Family Tees

[Dan Herrmann]

Jeff  -  Our cost was about $20.00, not $20,000

[Patrick_Mucci]

Lastly, I don't see it having any effect on "growing" the game [/b][/size][/color]

WHY SO NEGATIVE? YOU'VE HAD A GOOD LIFE, NO?

William,

What does my opinion on this subject have to do with the quality of my life ?

Over 800 courses have adopted the plates. Could be a fad, but worth a try at little cost. 

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[Patrick_Mucci]

Garland, our cost was about $20.  We're not using the plates - just some very inexpensive tee markers - actually just use one per hole (not a pair), and we have 3 different ones on six holes.  Works great.

Dan,

Then it's not a formal course, but simply the placing of markers at the beginning of the fairway, which is what I suggested from the outset.

But, what about the cost of printing scorecards, Schematics and plates and tees ?

 William's initial question asked if architects got involved in planning  tees (note: tees, not markers)

Now, instead of advocating the full Monte, you're advocating a less formal, inexpensive alternative, which is what I advocated from the beginning.

If a kid has a true interest in golf, he doesn't need to be treated as if he's playing in a PGA Tour event with all the formality that comes long with it.

 

[Cliff Hamm]

At this point in the discussion my  comments may not be as relevant, but they certainly would've been at the beginning of this thread. When my son was first introduced to sports I went along to coach six-year-old basketball. The basket was set at 10 feet. I commented that wouldn't it make sense to make it lower? The person I was with replied by saying they have to learn to shoot at 10 feet at some point and that might as well be now. Needless to say I wanted to endow these children with a sense of entitlement and even with two hands few of the six-year-old could reach the basket , never mind make a shot.

A similar experience occurred when my son was eight. Went to coach baseball. There was a discussion about using a hardball or a softer hardball. Once again I guess I wanted to raise my son with a sense of entitlement and recommended the softer hardball. I saw no reason of risking injury and  turning kids off to baseball as they feared being hit. Once again I was overruled.

I guess I just wanted to raise these children's egos by allowing them to reach a basket or not be hurt and fear  a baseball.  Or perhaps I felt they should enjoy the game and the adults needed to use common sense.

[William_G]

Lastly, I don't see it having any effect on "growing" the game [/b][/size][/color]

WHY SO NEGATIVE? YOU'VE HAD A GOOD LIFE, NO?

William,

What does my opinion on this subject have to do with the quality of my life ?

UHHHHH, BECAUSE IT'S YOUR SUBJECTIVE OPINION, OF COURSE, WHY SO NEGATIVE?

Over 800 courses have adopted the plates. Could be a fad, but worth a try at little cost. 

[/quote]

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It's happening here in Arizona:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/articles/20120904fairway-tee-programs-target-new-golfers.html

[Patrick_Mucci]

Lastly, I don't see it having any effect on "growing" the game [/b][/size][/color]

WHY SO NEGATIVE? YOU'VE HAD A GOOD LIFE, NO?

William,

What does my opinion on this subject have to do with the quality of my life ?

UHHHHH, BECAUSE IT'S YOUR SUBJECTIVE OPINION, OF COURSE, WHY SO NEGATIVE?

It's not negative, it's just a resistance to catering to the attempt to paint golf as a warm, fuzzy sport where mom, dad and all the kids can play from the same tees and be a family unit.  The mentality that the family that plays together, stays together and that if we don't encourage this arrangement, the kids won't play golf.  Give me a break.  For the better part of the last century, kids migrated to golf without the need for athletic crutches in the form of "family tees".  Golf enjoyed enormous growth, without the need for "family tees"

What's really funny is that I've encouraged my son and his friends to play from the white tees, but, they don't want to, they want to play from the blue and sometimes the black tees.   WHY ?  Because they want to face and conquer the challenge, not of an easier golf course, but of a harder golf course.  They want to test themselves, they want to hit it big and reach the green in regulation.  They thrive on the challenge and the success of their endeavor when they make a par or birdie from the blue or black tees.

If you dilute the challenge, will the game lose it's lure.
If you dilute the challenge, what happens when the challenge is made more difficult.

Most courses don't permit very young kids to play until they pass a proficiency test

If a five (5) year old needs his own scorecard and his own set of tees in order for him to be interested, then there's something wrong with the game and the kid.  Let him tee it up from where the fairway begins, without the formalities.

Just so you know my position, I'm against organized/formal sports, (football, baseball, basketball) for young kids.
They don't need uniforms, referees and parents yelling at them.
Let them just be kids, let them just go out and play for the pure fun of it.

Ditto golf.

[/quote]

[Patrick_Mucci]

At this point in the discussion my  comments may not be as relevant, but they certainly would've been at the beginning of this thread. When my son was first introduced to sports I went along to coach six-year-old basketball. The basket was set at 10 feet. I commented that wouldn't it make sense to make it lower? The person I was with replied by saying they have to learn to shoot at 10 feet at some point and that might as well be now. Needless to say I wanted to endow these children with a sense of entitlement and even with two hands few of the six-year-old could reach the basket , never mind make a shot.

A similar experience occurred when my son was eight. Went to coach baseball. There was a discussion about using a hardball or a softer hardball. Once again I guess I wanted to raise my son with a sense of entitlement and recommended the softer hardball. I saw no reason of risking injury and  turning kids off to baseball as they feared being hit. Once again I was overruled.

I guess I just wanted to raise these children's egos by allowing them to reach a basket or not be hurt and fear  a baseball.  Or perhaps I felt they should enjoy the game and the adults needed to use common sense.

Cliff,

I've got an idea, let's make a one (1) foot cup for them, so it's easier to make putts.

When you diminish the challenge to cater to inferior performance, you weaken the mind and will of the player.

Maybe our parents and grandparents fared better because they faced more difficult challenges.

[JLahrman]

If our parents and grandparents fared better, it's likely because they didn't waste so much time arguing on the internet. Can't believe I clicked on this thread, I was thinking it had died a long overdue death.

A six-year old making baskets on an eight-foot basket is far more of a challenge than for a high school kid to be making them on a ten-foot hoop. What were the final scores of the games, 0-0?