Moving up a set of tees, your opinions

[Barnacle]

First, I recognize this topic has been brought up time and time again, but rather than necroposting an old thread and based on current preference by the USGA stating you should play the tee box that fits your driver distance, I figured it best to start a new topic.

Well according to my average distance (300+ at my elevation) with my driver I should be playing the back tees or one up. My issue stems from two things. Most of the guys I play with are closer to the 250 mark but because I'm playing with them, they want to play from tees that IMO are too far for them, and two I can't play from late fall to early spring here, so I usually spend the first 3 months getting back into decent golf. I would much rather play from the tees playing 5800-6000 yards than tees playing from 6300-6500 yards. I typically have to wait for the group in front of me to hit their second shot on par 4's and 5's regardless so I don't think pace of play would be affected. It also might improve my score, which is an ego thing more than anything else, but its not like I'm trying to go pro. Additionally a few years back I was playing every Saturday morning with two older gentlemen and they always played the white tees at the course we played and we had a blast because it brought several par 4's into drivable range and we always teed off first thing in the morning so never had to worry about waiting for greens to clear. Now when playing with my regular group I would just tee off last to avoid hitting into anyone. 

So what does golfwrx think. Should I stay at my current tee boxes or move up? 

[BSI99]

It's a game, play whatever you want. Personally I wouldn't play 5800-6000. Outside of par 5s in 2 I never have a need to touch anything other than a driver or 9 iron down. Makes a very boring brand of golf.

[naval2006]

If I hit +300 average I’d go for tips all the way unless it’s crooked +300. 

[Gsea]

If your a true 4.8 cap with 300+ drives you should be at the tips on every course you play.

[SNIPERBBB]

Nothing wrong with hitting last on approaches. Well Ill caveat that by saying when you're waiting a long time on those 220+ yard approaches on par 5s, you do get tight.

 

I typically am the longest player with most of the groups I play with but I'm just use to it.  I play the tee's that the days game or tournament declares.

 

Will say that moving up will actually hurt your cap if you dont score better from there than you do from the back tees so beware and dont do stupid stuff if you're trying to get a lower cap.

[mrgimmemonster]

I think that you should do whatever makes the game most enjoyable for YOU. For some, the game is boring when it's not as challenging, but playing up tees can be equally, if not more fun, for some. My friends who are beginners always play the white/middle tees. I often play the same tees as them, but often will play irons only so I have longer approach shots and don't just have wedges in on majority of holes. This often forces me to hit longer clubs than I might hit from the tips if I were playing my full bag. It is fun to also play with my whole bag and try to score really low and make a lot of birdies as well (and can help you get more comfortable with going low).

 

I would agree though with @SNIPERBBB that if you're worried about your index, playing up tees can actually be much harder because you have to go lower. For example, one of the courses I play has a 74 course rating from tips versus 69.5 from whites. For me and my game at least, the whites typically do not play 4.5 strokes easier. At the end of the day, if you're not trying to go pro or play competitively, having fun should be the priority IMO. 

 

[NailedIt]

You could always move up a set of tees but only tee off with 3 wood or hybrid, something other than driver. Ever play the course with just a 7 iron? Or just bring odd /even numbered clubs? There's many ways to play this game to make it both fun and challenging without making just distance the obstacle. Just my .02

[DLiver]

I'm not sure I understand. You hit it 300+ off the tee and would prefer to play <6,000 yards? I hit it 240 on my best drives and find 6,000 to be too short. I guess I'm missing something obvious.

[Barnacle]

5 hours ago, Gsea said:

If your a true 4.8 cap with 300+ drives you should be at the tips on every course you play.

I need to update that, haven’t been on much the last year. Playing to an 8 right now. Only was able to play 12 rounds last year. I still hit it that far but the rest of my game is essentially in the gutter comparably. This year I’m able to play much more, already at 5 rounds and the season started in March. 

[Barnacle]

2 hours ago, DLiver said:

I'm not sure I understand. You hit it 300+ off the tee and would prefer to play <6,000 yards? I hit it 240 on my best drives and find 6,000 to be too short. I guess I'm missing something obvious.

Playing partners don’t hit it far and are closer to 18+ handicaps. I always say we can play from whatever tee box and they always pick the tee box one up from the tips. Makes for a very long round and I just can’t get in a groove because they will take 3 shots before we get to my ball sometimes. Also just trying to remember how to score well is a secondary reason. 

[Wooley12]

If they won't move up it's a pickle. Round too slow? Imagine you're on the PGA tour. 

 

Played in a shotgun league and often shared our 1st hole with the league in front of us.  The "League" was 4 local mobsters. Couldn't drive much past 220 but played the tips. Like watching the Sopranos. 

[Ri_Redneck]

I play pretty well and many times get paired with folks that do not play to my level. What I do to make the day enjoyable is:

 

1. Always help them find errant shots.

2. Take an interest in their play and watch their shots and PSR.

3. Always pay close attention to their shots (supports 1&2).

4. Never get in a rush as I'm there to visit with them and have a nice casual round of golf.

 

I played a course with my wife and daughter last Friday that was just under 5000 yds and was a par 64. It had 10 par 3s, 6 par 4s and 2 par 5s. None of which was a pushover! Just cause a course is short doesn't mean it's easy. The length of the course isn't nearly as important as it's character. Play the yardage you want, but look for a challenge and enjoy the day.

 

BT

[tatertot]

Is anybody paying you to play? If not, do what you enjoy ... and don't worry about what others think.

[TheDeanAbides]

Maybe you would be better off finding some better players to play with? It hurts your game playing with hackers. 

[teedub21]

Lots of courses have “combo” options for tee boxes.  I occasionally play with guys that play the next set back from me and it’s all good.  Let them tee off first, then we hit from the white tees.  Simple.

[PedronNiall]

 

11 hours ago, Barnacle said:

Playing partners don’t hit it far and are closer to 18+ handicaps. I always say we can play from whatever tee box and they always pick the tee box one up from the tips. Makes for a very long round and I just can’t get in a groove because they will take 3 shots before we get to my ball sometimes. Also just trying to remember how to score well is a secondary reason. 

 

I think most have already hit on the main things around the tee box you play. On the groove part, you're going to have to get that right in your own head.

 

Not unusual at all in random groups or pre-mades of different skill levels to have a lot of waiting so learn to get your mindset where it needs to be. Sure, be a helpful eye watching where shots go, but use that time to decide what you're going to do next as best you can. Worst case, after a few shots they should be close enough up that you can start dialing in what you need to hit to get to the center on your approach and close enough your partners won't be hurt by one less set of eyes on their next shot. 

[Sean124]

Regularly playing 5800-6000 yards as someone who hits it 300 isn’t fun. Even 6300-6500 is short depending on the layout.

 

This sounds like a problem with your playing partners, not you. I’d tell them to play the proper tees or I’d find someone else to play with. 

[vandyfan]

14 hours ago, DLiver said:

I'm not sure I understand. You hit it 300+ off the tee and would prefer to play <6,000 yards? I hit it 240 on my best drives and find 6,000 to be too short. I guess I'm missing something obvious.

 

I think it is all personal preference, of course. I average 280 yds off the tee and play off a 3-4 index and anytime I am on vacation or playing a course I don't know I generally play at 5800-6100 yds. Here is my logic:

 

1. Playing shorter gives you OPTIONS off the tee, you don't have to hit driver at all if you don't want to
2. I am not a competitive golfer and frankly having wedges into most par 4s is more fun (for me) because it gives me more birdie opportunities....which for me is fun
3. I have ego, just not the type of ego where I have to play the back tees, more the type of ego that I don't like having long irons into par 3s/4s on repeat

[tatertot]

26 minutes ago, Sean124 said:

Regularly playing 5800-6000 yards as someone who hits it 300 isn’t fun. Even 6300-6500 is short depending on the layout.

 

This sounds like a problem with your playing partners, not you. I’d tell them to play the proper tees or I’d find someone else to play with. 

It's not fun ... for you.

 

If the OP enjoys it, go for it. 

[Albatross Dreamer]

The only right answer to this is play whatever tees you have the most fun with.

 

Another option is if you're wanting to play some longer tees but with the group on others could even play a combination of tees.

 

People here are so serious sometimes.

[vtpachyderm]

Not as long as you but play regularly with my wife and kids from the forward tees. I just take out the top of my bag so it let’s me play a decent practice round with irons and recovery play. 
 

I have another group of golf buddies where we just play with a mix of long and short hitters and take it in stride. Don’t think too much about it and we mix up the boxes throughout the season. 

[Shilgy]

On 5/6/2025 at 8:09 AM, Sean124 said:

Regularly playing 5800-6000 yards as someone who hits it 300 isn’t fun. Even 6300-6500 is short depending on the layout.

 

This sounds like a problem with your playing partners, not you. I’d tell them to play the proper tees or I’d find someone else to play with. 

Agree, except….its not that big a deal to play whatever tee box you like within a group. Considering the tips are not that much longer play those if you like or play whatever tees the rest of the group prefers at times also.

Personally I like switching up tee boxes at my club.

[Pepperturbo]

To @Barnacle If I was hitting it 300, I'd be playing 7k.   Since you have the distance, to make things more interesting for you when moving up, leave your Driver in the bag. 

 

I do that often playing tees under 6200, and I am 70+ yrs young.  My driver is a measly 245 carry and if fairways are fast, moments of brilliance.  It forces me to swing 2i and 3i off tees as hard as I can, and pressures other irons and short game, around greens.  I still play out to 6500 too, and don't have the elevation advantage here in SOCAL.

[Hawkeye77]

If I could hit it 300+ I’d be playing the longer yardage option presented. The pace of play stuff seems contradictory but playing up with drivable par 4s as part of the equation means you are likely holding up play at times. You say most you play with hit it 250 then it’s they don’t hit it 240 so it’s confusing. I think it’s either everyone plays the tees they enjoy personally and don’t sweat it or you agree to see other people knowing you’ve broken up and hope you get the dog and maybe that ring back and maybe that $15.87 you overpaid on the gas bill last month …. what is this about?

[mshills]

I’d be annoyed with your playing partners. You don’t all have to play the same tees any more than you all have to play the same clubs! In your position I’d be pretty aggressive telling your partners what tees to play.

 

I am now an adaptive player with one arm, I carry D about 205 under normal conditions. I can handle 6k yards now. If you are averaging 300, first of all you are dropping bombs and second of all, 6k yards is much too short, especially at elevation….unless you leave D and 3W at home. 

[bluedot]

There are two separate decisions here; what you choose to do, and then what your playing partners choose to do.  Everyone has to decide for themselves, of course.

 

That said, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone who hits it 300 off the tee choosing to play from 6000 or less.  We’ve got a bunch of young guys at my club who can hit it 300; I’ve never seen any of them playing from 6000 or less.  While I understand the fun of having wedges in and making lots birdies, TO ME the repetition and lack of challenge would get old pretty quickly.  I’m an old guy, and if I hit it 240 off the tee, I’ve killed it; if I play from 6500 yds, the game just becomes pretty repetitive; long club in, try to get up and down, etc.  From 6000, I end up hitting every club in the bag, and I have risk-reward decisions to make.  
 

Here’s one way to look at a golf course in terms of choosing which tees to play.  If you aren’t playing the course the way it was designed to be played, you’re either too far back or too far up.  If you’re blowing it over every fairway bunker, you’re too far up; if you can’t reach the fairway bunkers, you’re too far back.  Choosing a line, and then trying to execute the shot TO ME is one of the most satisfying parts of golf; if all I’m doing is hitting it as far as I can, well, there’s just not much to that.

Edited May 10 by bluedot

[HGLucky13]

I just started to play with a group of guys at my club that all play from the white tees, so I started playing from there also thinking it would be fun and my scores would go down. I have a goal of breaking 80 this year and I thought from the shorter tees I would have a good chance of breaking that mental barrier and get a few low scores. The white tees are at about 5800. My drive is 280 avg, total, not carry, with a few a round that touch 300. But actually I am seeing my score staying the same and my handicap go up since I started to do this. Before I was playing from 6500-6700 and shooting at a 14 index, now i'm hovering around 18. Next 2 weekends I am playing a couple of rounds by myself, most of the group is out of town. I intend to play from my normal tees and see what scores I get. It seems to me that distance is only the starting point for tee selection.

Edited May 12 by HGLucky13

[tatertot]

7 minutes ago, HGLucky13 said:

I just started to play with a group of guys at my club that all play from the white tees, so I started playing from there also thinking it would be fun and my scores would go down. I have a goal of breaking 80 this year and I thought from the shorter tees I would have a good chance of breaking that mental barrier and get a few low scores. The white tees are at about 5800. My drive is 280 avg, total, not carry, with a few a round that touch 300. But actually I am seeing my score staying the same and my handicap go up since I started to do this. Before I was playing from 6500-6700 and shooting at a 14 index, now i'm hovering around 18. Next 2 weekends I am playing a couple of rounds by myself, most of the group is out of town. I intend to play from my normal tees and see what scores I get. It seems to me that distance is only the starting point for tee selection.

Bingo

[vandyfan]

2 hours ago, HGLucky13 said:

I just started to play with a group of guys at my club that all play from the white tees, so I started playing from there also thinking it would be fun and my scores would go down. I have a goal of breaking 80 this year and I thought from the shorter tees I would have a good chance of breaking that mental barrier and get a few low scores. The white tees are at about 5800. My drive is 280 avg, total, not carry, with a few a round that touch 300. But actually I am seeing my score staying the same and my handicap go up since I started to do this. Before I was playing from 6500-6700 and shooting at a 14 index, now i'm hovering around 18. Next 2 weekends I am playing a couple of rounds by myself, most of the group is out of town. I intend to play from my normal tees and see what scores I get. It seems to me that distance is only the starting point for tee selection.

 

I do the same thing fairly often and my numbers are similar to yours (distance wise I am about 288 off the tee, total). I played the 5,800 yd tees this weekend and had a TON of fun. Could reach all the par 5s, hit tons of GIR, etc. It will be hard to convince myself to move back.

 

On the handicap index, I find this happens to me as well. Since the shorter tees are rated/sloped lower you obviously are expected to score better but that doesn't always happen. So the you need to score better to stay at the same cap and if you are like me you can just as easily miss a green with a 9 iron as you can with a 7 iron. If your goal is to lower your handicap index (my goal is actually to INCREASE my handicap, legally) then you should play back as far as you can handle. For me, I tend to spray it a bit off the tee so moving up in distance allows me to hit irons off some par 4 tees and still have a mid/short iron into the green. I find when I play shorter, my handicap differentials are higher which raises my handicap (success!). Also, it is more fun. Win/Win. 

Edited May 12 by vandyfan

[TheDeanAbides]

20 hours ago, vandyfan said:

 

I do the same thing fairly often and my numbers are similar to yours (distance wise I am about 288 off the tee, total). I played the 5,800 yd tees this weekend and had a TON of fun. Could reach all the par 5s, hit tons of GIR, etc. It will be hard to convince myself to move back.

 

On the handicap index, I find this happens to me as well. Since the shorter tees are rated/sloped lower you obviously are expected to score better but that doesn't always happen. So the you need to score better to stay at the same cap and if you are like me you can just as easily miss a green with a 9 iron as you can with a 7 iron. If your goal is to lower your handicap index (my goal is actually to INCREASE my handicap, legally) then you should play back as far as you can handle. For me, I tend to spray it a bit off the tee so moving up in distance allows me to hit irons off some par 4 tees and still have a mid/short iron into the green. I find when I play shorter, my handicap differentials are higher which raises my handicap (success!). Also, it is more fun. Win/Win. 

Head blown at your goal being to increase your index. WTF?