What's on your mind? Is it us or the golf course?

I remember growing up watching sports on television and then I couldn't get outside fast enough to try to recreate what I was watching whether it was football, baseball, basketball, golf or tennis. Golf is one of the few sports we can watch on television and actually accomplish some of the feats the professionals do.  Yes, we can make pars and even some birdies, maybe even the occasional eagle!  It's so rewarding to make that great up and down; birdie on the hardest hole on the course; or dropping that downhill slider to win your match.


As much as we want to emulate the success and talents of the professionals we watch on television every week, we still seem to fail to understand that in order to have any chance at accomplishing this objective we need to play the golf course from the right set of tees to give us the best chance.  Remember the top professionals on the PGA Tour would carry a true +5 to +8 handicap.  The average amateur male carries something like an 20 handicap. That average male player it seems typically plays tees in the 6,200-6,400 yard range.  Way to long!


According to the USGA the average male bogey player has a course handicap of about 20 on a course of average difficulty - that is a slope rating of 113.  Now how many courses at 6,300 yards have a slope rating of 113?  In south Florida I can tell you the average is more like 124 - that is, significantly more difficult and therefore I would suggest the average male bogey player in south Florida is more like a 23 handicap.  The USGA also claims that the average male bogey golfer hits an average tee shot of 200 yards (I'd claim more like 180-190) and can reach a hole of 370 yards in two at sea level. (USGA Handicap System)  OK, keep these numbers in mind.


If the AVERAGE tee shot is 200 yards, and that player is capable of reaching a hole of 370 yards in two shots that would require this player to be able to hit a 170 yard shot to the green.  If a teed up driver could be hit 200 yards, would he need a three wood off the deck to reach this 370 yard hole?  How many three woods to the PGA Tour players have to hit into a par 4 green? So if the professionals don't typically hit hybrids or fairway woods into par 4 greens, why are we? Because we are on the WRONG TEES!


If the average 20-23 handicap male really averages something like 185 yards off the tee, to hit the same irons into the par four greens as the professionals do we need to determine what those approach distances are for those clubs.  Nine iron maybe 110 to a five iron of maybe 160?  If my math is right the par fours for these guys ideally should be lengths from 295 to 345 yards and no more.  Let's say an average of 325 yards.
Given these playing abilities the par three holes should probably only average about 150 yards (maximum).  If the tour pros have a realistic chance of reaching most par fives in two, some only with their best two shots, I would suggest these average male golfer's ideal par five holes would be about 450 yards at most.  So let's add all that up and you have a golf course of 5,650 yards!  Yes, that's all!  I beg you to put your pride in your back pocket some time and play a course from this distance, play it smart, and I can almost guarantee you a better, more enjoyable round.


"Expert" male golfers have an average tee shot of 250 yards and can reach a hole of 470 yards in two shots according to the USGA.  How many of these players are there?  Maybe 5% of male golfers?  OK, just for giggles let's say it's 10% of male golfers.  Calculate the type of course that would allow these players to be able to emulate that which they witness on the professional tours.  Supposing they have average tee shots of 250 yards, in order to hit approach shots with clubs less than hybrids and fairway woods they would play par fours of 350 - 450 yards.  Do the rest of the math in a similar fashion for the par threes and fives and guess what, you have a course of approximately 6,800 yards.  So why do so many of male golfers think they aren't challenging themselves unless they play at 6,500 yards or more.  Simple answer, EGO.


Fellas, most of you think you are better than you really are at this game.  Really, its true.  I would say that you are choosing on your own accord to be that way to some, if not a large degree.  There is some sort of stigma about moving up a set, OR TWO sets of tees.  It's not macho enough or manly enough to play a course under 6,000 yards.  Forget what your playing partners say.  Forget them.  Move up!  Or at least convince your buddies to try a round from a shorter set of tees and talk about it as you play and after you are done with your round.  There is strength in numbers I know.  No one wants to be the rough calf in the herd so convince the herd to go with you!


The moral of the story is, get back to enjoying golf, give yourself a better chance of making pars and birdies by playing the length of golf course that suits your abilities, and scoring better!  It's about fun isn't it?  So have FUN.  Quit beating your brains in in an effort to occasionally stroke your ego.


We enjoy pulling off the near impossible shot; getting up and down from a miserable lie; hitting our approach shot tight; or rolling in the down hill sliding putt for the unexpected birdie.  All of these stroke our egos.  It makes us feel invincible.  So why don't we give ourselves more opportunities to feel THAT rush?  That would require many of us to select a set of tees to play that permits you to be able to hit short and mid-irons into the par four greens, the outside chance at reaching the par fives in two shots and par threes that allow you to hit irons into them.  For most male players this is a course of less than 6,000 yards. 


Ladies, you are not immune.  The USGA says the average bogey lady golfer hits average tee shots of 150 yards and is about a 24 handicap on a course of standard difficulty (Slope rating of 113) and can reach a hole of 280 yards in two shots.  Again, I would contend in my area the average forward tee has a slope rating average of 124 and therefore an average bogey lady golfer around here is more like a 26-27 handicap.  Line 'em up on the range.  I'm sure the average tee shot is more like 135-140 so hitting a green in two probably really maxes out at about 260.  Remember, the maximum.  If these ladies want to hit irons into the par fours like the lady professionals do I'd contend that the average par four should probably be in the neighborhood of 240 yards and no more.  Par threes should therefore average no more than 110 yards and par fives could realistically be 350 yards for this population.  Whip out the calculator and this is a golf course of 4,240 yards.  With few exception, among the 140 golf courses within 30 miles of where I sit I bet there isn't 30 regulation courses less than 4900 yards from the forward tees.  Seriously!   What was the logic in building them like this!  I don't know but we did it for 25 years and here we are trying desperately to get people to stay in our game and come to our game.


I challenge all of you to move up a set (or two) of tees, PLAY THE COURSE WISELY (that is, don't think you can now drive the 275 yard par four because you can't), talk about it amongst your group while you are playing and after.  Maybe host an event with a number of your peers to try this experiment and have a focus group to follow the event to talk about what you experienced.  I'd love to hear the responses!


Get out and ENJOY golf again!