Multiple Tee Competitions

[Duncan Cheslett]

Traditionally in the UK, all golf competitions or matches have been played from the same tee, regardless of the age or ability of the players. While midweek or informal competitions are often played from the yellow or intermediate tees,  all Saturday Medals or Stablefords are invariably played from the back (usually white) tees. As a result, many short hitters and senior players find themselves frustrated by their inability to compete or even to reach the fairway on certain holes.


Following the assessment of the course for men from the red (or Ladies) tees, at Reddish Vale we have begun to experiment with multiple tee competitions, where men can choose which of three sets of tees to play from, and their handicap is adjusted accordingly.


Our first such competition was over 9 holes last Friday, and it attracted a lot of interest. It was encouraging to see some average ability guys choosing the red tees for the novelty value, and reporting back that they had actually enjoyed the experience for the difference it made to their playing experience. The general feeling was that no competitive advantage was to be gained by trading shorter distance for a reduction in handicap.


I can see only positive benefits in breaking down the macho resistance to playing from forward tees and particularly in removing the gender connotations with the forward red tees. Ideally we will introduce a fourth set of tees even further forward rated for both men and women and allow even more choice.


Has anyone else in the UK had experience of similar experiments? It would be interesting to know what potential problems we face.


Incidentally this was the first qualifying competition we have ever had that was open to both men and women. My wife Jayne was the only lady participant.


She was also the overall winner!   

[Tom_Doak]

Duncan:



We don't play nearly as many club competitions at American clubs as you do in the UK [or as they do in Australia], however, at my own club some of the competitions offer the use of different tees for a gain or reduction in strokes.  This is the one great benefit of the USGA's course ratings and slope system ... it provides a formula to adjust the number of strokes one is allowed if moving to a different set of tees.


Since the USGA's formulas all relate to "adjusted" scores for handicap purposes, the great majority of players would gain from moving up to the most forward tees to which they are allowed, and reducing their strokes given ... because we only play to our handicaps 30% of the time!

[Duncan Cheslett]

I really hope this can catch on over here.


In our regular lunchtime roll-up we may well have a young 4-handicapper playing in the same 4-ball as a 76 year-old guy who can barely walk playing off 27.


It is no fun at all watching the old boy struggle to reach fairways from the yellow tees. He would have such a better time (and continue to turn up for more years) if he could play from further forward and lose a few strokes.


After all, everybody loses distance off the tee as they get older. The deterioration in performance from say 150 yards in however, is far less marked. Forcing older golfers to play from back tees penalises unfairly the one aspect of their game that that they are no longer competitive in.


I am aware that this is normal stuff in the US, but it is revolutionary here in the UK.


Casual or social 4-balls are a rarity at many UK golf clubs. Most golf is in competitions of one sort or another.  Historically all play has had to be from the same tee. England Golf have now made it possible to run competitions from multiple tees; whether it is accepted as the norm remains to be seen.

[Jon Wiggett]

Duncan,


I think this is a great idea and hope it catches on. I think one positive for seniors is that many will probably feel more comfortable with moving forward in order to retain their handicap at the level they have always played at.


Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Movement to introduce something similar is starting to gather pace at the club I play at most often but what may gather momemtrum first is men and women playing in singles competitions together, ie at the same tee-times but in different competition divisions for different prizes.


I can see resistance and disharmony initially but in the longer term it'll happen. Same with juniors playing in 'adult' competitions, which in many places has been frowned upon or had limitations imposed. The world is moving forward, although in golfing terms some parts msy be moving forward faster than others.


And well done Jayne.


Atb

[Tommy Williamsen]

In many of our club competitions where handicaps are used players, regardless of age, use the tees from where they established their handicaps. It works fine and everyone is on board with it.

[Jeff Bergeron]

We offer players whose age + index exceeds 75 to chose to move up a set of tees at a reduction of two handicap strokes and roughly 400 yards. Purely optional.

[Adrian_Stiff]

I think it is a good idea. I certainly play less golf because my friends want to play off the backs and it is too long for me.


The rules of golf though don't seem to allow 'proper golf' to be played this way.


In a local competition a few weeks there was uproar when a pair of ladies won a gross event, going off the red tees and 'they' don't like it when Ladies win the Sunningdale Foursomes. The point I am trying to make is it seems to me that it would be fine with the 72 year old 27 capper playing until he WON, when some smart azz would get the zig.


What it really needs is a formula (handicap adjustment) so people have a standard handicap, yellow handicap and red handicap.

[Jason Topp]

[quote author=Adrian_Stiff link=topic=63477.msg1511831#msg1511831 date=1472465951

What it really needs is a formula (handicap adjustment) so people have a standard handicap, yellow handicap and red handicap.



The US system accomplishes this fairly well.  I played in two recent competitions - one from the forward tees at 5,000 yards and an event from about 6300 yards.  My scores on the card differed by 7 shots but the scores when posted into the system for handicap purposes were close to identical.  The higher score from the back tee was considered a stroke better than my lower score from the forward tee.

[Niall C]

Duncan


We play comps from 3 different tees. The blacks from the very back where they play the Open qualifier from (us normal mortals only get the chance to play 3 or 4 comps a year from these tees), the whites for the vast majority of medals and then a number of mid week medals off the blue tees which I suppose are the seniors tees and generally placed ahead of the carry off the main tees.


As far as I am aware you play off the same handicap for each but that the standard scratch (or whatever it's called now) changes. I understand that the blue tee medals get as many entrants if not more than for the black tee medals. I've not played in any blue tee medals myself as I can't make mid week but I'd have no objection to doing so. I do play in at least one black tee medal which I tends to think of as my annual dose of humility.


Niall

[Duncan Cheslett]

The rules of golf though don't seem to allow 'proper golf' to be played this way.

Au contraire

http://www.englandgolf.org/library-media%5Cdocuments%5CAppendix%20O.pdf

[Ryan Coles]

The rules of golf though don't seem to allow 'proper golf' to be played this way.

Au contraire

http://www.englandgolf.org/library-media%5Cdocuments%5CAppendix%20O.pdf

How about for a scratch event?

[Sam Kestin]

Another fun way to do this (especially with low handicappers) might be an event where everyone gets to choose six holes to play from the championship tee, six holes from the member tee and six holes from the forward tee.


Would add an interesting strategic wrinkle of which holes to play from which tees.