Completely agree (with the OP)!
When I play golf with my wife I tee off from the “Forward” tees with her - I’m not a long bomber, anyway, and yeah I enjoy trying to put my tee shot into a position where I … at my current ability level … have a chance of making a good approach shot (Par 4s).
Another method on tee box selection is to look at Par 3 lengths - if you’re not comfortable hitting to a green, say, 200 yards away then you may be better off moving up to the tee where it’s, say, 150.
I like that! It might seem all fine from the tips until you hit a 230+ par 3. If I scout out a new course and see that ahead of time, I’ll definitely head for the middle tees.
Yeah I’ve heard, and read, to play from where you have an opportunity to make some pars. When those tees become … uhhhh … “easy” 
then move back a set.
I usually play as a single joining up with strangers so I typically go with the tee box others decide to use. I prefer the further back ones not that I don’t find golf challenging enough but I think it’s more fun to have the fairway bunkers come into play and use a variety of clubs for the approach shot.
My unconventional belief is that it’s actually a good idea to mix it up and play from the front tees once in a while even if you have length to play longer. I think we have these mental roadblocks on certain scores (e.g. breaking par, 80, or whatever) and once in a while playing an easier setup can break through that mental block.
It feels like golf architects have come a long way being considerate around tee box locations. I may have a foggy recollection but in the 80’s it felt like tee locations and distances were an afterthought and not all that different on the courses I played.
That’s a great point! I have an “easy” course I like to play every once and a while and I tend to wind up on the middle tees there because I play with whoever I’m joined with. It feels good to score well!
I’ve begun to play it forward more and more. I used to always go back as far as I could, but that’s dumb.
I look at the long par 4s and long par 3s. If I have to play more than 4 holes where I’m gonna have hybrid (or longer) in, then I move up a set of tees.
I typically find 6100-6500 is right for me. Occasionally I can stretch to 6700 but I don’t do that often.
If a course doesn’t have a set of tees that I like, I’ve started making my own combo tees. When I post for handicap purposes I post the score from whichever tee box I used the most. Not sure if that’s legit but it’s what I do.
Given the variance in tee box locations that the handicap system pretty much never takes into account (and you’re playing recreational rounds), I think that’s perfectly fair and still keeps an accurate number.
So let’s say this is how I play a certain course (penalties, chips, and putts excluded). Would you say I played appropriate tees?
Par 5s
D - 2H
3W - 2H - LW
D - 3i (punch) - LW
D - 5i - LW
Par 4s
D - GW
D - GW
2H - GW
D - 7i
3i - PW
D - LW
3W - LW
D - 8i
D - 8i
D - 9i
Par 3s
5i
5i
4i
9i
Does that change if I tell you I shot 90?
Does it change if I tell you it was from the tips? (7000+ yards)
The problem with making any kind of general rule is that there are always going to be exceptions. Generally speaking, the average score/handicap is going to be the clearest and most direct way to determine the “correct” tees. There are going to be exceptions, such as yourself, since you obviously hit the ball MUCH further than your average middle-ish handicapper (or the average amateur at any handicap for that matter). So the question really becomes, did you enjoy the round and did you keep up the pace of play? If the answer to both of those is yes, then sure you played from the appropriate tees. Speaking in broader terms though, the vast majority of golfers will play faster and probably enjoy it more (at least score wise) playing from more front tees. I’d even recommend giving it a try yourself sometime if you haven’t and see what you think.
My point is average distance is a much better way of determining tees than average score. If you used average distance to determine tees I’m no longer an exception to the rule.
I’ve played anywhere from 5800-7300 yards this year. Both can be fun imo albeit in different ways.
Not really IMO, because you’ll always be exceptional for your distance. That said though, a scratch golfer who never hits it more than 230 yards will still get around even a 7300 yard course much faster and score lower. So should the scratch golfer play from the fronts while you go to the back?
And apologies, I definitely don’t want to come off as challenging or confrontational. There is no completely easy answer here, so differences of opinions are good.
I just don’t see why you should play tees based on your handicap rather than your typical distance. Sure they’re correlated, but I don’t see much point in a scratch golfer who hits it 230 playing from 7300 failing to reach the green in regulation on half the holes. Nor do I see much point in a high-handicapper who hits it 300 playing from 6000, bombing it to places that were never intended to be reached but still scoring poorly due to horrible shots that are horrible shots from any tee box. If the big determinant for tee boxes is what club you’re hitting into the green, why should handicap matter at all?
Granted I do think small adjustments based on skill level should be made. Most distance formulas say I should play from around 7100 yards, but my favorite distance would be closer to 6800-6900. I’d reckon a scratch player who hits it 230 might find it more enjoyable playing from tees slightly longer than these formulas would say.
I don’t think that is the determinant. I think the determinant is the skill level to have the shot dispersion that allows you to get it to the green. Even at 7300 yards, that’s averaging around 400 yards a hole. The scratch golfer will still be able to get it to green-ish the vast majority of the time hitting max 230 even if they need long irons/hybrids to do it (that ability would be why they’re scratch). No offense to you personally, but I would flip the question to ask if you can’t hit the green even with all the distance, then why should distance matter at all? A shorter course may allow the bomber to focus on controlling their swing a bit more, hit better shots, and then progress to a skill level where they can really take advantage of their distance.
I really do enjoy the discussion and its great to think about. In the end though, its kind of a moot point for both of us as the average male amateur golfer both plays the wrong tee for their handicap AND hits it too short for the tee they’re on, so either solution would be the means to the end we want (faster, more enjoyable overall play).
I guess I just don’t see the rationale for tees being assigned to certain scores. Why should it be ‘proper’ to shoot 90 from the whites but not the tips?
Also, not sure why this post is shown before the post below this one as I was replying to it.
P.S Nvm think I overwrote my previous post by mistake.
No, because the middle tees (and at 6000 yards that might even be considered the front tees) tend to be appropriate for a 15-16 handicapper. It kind of goes back to the sign I mentioned at the course I play sometimes:
If anything, at this particular course, they could probably move back to the blues and see how it goes.
As for your own game, I’ll say again that as long as you’re enjoying it and are keeping (or hopefully pushing) pace, then play your way.
^ THAT is really the key!!
Seems like, based on clubs into greens, you were fine.
I think if you are hitting a lot of long irons/hybrids/fairway woods into par 4s and par 3s then you need to move up a set of tees. Gotta get some mod irons and short irons/wedges in to greens to have fun!
I think the tees should be played by handicap, not the macho mindset we typically have here
After all the discussion, I’m feeling like the unsatisfactory answer is somewhere in the middle, with handicap and/or distance determining which tees you should play, so the sign on the tee or the starter should say play the tips if only if you shoot in the 70’s or are able to hit an iron-hybrid into the 220yd par 3. Since the vast majority of players can’t do either, then they should move up. 80’s and or 200yd iron? Here you are. 90’s and/or 180yd iron? I have a tee box for you right here.