Club championship tees

[WBGolf]

I'd question why they even have the tees if they don't use them for that

[Chief Illiniwek]

As a guy longer than most of my regular playing partners (but nowhere near "wrx long") I actually find I have a big advantage on shorter courses. On a long course we are both still hitting full clubs in. It's just I might be hitting 9i in and they are hitting 6i in. But move up a tee box or two and they're still hitting full shots, only with a PW. But now I'm up where I'm driving it up near the shorter par 4's and hitting half wedges and even some pitches. LOTS more birdies and especially easy pars as compared to having full swings.

[4Par]

I don't see the point of playing 6250 all year and then throwing an extra 650 yards on it for the club championship. Presumably it's the same group of guys playing all year, and financially supporting the organization, and then you get to the championship and 95% of them have zero reason to even sign up. This is how you kill participation. To my mind, you should contest the championship on the same course you play all year.

 

Distance is still an advantage at 6250 but now you have to beat everyone and not just 4-5 other big hitters.

 

I don't agree at all.... I can't compete at the Championship distance but don't care.... and if you're smart, back up and play from back there for a month before the Club Championship to get yourself accustomed to it..... my goal is Top 10.... that's my victory!

[Darth Putter]

Our course has everyone on the normal whites for Saturday's first round. Then the Championship Flight will go off the blues on Sunday's second round.

 

The difference is about 350 yards.

 

The Senior Flight (60 and up) will play the green tees both days and get moved up 550 yards.

[Mcgeeno]

As a guy longer than most of my regular playing partners (but nowhere near "wrx long") I actually find I have a big advantage on shorter courses. On a long course we are both still hitting full clubs in. It's just I might be hitting 9i in and they are hitting 6i in. But move up a tee box or two and they're still hitting full shots, only with a PW. But now I'm up where I'm driving it up near the shorter par 4's and hitting half wedges and even some pitches. LOTS more birdies and especially easy pars as compared to having full swings.

 

This.

 

From our mid tees I can hit 4-5 iron off of some tees too if I want to be conservative. I have driven 2-3 of our 300ish par 4s including one today.

 

So stretching it to the tips and getting a good majority of the membership pissy and unwilling to play in the event isnt worth the headache.

 

I think people here are unfortunately in the minority. A good percentage of us are longer than most, better than most and willing to play the tips without a worry.

 

That does not represent the vast majority of the membership at my course.

[kgk]

My ex-course won't allow anyone who was ever in the PGA, even apprentices, to play in the club championship if they haven't paid the fee to get their amateur status back. These are all members in good standing that pay their dues. It doesn't affect me but it does grind my gears a bit.

 

Not playing the back tees is ... strange. Very strange.

[mark m]

As a guy longer than most of my regular playing partners (but nowhere near "wrx long") I actually find I have a big advantage on shorter courses. On a long course we are both still hitting full clubs in. It's just I might be hitting 9i in and they are hitting 6i in. But move up a tee box or two and they're still hitting full shots, only with a PW. But now I'm up where I'm driving it up near the shorter par 4's and hitting half wedges and even some pitches. LOTS more birdies and especially easy pars as compared to having full swings.

 

This.

 

From our mid tees I can hit 4-5 iron off of some tees too if I want to be conservative. I have driven 2-3 of our 300ish par 4s including one today.

 

So stretching it to the tips and getting a good majority of the membership pissy and unwilling to play in the event isnt worth the headache.

 

I think people here are unfortunately in the minority. A good percentage of us are longer than most, better than most and willing to play the tips without a worry.

 

That does not represent the vast majority of the membership at my course.

 

Please go back and read the thread. Random thoughts:

• It was just the Championship flight that was competing from 6900 yards. The other flights played it at 6250.
  
• 6900 is a reasonable distance for a Champ flight. (We're not talking 7400 yards here.)
  
• It has been played at 6900 yards in the past, including last year. (History and tradition are on the OP's side. He is not asking for a change to 6900 yards.)
  
• 5 guys convinced leadership to change it. The process was terrible. What if 10 others competing in that flight prefer it at 6900?
  
• Members at courses complain about everything. They should have had a much better process if some wanted to make a change.
  
• A long hitter has an advantage on any course. But he has more of an advantage on long courses. (I get that you are encouraging him and so on - that he will be OK playing forward if he has the right attitude.)
  

MM

[larrybud]

For as long as I have played at my course we have done our club championship-championship flight from the black tees ~6900 yds. Our association plays the blues during regular tournaments ~6250 yds.

 

This year, a vocal minority has voiced opposition and complained that 6900 is to long and since we don't play it all year, why should we play during the championship.

 

I and others have been of the belief that to be the champ, you play the best opponent on the hardest course available. We have been outvoted this year and will be playing the blues.

 

What does your course do?

 

We originally played at 7250 but everybody complained. The pro didn't seem to care, until the Michigan PGA played there for a couple of years and set the course up at 6800 yards. I pointed this out to the pro, who actually played in the event, and finally they moved it up.

 

Also the GAM had the "tournament of champions" there which is club winners, Michigan am winners, and set it up at around 6800 yards as well.

 

Your thought process of being the hardest course available isn't even applied to Augusta on Sunday. After all, they set up very accessible pins on the final day, and don't set up every tee box to the back of the box.

[deadsolid...shank]

Here's another twist on the question. Our yardages are: whites (65 and older) 6,200, blues 6,500, and blacks 7,080.

 

We had a guy, older, maybe 60 who is a very good player (sub 5 cap, and only that high because of the rating from the whites, he plays there with his regular group). He wanted to play in the championship flight but play up a tee from the rest of the flight. He hammered on the pro so much I think they might have let him that one year (I didn't play that particular year so don't remember for certain).

[SurfDuffer]

I don't see the point of playing 6250 all year and then throwing an extra 650 yards on it for the club championship. Presumably it's the same group of guys playing all year, and financially supporting the organization, and then you get to the championship and 95% of them have zero reason to even sign up. This is how you kill participation. To my mind, you should contest the championship on the same course you play all year.

 

Distance is still an advantage at 6250 but now you have to beat everyone and not just 4-5 other big hitters.

 

The championship should be held from the back tees. Hold the ladies, seniors, Juniors from wherever you'd like. The net group playing off handicaps is silly and they can play from wherever.

[raynorfan1]

I think it should be played from the same tees as any typical club event. If the club comps are normally from the blues, play from the blues - that is effectively the "club" course.

[DeacLaw05]

At my club, the championship flight (played from the back tees) is open to anyone that wants to play in it. There are also lower flights for people that want to play from their regular tees. The club recognizes the overall champion (big ?), a senior champion (smaller ?), and flight winners (really small ?).

[longballjs]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to see the course set up today. Apparently my complaints didn't fall on deaf ears. Course was set up a bit longer but not totally long. It was a good compromise. Probably set up at 6400-6500. I'm sure a few of the flight players weren't thrilled but on the holes he put the tees a bit back on, it was fair ( 134 par 3 played 147, 490 par 5 played 515, 410 par 4 played 420, etc). There was no tee that became unfair by the way it was set up.

[MidwestGolfBum]

Our matchplay championship is played from 1 up from the backs at 6788(73.1/131) , and the stroke play championship is set up on our back tees at 7227(75.1/136). This is limited to the players at the club under a 2.2 or 2.3 cap. People are welcome to move up to the next flight if they don't want to play from all the way back but you don't get to play for your name on the plaque and don't get the parking spot.

[Mcgeeno]

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to see the course set up today. Apparently my complaints didn't fall on deaf ears. Course was set up a bit longer but not totally long. It was a good compromise. Probably set up at 6400-6500. I'm sure a few of the flight players weren't thrilled but on the holes he put the tees a bit back on, it was fair ( 134 par 3 played 147, 490 par 5 played 515, 410 par 4 played 420, etc). There was no tee that became unfair by the way it was set up.

 

Sounds like a reasonable compromise. Hope you played well!

[Jwin323]

We play the tips, our super slicks out the greens and the tournament chairman has the pins placed in the most difficult spots. Championship flight only. The other flights play up.

[Stetson]

Our matchplay championship is played from 1 up from the backs at 6788(73.1/131) , and the stroke play championship is set up on our back tees at 7227(75.1/136). This is limited to the players at the club under a 2.2 or 2.3 cap. People are welcome to move up to the next flight if they don't want to play from all the way back but you don't get to play for your name on the plaque and don't get the parking spot.

 

How many in your club play at 2.3 or below? Seems like a small field

[MidwestGolfBum]

Our matchplay championship is played from 1 up from the backs at 6788(73.1/131) , and the stroke play championship is set up on our back tees at 7227(75.1/136). This is limited to the players at the club under a 2.2 or 2.3 cap. People are welcome to move up to the next flight if they don't want to play from all the way back but you don't get to play for your name on the plaque and don't get the parking spot.

 

How many in your club play at 2.3 or below? Seems like a small field

 

We typically have somewhere between 14 and 20 guys who play in the champ flight, with another 2 to 4 that could play but don't want to play from that distance.

[Sean2]

I don't see the point of playing 6250 all year and then throwing an extra 650 yards on it for the club championship. Presumably it's the same group of guys playing all year, and financially supporting the organization, and then you get to the championship and 95% of them have zero reason to even sign up. This is how you kill participation. To my mind, you should contest the championship on the same course you play all year.

 

Distance is still an advantage at 6250 but now you have to beat everyone and not just 4-5 other big hitters.

 

We have a few holes that play 40 yards longer, make the tee shots much more challenging, and change the character of the holes. Unfortunately those tee boxes are only open during tournaments.

[AThompson_3]

You play it all the way back 50 and below and up a set 50 and over.

[Mcgeeno]

You play it all the way back 50 and below and up a set 50 and over.

 

Age aint got nothing to do with this IMO.

 

I know a couple 60 year old guys who pound the ball, and a 57 year old in my city just won our mens open playing the tips. He's retired and travels all over the place playing tournament golf.

 

He would lap the field by 15 shots if we had to play a tougher set of tees and gave up a bunch of yardage.

 

Handicap is a far better option.

[AThompson_3]

You play it all the way back 50 and below and up a set 50 and over.

 

Age aint got nothing to do with this IMO.

 

I know a couple 60 year old guys who pound the ball, and a 57 year old in my city just won our mens open playing the tips. He's retired and travels all over the place playing tournament golf.

 

He would lap the field by 15 shots if we had to play a tougher set of tees and gave up a bunch of yardage.

 

Handicap is a far better option.

You're right. Handicap is better.

[forecast6236]

I left a club for this very reason.... 2 of the board members are around scratch but around 65 years old and don't hit it very far so they keep the club champ at the blue tees instead of the tips. It's infuriating

 

As others have mentioned part of the test of golf is distance and it's not my fault that Father Time catches up with us all.

 

On to a new club....

[GTgolf]

Champ flight: tips

 

Net flight: blues - unless over 60 = whites

[atteberry23]

Ours is from the blue tees the tips, but it is a short course. The whites are like 6200 yards and the blues are 6400 yards. This is the first year we have had stroke play over 36 holes, I hope they move the tees after day one on some of the holes to provide risk/reward opportunities.

[atteberry23]

I have read a lot of these post, and it is a great discussion. I mentioned earlier our course is short to begin with and the back tees add a couple hundred yards.

 

Many guys would like to play the back tees but the weekend pro-shop games are played from the white tees. My buddy and I play the back tees anyways and are just at a disadvantage.

[Matt J]

We have flights and some are moved up. Men's under 40 division A flight, the actual club champ as you can play down divisions, is from the tips. Same general yardage as the OP's track. Although it's rarely back of the back box, mostly like a gold / black hybrid. Agree that if you don't use it middle of the summer for the CC why have it?

[RLC9]

Glad you mentioned this.

Our club played the back tees my first 10 yrs up until this past year. We have a new club bro and he played pretty much all the tees including the seniors. Sound crazy but I actually enjoyed it. But I'm also not a super long hitter

[Matt J]

It was more contentious when I played at a club with a box north of 7k. Some guys can't compete from back there. Club pro has to decide how far he can push it back without eliminating too much of the field.