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Mark_Fine

  • Total Karma: -17
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2006, 01:54:41 PM »
Many times I have asked to play "the medal" tees on the links courses in the U.K.  Generally they are only for tournament play.  I can think of a number of times where permission was granted but the pro came out to watch us tee off before giving his final approval.  

Glenn Spencer

Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2006, 01:57:13 PM »
That seems like a reasonable practice.

Craig Sweet

  • Total Karma: 0
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2006, 02:03:31 PM »
Poor golfers should stick to easier, shorter courses. Beginner skiers should stay off black diamond runs...and people that drive 10 miles under the speed limit should be shot. ;D

PThomas

  • Total Karma: -21
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2006, 02:13:20 PM »
The last time I played Ross Bridge, the latest RTJ Trail course here in Birmingham, my wife and I were behind a foursome of guys all playing from the 8,200 yard tips.  We caught them on about the 8th and stayed behind them until around the 13th, when we gave up and left.  On every non-par 3 hole, at least one of the foursome (and sometimes two) would hit a drive that would not get to the next set of tees up.  

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's gotta count as time spent in Purgatory, John....
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

David Ober

  • Total Karma: 0
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #29 on: April 13, 2006, 02:14:58 PM »

You won't be hitting 8-iron into # 13 unless it's your third shot.


Why would you say this, having never played with the man? Is it impossible, from the members' tees, to hit a drive that leaves one with an 8-iron into #13?
« Last Edit: April 13, 2006, 02:15:20 PM by David Ober »

John Goodman

Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #30 on: April 13, 2006, 02:23:21 PM »
The last time I played Ross Bridge, the latest RTJ Trail course here in Birmingham, my wife and I were behind a foursome of guys all playing from the 8,200 yard tips.  We caught them on about the 8th and stayed behind them until around the 13th, when we gave up and left.  On every non-par 3 hole, at least one of the foursome (and sometimes two) would hit a drive that would not get to the next set of tees up.  

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's gotta count as time spent in Purgatory, John....

For them or me?

Tim Pitner

  • Total Karma: 0
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #31 on: April 13, 2006, 02:27:59 PM »
I'm a little split on this.  Generally, I think people should play the tees that are appropriate for their handicap, mostly for pace of play reasons.  But, I know that the designated tees are not always the most appropriate, depending on the player and the course.  I'll use myself as an example.  I'm somewhere between an 8 and 9 handicap.  I'm a long enough hitter to handle most back tees (in the 7000 yard area), but I need to drive well or it'll be a long day.  The second from the back tees, closer to 6500 yards (at sea level), are probably the most appropriate for me.  Sometimes, I'll play the back tees just to hit some long iron shots that I wouldn't ordinarily have to play (other than maybe on a par 3 or two) or to challenge myself more off the tee.  It's a good way to sharpen those skills.  But, it's not something I'd recommend doing all the time.  Sure, that "good" 82 feels great, but a 78 from the middle tees feels even better.  

PThomas

  • Total Karma: -21
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #32 on: April 13, 2006, 02:30:36 PM »
The last time I played Ross Bridge, the latest RTJ Trail course here in Birmingham, my wife and I were behind a foursome of guys all playing from the 8,200 yard tips.  We caught them on about the 8th and stayed behind them until around the 13th, when we gave up and left.  On every non-par 3 hole, at least one of the foursome (and sometimes two) would hit a drive that would not get to the next set of tees up.  

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's gotta count as time spent in Purgatory, John....

For them or me?

you John...you certainly paid a price that day

just curious:  did you ask them about playing thru or why they felt the need to play from there?  my tongue is getting looser and looser, so if I was you that day I'm almost sure I would have "confronted" them
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

redanman

Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #33 on: April 13, 2006, 02:30:47 PM »
"Comfort Zone"


Shold we propose "Rules of thumb"  for said "Comfort Zone" ?

Maybe it should be the comfort zone for the people playing behind you?

Maybe for you to keep up?

When people ask me where I want to play I say 6600-7100 yards somewhere in there is fine for me.    

If we're waiting for the people ahead of us to hit their third shots before we tee off from the 6600 set, maybe we need to move back to the 6900's that day.

I also play longer and shorter than these but whatever works, I feel really guilty holding people up (Never much happens) and conversely become infuriated by being held up by slow innapropriate inconsiderate play ahead of me.  

redanman

Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #34 on: April 13, 2006, 02:34:22 PM »
... ... ... my wife and I were behind a foursome of guys all playing from the 8,200 yard tips.  We caught them on about the 8th and stayed behind them until around the 13th, when we gave up and left. ... ... ...  

Where was the ranger?

where was your cell phone?  8)

Personally?

I would have driven past them without looking at them  as I went by.  (And reported them by cell phone)

Mark Arata

  • Total Karma: 0
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #35 on: April 13, 2006, 02:43:30 PM »
I think getting out of your comfort zone on a course you play regularly is a great way to improve your game, it makes you think about differnent ways around the course, and play some different shots that you may not normally play over the accumlation of many rounds on the same track.

However, in my case, I probably play about 50 rounds a year, most of which come on 2 annual trips I make, and a vast majority of these rounds come on courses I have either never played, or have played only once or twice before. In that case, I would almost always tend to play the tees that were in the 6500-6900 range on the course. I feel like that best represents my abilities as a 10.9 index golfer.

I once shot an 82 from the back tees at Olympic, but it was the best round of 20 on a 2 week trip, and also the last round of the trip. By then I was in a groove and my short game was really on that day. Still, I was hitting Driver, 3 wood or Driver 3 iron into a lot of holes, had no chance to reach any of the par 5's in two, and had to putt out of my mind to score well.

Playing the back tees as a short hitter will certainly help your short game and scoring abilitity, but doing it every time you play just wears you out and takes some of the fun out of the rounds for me. I get a thrill out of just being at some of these great courses, I dont need to play them for my one and only time on a set of tees that would have me grinding all day long.  

Now, if you are a hack like me, and can play the back tees and keep up and and it makes you happier, then more power to you, keep up the good work. But we all know that isnt the case the vast majority of the time.
New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

Glenn Spencer

Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #36 on: April 13, 2006, 02:44:04 PM »
So when is it OK, to move up, at what age? If a man is in perfect health at 40 and shoots 75 from the member tees at Garden City, did he shoot 75 at Garden City or did he shoot 75 from the member tees at Garden City? I have heard a million stories about a 73 here or a 71 there, and the first question I am compelled to ask is, What tees did u play? I ask because I want to relate to the round. To me, it is a much better round to shoot 72 at Pasatiempo-6500? yards from the back than it is to shoot 72 at a course that is 7300 yards and you played it from 6500 yards and shot 72.

John Goodman

Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #37 on: April 13, 2006, 02:57:30 PM »
The last time I played Ross Bridge, the latest RTJ Trail course here in Birmingham, my wife and I were behind a foursome of guys all playing from the 8,200 yard tips.  We caught them on about the 8th and stayed behind them until around the 13th, when we gave up and left.  On every non-par 3 hole, at least one of the foursome (and sometimes two) would hit a drive that would not get to the next set of tees up.  

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's gotta count as time spent in Purgatory, John....

For them or me?

you John...you certainly paid a price that day

just curious:  did you ask them about playing thru or why they felt the need to play from there?  my tongue is getting looser and looser, so if I was you that day I'm almost sure I would have "confronted" them

I was figuring you meant me - should have smilied -

No, I didn't say anything.  There wasn't an entire hole open in front of these guys, but it certainly looked to me that a twosome could have wriggled its way through well enough.

I never say anything to people on the golf course in those situations; not sure why.  The most I'll do is try to make it apparent that I'm behind them and I'm waiting - going straight to the tee, taking practice swings and so forth.  Such sublety never works though - if they haven't noticed that they're holding you up before that, they don't tend to do anything about it once they do notice.    

Mark Arata

  • Total Karma: 0
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #38 on: April 13, 2006, 02:59:09 PM »
I though that the whole point of handicaps and indexes was to compare rounds and players on different courses....a 72 at Pasa is a great round, no matter where you played from, I think it is only 6600 from the back tees anyway.....I dont think age has anything to do with it either, it should be based on your playing ability.

I think if you are playing a great course, and you have the game, then it would be fun to play from the back tees, provided they are reasonable. But to play a course like say, Blackwolf Run, or Whistling Straights, from the back tees when set at 7500 yards or so, knowing that you would have a tough time breaking 80 from the middle tees, just isnt any fun to me.

And again, if it is someones idea of fun, and they can keep up, then more power to them.
New Orleans, proud to swim home...........

PThomas

  • Total Karma: -21
Re:Comfort Zone
« Reply #39 on: April 13, 2006, 03:00:05 PM »
John - maybe we should all do what Mickey Wright used to do when confronted by slow players:  she would launch one over their heads!
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!