Scotland- Deciding on Tees

[NDSwim]

Eight of us heading out in a few weeks and planning various games.  Our handicaps range from a 3-9.  
 

Any advice on how to select the tees to play from?  

[goaliedad30]

It's been a number of years since I've been there, but when we played, the starter/caddie pointed us to the "member" tees. There wasn't a choice.

[NDSwim]

2 hours ago, goaliedad30 said:

It's been a number of years since I've been there, but when we played, the starter/caddie pointed us to the "member" tees. There wasn't a choice.

Good to know, thank you!

[buckI]

Depends on the course.   As earlier noted some starters will say these are the tees to play such as at Muirfield but other places we had the option of member or white which were in the 6500-6650 range.

[hammergolf]

4 hours ago, NDSwim said:

Eight of us heading out in a few weeks and planning various games.  Our handicaps range from a 3-9.  
 

Any advice on how to select the tees to play from?  

With the wind and conditions 6500 will play longer than over here. 

[Pepperturbo]

4 hours ago, NDSwim said:

Eight of us heading out in a few weeks and planning various games.  Our handicaps range from a 3-9.  
 

Any advice on how to select the tees to play from?  

No matter where I travel, and play, it's treated like home.  Pick yardages where I can play to my handi.  At home, I play in the wind and weather more than I like.

Edited June 1, 2024 by Pepperturbo

[scott_Donald]

For my club - all the tees are out all the time.

 

Someone asked me on Thursday on the practice chipping area what tee him and his 4 ball should use and I said I have no idea, what are you guys like in the wind? it was a 40mph wind from the north so the front nine would have been stupid hard and long. They decided on Yellows - 6300 ish; The second tee would need a 180 yard carry ish to make the fairway. If you are not putting a score in then play the tee on the hole, that day yellow into and blue(longest) down would have been fun.

 

I am yet to play a full round off the back tees this year yet.

[NDSwim]

7 hours ago, scott_Donald said:

For my club - all the tees are out all the time.

 

Someone asked me on Thursday on the practice chipping area what tee him and his 4 ball should use and I said I have no idea, what are you guys like in the wind? it was a 40mph wind from the north so the front nine would have been stupid hard and long. They decided on Yellows - 6300 ish; The second tee would need a 180 yard carry ish to make the fairway. If you are not putting a score in then play the tee on the hole, that day yellow into and blue(longest) down would have been fun.

 

I am yet to play a full round off the back tees this year yet.

The dome of Arizona golf will certainly not be getting us ready for the wind.  Mid 6000s sounds like the way to go at most but I do like the different tees depending on the winds.

[scott_Donald]

6 hours ago, NDSwim said:

The dome of Arizona golf will certainly not be getting us ready for the wind.  Mid 6000s sounds like the way to go at most but I do like the different tees depending on the winds.

 

You won't hi the ball as far here. 

 

I am Texan or Scottish golf and there is a huge difference in my yardages. It still really hasn't warmed up yet. Today was warm to get some good yardages but still much shorter than Texas for me. 

 

[klebs01]

Tips is the only answer. 

[jdpilot]

Many of the courses in Scotland dictate the tees from which you will play, typically the yellow tees.

[goaliedad30]

One of my all-time favorite golf memories was at Turnberry. We played as a 3-ball in the morning with my dad, a guy who worked for him, and me. The other guy had played college golf at UCLA with Corey Pavin.

 

The starter (and caddies) pointed us to the yellow tees, and said "this is where you play from". We had a delightful day, and I shot 73, and the ex-Bruin shot 71. Dad hung in there somewhere in the 80's.

 

Dad didn't want to play 36, so the other guy & I went back for an afternoon round. He asked the starter if we could play the tournament tees. Starter asked what we shot in the morning, and we told him. He confirmed with the caddies ... 🙂

 

At that point, he not only said, "yes, you may", but he came out to the tee and announced us! "Now on the tee, from the United States of America, Mr. Goaliedad. Play away, Mr. Goaliedad".

 

We still both broke 80, so a truly memorable day of golf!

[El Gringo]

For standard play  suggest playing the tees which bring the bunkers into play. You don’t want to be able to comfortably fly bunkers or not reach bunkers on most holes. Be honest about your driver carry and roll distance and go from there. Most of the time I see guys too far back because they fail to fully appreciate wind.

 

I don’t worry about submitting scores so I tend to play the tee closest to the previous green unless the shot is way too difficult or I am sure there is a far more fun tee to play from. Sometimes I wind up on the tips and sometimes it’s a forward tee. The important thing for me is to keep the flow of the game. Walks between green and tee are a serious drag. If it’s at all competitive, I like playing the guy with the honour calls the tee. 

[scott_Donald]

12 hours ago, klebs01 said:

Tips is the only answer. 

 

I remember at the Scottish Open at my course; Lee Westwood in his younger days hit three drives from the back tee in the Wednesday practice and only 1 of them reached the fairway. It is a short Par 4 so they did not use that tee for the first day with the same wind. Used it downwind for 2 of the days and the other moved it up so it was drivable. Rose won, McIlroy shot 64,78 in the first two rounds and that was the year he was at his prime it seems. 

 

For the Walker Cup(Speith, Cantlay, English and lots of very good tour players) they didn't use half of the back tees because of the wind. 

Edited June 3, 2024 by scott_Donald

[NDSwim]

Thank you all for the advice and ideas.  While I plan to have a general idea of the games and formats we will be playing each day, the tees and corresponding handicaps look to be a day of decision based on weather and course rules.

[hammergolf]

4 hours ago, NDSwim said:

Thank you all for the advice and ideas.  While I plan to have a general idea of the games and formats we will be playing each day, the tees and corresponding handicaps look to be a day of decision based on weather and course rules.

Here’s a fun game my group plays on trips. To make it fun, we play 7 rounds. Each day you are paired with a new partner and each match is worth 1 point each day. At the end of the week, the player with the most points wins the trophy and money. We like it because you end up playing with and against everyone. 

[Chanceman]

3 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Here’s a fun game my group plays on trips. To make it fun, we play 7 rounds. Each day you are paired with a new partner and each match is worth 1 point each day. At the end of the week, the player with the most points wins the trophy and money. We like it because you end up playing with and against everyone. 

Good scoring idea.  But which begs the question what trophy do you have? We sort of decide as we go. One year in Ireland we saw one of those green rain jackets with the Irish coat of arms in a souvenir shop so we bought it as the trophy. 

[hammergolf]

Just now, Chanceman said:

Good scoring idea.  But which begs the question what trophy do you have? We sort of decide as we go. One year in Ireland we saw one of those green rain jackets with the Irish coat of arms in a souvenir shop so we bought it as the trophy. 

We play for “The Claret Jug”……..

[sheppick.dan]

On 6/2/2024 at 4:44 PM, klebs01 said:

Tips is the only answer. 

I was planning on playing the tips but then saw 75 rating and 140’s and questioned myself!

[sheppick.dan]

On 6/2/2024 at 2:35 PM, scott_Donald said:

 

You won't hi the ball as far here. 

 

I am Texan or Scottish golf and there is a huge difference in my yardages. It still really hasn't warmed up yet. Today was warm to get some good yardages but still much shorter than Texas for me. 

 

How much shorter do you think the ball travels there?

[NDSwim]

5 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Here’s a fun game my group plays on trips. To make it fun, we play 7 rounds. Each day you are paired with a new partner and each match is worth 1 point each day. At the end of the week, the player with the most points wins the trophy and money. We like it because you end up playing with and against everyone. 

Great idea!

[hammergolf]

46 minutes ago, sheppick.dan said:

How much shorter do you think the ball travels there?

Depends on the temp and winds. I’ve hit 5 iron from 120 and PW for 210….. 6500yds is plenty of golf course over there. Given the narrow fairways, pot bunkers, and rough you’re not going to want to hit driver all the time.

[hammergolf]

34 minutes ago, NDSwim said:

Great idea!

Yeah, we enjoy it. We play match play so if someone has a bad hole it’s not a big deal. Plus it balances out the best and higher hdcp players since everyone plays with each other so nobody has an unfair advantage. We also play some nassaus in the groups, or individual bets daily if they want. 

Edited June 4, 2024 by hammergolf

[scott_Donald]

6 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

How much shorter do you think the ball travels there?

 

A normal day not in December, January, February I was 192 7 iron. Here on a warm day 65* above I am 185 a 7 iron. Today it is 59* high and 20mph wind from the North West so a cold wind, I am playing in 3 hours - who knows the first 9 is basically into the wind off the left and the back 9 down wind off the right(disclaimer some holes won't be).

 

The 2nd hole is a good example - 560 yard Par 5

 

Last Tuesday - 65*, down wind I am guessing 1 club wind, fairways are still soft so are greens. I hit 3 wood(pured), 5 iron front left(slight pull), Bump and run from fringe and 2 putts.

Today - 59*, into wind off left, fairways are still soft and no idea about the greens but weather was warm, windy and dry all weekend. I will hit driver, lay up 2 iron/4 iron and a shot to the green. If all goes well.  If I am in the channel I might try a 3 wood but there are dunes infant so have to be away from them.

 

5 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Depends on the temp and winds. I’ve hit 5 iron from 120 and PW for 210….. 6500yds is plenty of golf course over there. Given the narrow fairways, pot bunkers, and rough you’re not going to want to hit driver all the time.

 

A couple weeks ago I pured a 2 iron and it went 160 into the 3rd hole(200 yard Par 3), I was hocked how short it went. rest of my group(all good golfers over 70) hit driver. Watch Adam Scott and Rick Shiels at Kinsbarns - 

 

 

 

Its funny this year I am hitting more driver than I did last year but the fairways are slow still and its been wet and cold so far - In my head for today - 8 drivers. If it was the same wind from the South - 4 drivers

 

Some how it was the warmest May ever in the UK but that definitely didn't happen here!

 

 

[dcmidnight]

The day we played Carnousite it was blowing 15-20. Caddie asked what my index was and walked straight up to the red tees, I dont recall that there was any sort of discussion involved either. It was a shade over 6100 yards vs almost 6600 for the next one back. I had zero complaints, to this day its my favorite course I've ever played. And even from those tees 16 played ~210 yards.

 

Dont read "6100" and think that in any way relates so some flat, small, 6100 yard course you've played in the States in perfect weather. Play shorter, enjoy yourself.

Edited June 4, 2024 by dcmidnight

[cardia10]

4 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

The day we played Carnousite it was blowing 15-20. Caddie asked what my index was and walked straight up to the red tees, I dont recall that there was any sort of discussion involved either. It was a shade over 6100 yards vs almost 6600 for the next one back. I had zero complaints, to this day its my favorite course I've ever played. And even from those tees 16 played ~210 yards.

 

Dont read "6100" and think that in any way relates so some flat, small, 6100 yard course you've played in the States in perfect weather. Play shorter, enjoy yourself.

Same here, caddie asked and walked in that direction. Our buddy who is scratch played the tips in a 40 mph wind all day. It was brutal. #16 at Carnoustie played 245 but we had the wind with us which the caddies say is unusual. My normal 7 iron is around 165, but it went 245 that day...Trust the caddies, they have the best feel for it. Just don't let ego get in the way.