I don’t think score should factor into it at all. I average under 80 but rarely play more than 6500 yards. I could still break 80 from 7000 yards but I better be having a great day with my long clubs and chipping/pitching lights out.
I think you really just gotta figure out what tees give you the best chance to have fun while hitting a variety of shots.
I play at my local municipal course and the use your driver distance to assign your tee. That has worked for me and the guys I play with.
Agree it should be distance based, but 2 relevant experiences I have had. First, I was told I should be playing further back by one group. A really good drive for me is about 240 (without wind or hill), so I play the tees that are about 6000 yards (in line with PGA recommendation). Second, I think many people overestimate their driving yardage. I played with a guy a couple weeks ago. I missed seeing his drive and asked him how he did. “About 270 right down the middle.” I measure all my drives with a gps app, and I was about 225 off the tee, and past this guys ball…
So after reading this discussion and talk from podcasts have brought it up I went yesterday and played from the yellow. I normally play from the white and shoot 90s/low 100s. Yesterday I shot a 53, made me realize that maybe the driver wasn’t the problem. Still have a lot of work to do with the irons and wedges.
You shot a 53?! That’s incredible.
I still think handicap should recommend tee boxes… you obviously have exceptional distance and can play from the tips without it making your round less enjoyable… and you can make that choice.
I don’t think you should be “forced” to play from any tee box, but suggesting the right tee box is always going to be imperfect and I think handicap is the best way to do it.
You playing the middle tees isn’t going to ruin your round, a 15 handicap playing from the tips who doesn’t have the distance is going to have a bad time.
It was only 9 holes …
@colincclark90 gotcha, i was thinking 83 with a typo So do you find it was harder to play from the box up? Was it because the visuals were different, or because you had to use clubs you don’t usually use?
There was probably a little bit of not use to using as many shorter irons. But overall it’s probably just how I normally hit it but, I didn’t have any huge slices so I just noticed all my extra strokes with my irons/wedges more I think. I had a few good holes and a few blow up holes.
Separate topic, but that’s an example of where stat tracking can be helpful (eg. Arcoss, Shot Scope watch, smartphone apps).
Too true. And yet… each time their ball is really not 270 yards away there’s a new excuse…
Yea, I use shotscope and I like it. I just have a lot of room for improvement.
In my opinion, everyone should play the tees that make the game the most fun for them. I have zero issues with the UK’s practice.
Seems like contradictory statements.
I doubt some big ego 6 handicapper from American would have too much fun shooting a 110 from the tournament tees at Carnoustie. I’m sure they have the best interest in mind from a pace of play and player enjoyment perspective when they make tee assignments.
Certain players enjoy setups for different reasons. I’d imagine plenty of golfers would enjoy shooting 110 at Carnoustie just so they could get to see what its like for the pros. If you support telling people what tees they have to play, you can’t claim to support people playing what tees they want to play.
As long as you keep pace you should be able to play whatever tees you want.
^ That’s the key.
But… if you’re shooting 110 then you may not be keeping up the pace.
I’ve witnessed this several times on different muni courses - groups playing from all the way back where at least 3 of the 4, if not all 4, should not (IMO) be - some tee shots barely clearly the front tees and most other tee shots are waaaay off the fairways, many OB, and there’s lots and LOTS of time spent searching for all those lost balls…
(…and that’s just the tee shots)
The only time I play the back tees is when I play on our local executive course. Regular courses I play the forward tees with my friends, it makes the round a lot more pleasurable. Most courses I play by myself give the guide of how far I can drive (…and you know that all depends on the weather, the wind, how I slept the night before, etc 
I think it was on max homas podcast, but he basically said just because they have 100 lbs dumbbells in the gym doesn’t mean you have to try to lift them.
I think that’s a fairly good summary of the choices you have… you have every right to play the back tees, doesn’t mean you should.
I couldn’t agree more, both can cause an unnecessary hernia or at minimum looks of disdain.