What yardage are you typically playing at golf courses from senior tees?
Groups I play in have various opinions.
Again, need input from 65+ crowd.
Groups I play in have various opinions.
Again, need input from 65+ crowd.
Senior Golfer 65+
- Thread starter Sweetwatergolf
- Start date
You'd have a pretty good arguement if you make the qualification for senior tees whatever age it is to get a senior discount at course you're at... assuming they have one at least one day in the week. Makes it a little less subjective.
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I see that some courses aren't doing women, mens, senior tees. You use tee's based on your average score regardless of age / gender. Makes sense to me.
Born in '56, I play most comfortably 5400 - 5750 yardages. At some courses, it may be the reds, but usually this is the gold tees. Second shot yardages (par4) under or around 160 is best. And I play a four course rotation.
and this is a group.
and this is a group.
It’s really no fun when second shots are consistently 175-200 (or more) all day long. I’m old enough that I can’t hit it very long off the tee, but too young to look like I should be on the senior tees. But I’m definitely old enough that I don’t care what people think 
If I pay to play I want to feel like my approach shots are fun. So I pick between White or Gold tees depending on the course.
If I pay to play I want to feel like my approach shots are fun. So I pick between White or Gold tees depending on the course.
I am 73 and have played senior tees since I was 67. Today the senior tees were green, one back from the ladies tees. Most of the guys I play with are in their late 60s. Some hit from the senior tees and some from the regular tees. We just like to be outside and play golf. Our drives seems to always even out with each other. Sunday we will be in Santee, I will be at my usual spot on the senior tees.
Yes, our course has a tee for over 65 and over 70 plays red tees.
yes this. When watching golf on tv, yardages given for second shots are much of the time short irons and this is why I play. Second shots are the glory of the game. No need to have a second shot that has no hope of hitting a green, it's just not FUN.It’s really no fun when second shots are consistently 175-200 (or more) all day long. I’m old enough that I can’t hit it very long off the tee, but too young to look like I should be on the senior tees. But I’m definitely old enough that I don’t care what people think
If I pay to play I want to feel like my approach shots are fun. So I pick between White or Gold tees depending on the course.
Now don't get me wrong - I love plowin into a drive - but long and down the middle is 225 - maybe 240 at most. and the tees depend on where the second shot is.
Yes, this is a growing trend and I think it makes sense. A USGA handicap is an apples-to-apples comparison between golfers and takes into the account the tees played from in a given round. I see more and more courses applying suggested handicap ranges to each sets of tees. This makes it less likely that mid-handicappers try to play from the tips or that scratch golfers who happen to be AARP members insist on teeing off from the "senior" tees. Both are equally annoying, depending one whether you are in front of them or behind them.
I don't really agree with this though. I have a buddy whose best score is an 83, but typically shoots 95-105. He can drive it 300 and we live on flat, soft land on the coast, so say columbia courses, he's gonna hit some balls 350+. Now it doesn't always go straight, but if he were to move up to the 95-105 tees, which from what I have seen is 5500 yards or so, he could hit a 4 iron off every tee and then 3 putt from the fringe for par. His screw ups, are largely in part of the distance needed from the tee, and then what proceeds thereafter.
Generally, for anyone playing on a consistent 2-3x/month basis that shoots 100 or below, they aren't not scoring well because of distance. It's because of an errant drive or 2 that lead to bad mistakes and big scores and then bladed chips, really bad putts, 3 swings from the sand, etc.
I've also read to figure your 5 iron or equivalent club average distance and multiply by 36 to get your yardage to play.
All replies to this thread have been good for considering.
This reminds me of a slightly different topic, but related to how far you can hit it. Had a friend at MUSC that was a natural athlete that never played golf. But all us dental school guys loved to play so he started going out with us. This guy was so frustrated, always shooting 120+. And I’m a tiny guy who at the time was a pretty good golfer (upper 70s, low 80s). Next time we went out, I asked him what his best long to medium club was, and he answered 5 iron. I said, trust me….and when we got to the course, I took his 3 iron, 4 iron and woods and put them in the trunk. And he was right. He could crack 5 iron down the middle every time. Guy shot an 88 and got hooked on golf that day.
Of course….Next trip he teed up the driver and shot 105. Took him a while, but as a natural athlete, he was ready to beat me occasionally by the time we graduated.
The guys I usually play with, around here (St. Simons area) we usually play 5,900-6,300 or so. When we play 6,000 or below, I use my driver maybe 5 holes (par 5s and maybe an open or long par 4). Those rounds I tend to shoot high 70s pretty consistently. My PR is 74, but that was a day and others close are days the driver is clicking and I’m hitting greens.
never heard the 5 iron multiply rule but man I would suckkkk lol. I hit my 5 iron roughly 200 yards. Prob average more like 190 due some shots floating right and losing average, but a good clean 5 is 200. At 7200 I would shoot 90+ every round lol. I think longest I’ve played is 6800, and I played pretty well and shot an 85.
If you go by my last 2 rounds, I would have to play the closest tees possible.lol.a good 8-10 strokes higher than normal.I shot a 91,90..I haven’t shot 90+ in over 3 years and that was just once.I mainly shot around 80.I’ve seen a course go by your average drive to determine what tees you should be playing.Which I think is a better idea.
I play our gold tees, which are the recognized senior tees in Lancaster. The are something over 5400 yards. The problem is the assignment of distance to specific holes. We have a couple of holes that are just too short. On the other hand, we have a par four that plays as long as our longest par five. Something ain't right with that.
I 100% agree with that last paragraph. I’m forced to play from the senior tees with the guys i play with on Tuesday/Thursday. I can drive every par 5 in 2 and every par 4 I can get within 100 yards pretty easily.I the partial shots and chipping usually does me in.If I do those 2 things we’ll,I can shoot mid 70s..
Pretty strong for a 5 iron IMO. I couldn't break 90 at 6800 yards. I currently play from 5700+, going to 5300+ senior tees. I'll be 66 next month, time for this move.
I've played courses where tee markers mix on certain holes on the scorecard. Basically a combination senior tee/regular tee. This fixes the distance assignment you mention. I wish my home course did this.
We need to put most seniors on the competition senior tees on certain holes, an intermediate set we have that are slightly longer. We need to move the tees forward on that back-breaking par four I mentioned.
Most of my shots lost are less than a hundred yards & typically on or around the green. At oak hills it’s pretty valuable 5,6 strokes over the white tees. At Linrick it seems to matter less.
I’m on the senior tees about 10% of the time with my uncle and some of our buddies. Once money or a bet comes up, I seem to get sent to the standard tees with out discussion
I’m on the senior tees about 10% of the time with my uncle and some of our buddies. Once money or a bet comes up, I seem to get sent to the standard tees with out discussion
I’m definitely long, longer than most people I play with, even players who a are better than me.
Yeah, I agree without a doubt, if you are old enough to move up tees, move up!
Oak Hills basic layout is fairly tough for seniors from the member tees, but I play for the challange so I keep playing them! The slope and rating confirm that! None of the par fives are easily reachable in 2 and the green complexes warrant you to bring your short game if you don’t it’s easily a 10 stroke swing in your score, but it is a bombers course for the most part and wide open and thats what i love about it! I should shoot low 80’s out there but my short game on and around those greens usually make it low to mid 90’s!
I'm not suggesting it's right or wrong. I believe pace of play is the motivation. You have these young bloods that can hit the ball 300+ but shoot 100+ because they spend a good bit of their day in the woods. They shouldn't be playing from the back tees as many do. Slows everyone down.
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100%. And funny thing is its 3 or 4 holes thst pushes me over 90 ( even from the senior tees on the occasion). Front the standard Tees, I’m usually between 80. & 120 on my third.
you can wreck a score on 8,9,10 very easily, but play it 2 over, or steal the occasional birdie on 9& you can sail through that patch with sub 90/85 in play.
12&18 are totally scoring holes and have to be par or close on the card
12 might be the toughest green on the course, only place to miss it is short, then 13 looks so easy right there in front of you, but don’t miss the green or you’re looking at 5 and if you hit the green you better be on the right tier or your staring at 4! Just a lot of little tests around the green out there, but it’s my go to!
I would be shooting in the 70's if you remove 3-4 holes.
At 66 I like to play in the 6100-6300 yard range...I have been a low handicap golfer for 30 years. This leaves me with similar club selections on approach shots as compared to when I was younger on longer courses. This is the key as you age...so that you're not making it too difficult or too easy.
I used to enjoy OaK Hills in years gone by, the Lung Book years where we took day trips all over the Midlands. Good times. Oak Hills in the 1990s was a fun layout in good shape. I also remember how rocky the property was.
- Red Tees: Women’s tees, farthest forward with shortest distance to the hole, and least challenging.
- Gold Tees: Senior’s tees, not quite the shortest distance to the hole but second in line, meant to help the elderly who still play have a better chance at shooting their old hay day scores.
- White Tees: Men’s tees, middle to high handicap, typically the middle option of all the tee boxes, and used by most men.
- Blue Tees: Men’s tees, mostly used for championship or tournament play, and for low handicap male golfers.
- Black Tees: Men’s touring professional level tee distance, furthest from the hole, and the most challenging option. Sometimes referred to as the “tips”.
- Green Tees: Can’t forget these as they’re commonly used for Junior players and are the shortest distance – not all courses will have this tee box.
Right. It's not simply a matter of distance. On many courses, the back tees often require different and more difficult angles, longer carries over water, narrow tree-line "chutes" to drive through and other factors that increase the difficulty and decrease the margin for error. You don't simply need to be longer, you need to better. In my experience, it's less about how far you hit your good shots but how often you hit bad shots. On most courses, the further back the tee box, the more punishment you can expect for bad shots. When in doubt, compare the rating and slope for two given sets of tees and play within your abilities, regardless the color of the tee.
It’s still rocky in spots King, you just have to careful in places, but for columbia it’s the best golf value in town, seniors on weekdays is around 30 with range balls!
There are also clubs that will limit playing from the tips to those that can produce evidence of a current single digit handicap. However I am not aware of any clubs or courses in this area that have the requirement.
I like what a senior golfer told me on playing senior tees, you still have to chip and putt good to score. Length of tees ain't everythingRight. It's not simply a matter of distance. On many courses, the back tees often require different and more difficult angles, longer carries over water, narrow tree-line "chutes" to drive through and other factors that increase the difficulty and decrease the margin for error. You don't simply need to be longer, you need to better. In my experience, it's lessabout how far you hit your good shots but how often you hit bad shots. On most courses, the further back the tee box, the more punishment you can expect for bad shots. When in doubt, compare the rating and slope for two given sets of tees and play within your abilities, regardless the color of the tee.
And that is the part of the game too many overlook when it comes to practicing - everyone no matter the age ( or most you will find) want to go to the range and see how far they can hit the ball vs working on the part of the game that can save you strokes time and time again.
I like what a senior golfer told me on playing senior tees, you still have to chip and putt good to score. Length of tees ain't everything