Should you be playing off the red tees?
Published: Last updated:
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Over 30 UK courses have ditched men’s and ladies tees
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Tees based on ability can help beginners and the elderly
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Critics fear it will lead to outrageous scores winning competitions
The most thought the majority of men give to the ladies’ tees is hoping they get past them after a particularly poor tee shot. At an increasing number of UK courses, ladies tees are even less of a concern, having been removed in favour of tees based on ability rather than gender. The higher your handicap, the further forward you start – regardless of your gender.
“It’s been a great success, particularly with our senior gentlemen and higher handicap ladies, who now have the opportunity to play a shorter course,” says Neal Milton, general manager of Sheringham Golf Club in Norfolk. He had the idea for gender-free tees when he was junior organiser at another club. “We had a young lady who was in England training and was only allowed to play off the ladies’ forward tees, despite the fact she could hit it further than most of the men.”
Sheringham members have bought into the idea, with Milton adding, “We have increased participation in our competitions and I believe we have better retention of members.”
Jon Farmer, manager at Trentham Park, another club to adopt gender-free tees, believes they can also help attract new members: “We can give longevity to the ageing player who might otherwise have left because they were losing length and didn’t feel competitive, but it also helps the complete beginner, who feels embarrassed teeing off in front of the clubhouse. They can use the forward tee, which is about 100 yards away. As players improve and want a greater challenge, they can move back.”
YOUR VIEW – We asked whether gender-free tees were a good idea
We’re all for it!
Andy Oliver
We recently played as a four ball on a course in Scotland and were told by the starter, on inspection of our handicaps, which tees we should play off to maximise our enjoyment of the course. We all landed in roughly the same area on the fairway, despite playing off different tees, so it made perfect sense.
Neil Cook
Denis Pugh wrote an article saying people should play courses with a length 28 times their average drive. So average Joe hitting it 220 yards should be playing a course roughly 6,000 yards. There’s no enjoyment playing 7,000-yard courses when your second shot is a 3-wood on every par 4. The seniors at my club won’t play medals because they’re off the white tees. And people struggling for distance slow the game down!
David Fletcher
If it makes the game quicker and more enjoyable for more people then it’s a good thing. The ego-centred who believe they drive the ball 300 yards can carry on teeing off from the next field.
We’re not!
Mike Pyett
Daft, daft, daft. You don’t get better by playing a shorter or easier course.
Rich Yorke
It’s a stupid idea. How can you play competitively when you’re playing different golf courses?
Colin Jones
So the 20+ handicappers who are coming in with over 40 points will now play shorter holes and maybe get 50 points. Great idea!
Declan Furlong
Ridiculous idea. The gangsters off bandit handicaps are already cleaning up.
Toby Fenn
In my society, I regularly outdrive the old boys by 50 yards, but still lose because they’re bandits and more accomplished around the greens. I wouldn’t want to make it easier for them by letting them tee off 20 yards in front of me. What do you do with a 10-handicapper who drives it 250 yards and another 10-handicapper who drives it 200?
