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8-Irons & Wedges into par fours...not fairways
Year two of TEE IT FORWARD
By ED TRAVIS
Year two of TEE IT FORWARD
By ED TRAVIS
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Almost one-quarter million golfers participated in the
one month trial and 70 percent found their round more
enjoyable and over 90 percent said they would
recommend TEE IT FORWARD to a friend. The survey
also found nearly 50 percent of respondents saying
the program helped them play faster.
“I’ve been around the game for more than 30 years
and continue to be amazed as golfers make it much
harder than it should be by playing golf courses at
distances that don’t come close to matching their
abilities,” said Adams. “By playing from forward tees,
amateur golfers have the chance to play the course at
the same relative distance as a touring professional
would over 18 holes. We need golfers to be hitting
eight-irons and wedges into par fours like the
pros…not fairway woods.”
one month trial and 70 percent found their round more
enjoyable and over 90 percent said they would
recommend TEE IT FORWARD to a friend. The survey
also found nearly 50 percent of respondents saying
the program helped them play faster.
“I’ve been around the game for more than 30 years
and continue to be amazed as golfers make it much
harder than it should be by playing golf courses at
distances that don’t come close to matching their
abilities,” said Adams. “By playing from forward tees,
amateur golfers have the chance to play the course at
the same relative distance as a touring professional
would over 18 holes. We need golfers to be hitting
eight-irons and wedges into par fours like the
pros…not fairway woods.”
Obviously courses can cooperate in this program by
setting tee markers at appropriate distances so for
example if you always play the “Blue Tees” at 6,700-
yards and the course resets those tees to 6,400-yards
you would be “teeing it forward.”
Many, if not most, men are over matched by the course
they play. They don’t have the length or ability reach
most greens in regulation and post reasonable
scores. At the heart of this condition is that they believe
they hit the ball, especially tee shots, farther that is
really the case. Studies have shown the average
weekend warrior hits drives in the range of 200-yard
but when asked they answer is usually 225…or better.
This makes playing much less scoring well on a
7,000-yard layout almost impossible and definitely not
fun.
The good news is the “let’s play it from the tips”
mentality is almost entirely a male phenomenon since
women are presumably too smart to put up with that
kind of foolishness.
If the PGA Tour set up their courses proportionate to
the length most amateurs are trying to play, the guys
on “the big show” would face 8,000-yard monsters
each week. Pars would be tough to make and thought
of as birdies are now.
The whole idea of playing up a set of tees makes
sense from so many aspects and the PGA and USGA
have the right idea pushing TEE IT FORWARD next
season.
setting tee markers at appropriate distances so for
example if you always play the “Blue Tees” at 6,700-
yards and the course resets those tees to 6,400-yards
you would be “teeing it forward.”
Many, if not most, men are over matched by the course
they play. They don’t have the length or ability reach
most greens in regulation and post reasonable
scores. At the heart of this condition is that they believe
they hit the ball, especially tee shots, farther that is
really the case. Studies have shown the average
weekend warrior hits drives in the range of 200-yard
but when asked they answer is usually 225…or better.
This makes playing much less scoring well on a
7,000-yard layout almost impossible and definitely not
fun.
The good news is the “let’s play it from the tips”
mentality is almost entirely a male phenomenon since
women are presumably too smart to put up with that
kind of foolishness.
If the PGA Tour set up their courses proportionate to
the length most amateurs are trying to play, the guys
on “the big show” would face 8,000-yard monsters
each week. Pars would be tough to make and thought
of as birdies are now.
The whole idea of playing up a set of tees makes
sense from so many aspects and the PGA and USGA
have the right idea pushing TEE IT FORWARD next
season.
Last year Barney Adams pushed the idea golfers play
from tees that are too long for their ability and should
move up a set, at least. According to Adams, founder
of Adams Golf and golf industry iconoclast, that would
mean they could, “…be hitting eight-irons and wedges
into par fours like the pros…not fairway woods.”
In other words the 99.99 percent of golfers who do not
make their living on the links are playing for recreation
and recreation is supposed to be fun. It’s undeniably
more fun to play holes of a length you have a chance
of reaching with a couple of good shots rather than
par-4s that require a driver, then a 3-wood, then a 9-
iron and maybe another iron since the 9-iron missed
the green.
A lot more fun.
Playing the set of tees commensurate with their ability
golfers will score better which is a huge inducement to
play more and spend more money on golf and get
friends/family playing and…well you get the idea. All
are good things for the health of the game, fiscal and
otherwise.
The PGA of America and United States Golf
Association embraced the idea of playing shorter tees
and created the TEE IT FORWARD program which
was successfully tested last July. The results were
encouraging so now the two associations are asking
golfers to tee it forward all year long.
from tees that are too long for their ability and should
move up a set, at least. According to Adams, founder
of Adams Golf and golf industry iconoclast, that would
mean they could, “…be hitting eight-irons and wedges
into par fours like the pros…not fairway woods.”
In other words the 99.99 percent of golfers who do not
make their living on the links are playing for recreation
and recreation is supposed to be fun. It’s undeniably
more fun to play holes of a length you have a chance
of reaching with a couple of good shots rather than
par-4s that require a driver, then a 3-wood, then a 9-
iron and maybe another iron since the 9-iron missed
the green.
A lot more fun.
Playing the set of tees commensurate with their ability
golfers will score better which is a huge inducement to
play more and spend more money on golf and get
friends/family playing and…well you get the idea. All
are good things for the health of the game, fiscal and
otherwise.
The PGA of America and United States Golf
Association embraced the idea of playing shorter tees
and created the TEE IT FORWARD program which
was successfully tested last July. The results were
encouraging so now the two associations are asking
golfers to tee it forward all year long.