in February in Britain that's a stretch for all but the longest of tour boys.

[Bill_McBride]

Last round played Indian Island,  6100
April thru mid June and Sep thru early Dec  NGLA 6500

NGLA?! Just throw that one out there!!

LAst course played - Walton Heath New yesterday - white tees - 6648 but felt much shorter due to very firm conditions
Home course - Royal Cinque Ports - 6500 from yellows is just fine for me.

Brian, I loved Walton Heath Old.  Is there any difference between Old and New?

[Kevin Stark]

It really depends upon the conditions of the day and how I'm playing. If I'm feeling salty and the conditions are firm and fast, I will go as far as 7400. Normally, though, around 6800-6900 does the trick on a par 72 track.

1. Southwood Golf Course, Tallahassee, Florida. 6650-ish par 72. In mid-summer I might try the near-7200 set, but not in February.
2. Highland Country Club, Indianapolis, Indiana. 6551 par 70.

I will move up on some tees as well, usually on the par 3's. The par 4's and par 5's are usually manageable, but the tips on some par 3's are too hard for me. As an example, I moved up a set on #3 and #12 at Old Mac when I was there in November, as both played into the winter wind. A 236 yard Redan into the wind is a bit much!