What’s that line about removing everything possible until nothing else can be? I butchered it, but my man Pallota will clean it up.
The more correct design axiom in play is "form follows function." Under the "remove everything possible" I suppose you could go to one tee. But, just as in society, where we are expected to share space get along with others different from us, on at least a public golf course, or even most clubs, you are expected to share the course with others of different abilities and perspectives. If I was of such good golfing ability, I wouldn't consider seeing some other tees in front of me a big life problem, I would be grateful. And, I would be grateful Dad, grandpa, Mom, grandma, junior was enjoying the great game of golf their way, if for no other reason to help foot my bill!
Similarly, as an architect, I would not consider designing a course for a broad spectrum, including multiple tees, to be "pandering" (would love to hear someone's definitions of that in this instance) and I am pretty sure my public course owner would simply consider it trying to provide the best customer experience.
The theory of six tees (which few courses really like and accept) is that while tee shot distances are naturally all across the board, they seem to cluster at (with a bit of shameless rounding on my part) 290, 260, 225, 200, 170, and 140 on the typical American course. Yes, I agree it varies and should be considered if on links, in the mountains above Denver or the dense air of San Fran, etc. If we want to remove a tee, statistically (at 0.15%) removing the 290 yard tee (and if considered for the 0.00001% of 320 hitters, makes the most sense. Max the course at about 6800 yards.
What typically happens is the senior tees are combined at 200, or hopefully 185, so a large chunk of today's players are playing a course (if design considered them at all) at a less than ideal distance. In my work, yes, being able to carry hazards reasonably is an issue for them, and if TD came in and said he wouldn't "pander" to that, or tell them to man up and try to make a bigger carry, he might leave with one of their three irons stuck where the sun don't shine. Just a snarky way of saying their reaction, IMHO, would be "WTF?" Old men are just coming to grips with the fact they don't hit is as far as they used to, and someone wants to come in and remind them of it? LOL.
As to total distance, it is not hard to figure. If we think about those 140 and 170 hitters, take 90% of that (tee shot plus 80% max for second shot three wood) and multiply by 36 and you get 4536 and 5508 as the maximum yardage they can be expected to have a shot at reaching a green in regulation. And, if we want them to enjoy golf, and maybe hit a 5 iron in some times, it is probably less than that.
We need/want seniors to keep playing, and we need women to enter the game, which they won't do if it is impossible. When courses need golfers, you may consider it pandering, but they consider it perhaps survival!
Just my thoughts.
05