The only time most male golfers think about the ladies’ tee is when they’ve hit an exceptionally poor tee shot and they’re worried that it might not make it past them. Although some courses still have ladies’ tees, many are changing to various sets based on ability instead. On these tees, the higher your handicap, the further forward you start — whatever your gender.
This is a great idea, but if you don’t have this at your regular golf course then you should still consider swallowing your pride and hitting from the ladies’ tees. It might just help you improve your game, as well as make the game of golf more enjoyable and quicker.
We’ve put together three reasons why you should be hitting from the ladies’ tees.
Driving distance
The first factor to determine which tee you should be playing from is how far you hit your tee shot. If you are always forced to use long irons, hybrids or fairway woods to reach par 4 greens in two shots, then you should think about moving up to the ladies’ tees.
Each golf course is designed to be played in a certain way. Yes, you will find some challenging holes that will need a long club to get to a par 4 in two, but not all. Most par 4s are designed for a lofted club to reach the green in two. When you don’t play the course the way it is designed to be played, it’s not very enjoyable. Check our drive distance chart to compare length courses with what tee boxes you should be playing from.
Although this advice is aimed for par 4 and par 5 holes, this will help even more on par 3. If a high handicap golfer is playing from the wrong tees, they could come across a par 3 that is well over 200 yards. This is meant to be a challenge for low handicappers who drive the ball more than 260 yards, so if you have to pull out a driver on a par 3 there is something wrong.
Skill level
Your skill level is another factor that determines what tees you should be playing from. Some golfers, even professionals, are not the longest hitters from the tee, but they make up for it with a razor-sharp short game from 50 yards in. This is rarely the case with high handicappers, so you should avoid pushing the limits of your game with the longer length tees until you are ready for the challenge.
Time
Golfers playing from the wrong tees can cause all sorts of problems — not just for them, but also for any playing partners or other players on the course. If you are a high handicap golfer then more than likely you’ll be looking for lost balls regularly and hitting bad shots. This slows down the pace of play, not just for you, but for others. By playing from the ladies’ tees, you not only make the game quicker and easier, but more fun for you and everyone else on the course.
Extra tip for low handicappers
Although playing from the ladies’ tees is not necessary for low handicap golfers, getting others to join you there can not only help their game but also yours, especially if you’re playing with beginners or high handicap players. No one likes watching someone score triple bogies or worse on every hole, so convince them to play easier tees and you’ll have a better round when everyone is playing well.
Try out our advice on why you should be hitting from the ladies’ tees — it just might help you improve your score, while making the game quicker and more enjoyable.
— Joseph Mills