Some Thoughts On “Tee It Forward!”
Deciding When And How To “Tee It Forward!”
Last Saturday Des Mahoney – my partner at the Centennial Golf Academy – mentioned to me a formula he likes for making a decision on golf course lengths a golfer should play. Here is this simple formula (no exact reference, but he said he has seen it a number of times on the web):
Your Golf Course Length = 36 times your typical 5 iron shot distance
Presently, I play from 6,400 yard tees. How does this formula “stand up” for at least my personal game? Well, pretty well I think. I hit a 5 iron about 180 yards – so with this formula this says I should be playing a course of about 6,300 yards. So 6,400 yards is maybe a little stretch for me – and in fact it is.
The USGA and the PGA for their “Tee It Forward” initiative have created a chart – Here Is The Link – that gives their recommendations on the course lengths that golfers should play – based on how far they hit their drives. How does this chart stack up for me? – again pretty well. My good drives – not outstanding, good – are about 240 yards total – so the USGA would say I should play 6,200 to 6,400 yard tees.
There is another neat concept that I have seen in the past – Combo Tees. For my game, a course of about 6,200 to 6,300 yards would seem to be a great fit. Challenging, but not too easy. Some courses in the country I know are using this concept, and it really seems like a sensible way to help golfers play a course that will let them have the most fun. If you’re looking to read more on tournaments and great places to take a golf holiday trip, be sure to check out UK Golf Tours with Golf Holidays Direct.
Takeaway – the “Tee It Forward” concept is one of the really great ideas that the USGA and PGA have embraced, and you should too. Using the two correlations I have quoted here – find a set of tees that make the game fun for you, but also challenge you!
Any Other Suggested Ways To Determine How To Determine Your “Play It Forward” Tees – Please Comment Below!
Taking YOUR Game To New Heights!
Tony
