We have handicaps to cater for our different capabilities

By Paul Gueorgieff Editor, Golfer Pacific NZ

There is a couple of letters to the editor in this month’s edition of Golfer Pacific (see pages 16-17) which basically argue for the introduction of shorter tees.

They say too many golf courses have tees that are positioned for the top player and the average player can’t cope with them.

My argument is if you consider one set of tees too long, don’t play them. Simple as that. Choose a shorter set of tees. Simple as that.

My club in Wellington has four sets of tees. They are not coloured the traditional blue, white and yellow.

Some years we ago we changed the colours to blue, terracotta, grey and more recently we introduced a green set of tees. There is also some red tees for the juniors.

The blue tees are our championship tees and we hardly ever use them, if at all. They are just too tough.

The terracotta tees are the equivalent of white tees at most other golf clubs. They are the tees that are used for almost all men’s competitions.

The grey tees are the ladies’ tees but I am not allowed to describe them as that. When the yellow tees were changed to grey they were described as gender neutral.

But guess what tees the women use almost exclusively? — the grey tees, you know the ones that used to be yellow.

So the grey tees are not the ladies’ tees but guess which tees the ladies always use — the grey tees.

But oddly enough it is not only the ladies who use the grey tees. Our vets — sorry I am meant to call them mid-week seniors — always play the grey tees. That’s fine. That’s their choice.

Even more oddly is one of the best players in our club occasionally plays a round off the grey (that’s yellow) tees. Why? He said it is to sharpen up his short game. He needs to shoot eight under par to play to his handicap.

The green tees are hardly ever used by anyone. The course mea- of Golfer Pacific NZ Limited, it resembles editorial matter. sures 4500 metres off the green tees.

The green tees are the sort of tees our two letter-to-the-editor writers are arguing for. So why don’t people use the green tees?

I would suggest the answer is because the player’s handicap gets too low and the average player still can’t post a good score because they are only average players.

I am happy for any player to play off any tee. But when it comes to competitions all players should be off the same tees for even competition.

The holes from the terracotta tees at my club (which are the equivalent of white tees at other clubs) measure nearly 5900 metres in total and it is only par 71.

As far as I can ascertain it is the longest regular men’s members tees in the lower North Island even though it is only par 71.

But I am still happy to play them even though at this time of the year I cannot reach about four par fours in two shots.

But that’s okay as I have a hand- icap. That means I only need to get onto the green in three shots, have two putts and I still get two stableford points.

That’s why we have handicaps. We don’t need to have six sets of tees to cater for six sets of players of six different capabilities.

Let’s look at an 18 handicapper. He or she doesn’t need to get on any green in regulation. Not one.

All he or she needs to do is get on the green in one more than regulation, have two putts and they will walk off the course with 36 stableford points. That’s always a good score.

I would like to see our club go back to blue, white and yellow tees. After all, that is an indication for visiting players of which tee to play from and what to expect.

At the moment visitors needs an explanation of what blue, terracotta, grey and green mean.

When you go to a golf course anywhere in the world and you see black, blue, white and yellow tees you have a good understanding of what they mean.

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