5 Ratings for non-cement tee pads?

[tomjulio]

Just wondering if having real nice cement tee pads should be a prerequisite for a five rating in reviews? I have seen a bunch of 5 ratings for gravel, dirt, and sand tee pads. Opinions?

I don't think personally I could give a 5 for anything other than dedicated nice cemented pads. It's quite a factor for a perfect course...unless the course just is mind boggling amazing.

 

[John Merhi]

Nothing boggles my mind more than people who say, "I hate concrete tees". I know at least 3 people who shy away from courses with concrete tees.

Remember, people complained about automatic transmissions when they first came out too. Some folks preferred their icebox over those new fangled refrigerator things too. Me.... I hate my cell phone, but I still carry it. And I will never, ever, use PayPal.

 

[sidewinding]

I agree. A course cannot be perfect without good footing.

 

[timg]

I prefer teeing off from a mixture of ice and grease. Anything less just doesn't present a challenge

Seriously though, how can you not like concrete pads? They're great assuming the size is right. I would also not give a course a 5 without concrete or some other type of permanent, quality pad.

 

[ERicJ]

Most people I've heard dis'ing concrete tees are complaining about how it hurts their knees and/or other joints. The other complaint is that some people just show up at a course/tourney wearing their cleats and aren't prepared with footwear for concrete.

ERic

 

[timg]

Cleats? That seems like it would hurt your game more than help. After a throw I normally continue to pivot on my right foot. If I had cleats on I'd probably break my ankle.

 

[ERicJ]

Cleats are rather common on players down in Texas.... Personally I'm not a fan, but I see 'em a lot.

ERic

 

[garublador]

IMO, if a course is truly a level 5 design it would take pretty bad tee pads to get me to lower the score.

If it hurts to throw on a cement tee pad you're doing something wrong or have really weak joints.

 

[tomjulio]

I prefer teeing off from a mixture of ice and grease.

...this may be the funniest unintentional innuendo ever posted.

 

[valkyriefb11]

Most people I've heard dis'ing concrete tees are complaining about how it hurts their knees and/or other joints.

I can see that, but you are far more likely to twist an ankle or trip teeing off a dirt or gravel tee.

When it comes to tees, concrete or rubber are the best, gravel or dirt not as good, but Id rather have one type of tee for a whole course. I dont like a different tee material on every hole.

 

[Flies to the Left]

Concrete tee pads are great but so are a well maintained gravel tee pad. If fine gravel is used and it leveled out with a rake on a regular basis I think it is better than concrete. It spreads out making the tee longer and wider. NO sudden drop off at the back and sides. If the gravel is not maintained it just goes to hell like a dirt tee pad does.

It comes down to course maintenance. No maintenance, no five stars.

 

[taxman]

It all boils down to maintenance. Cement is easier to maintain so when you see a cement tee pad you generally see it in good repair. Other forms of tee pads especially gravel require a lot more work to maintain, especially when you get a higher volume of golfers playing on the course.

If we're going to compare, compare apples to apples. A well maintained gravel tee pad is just as nice in my opinion as a well maintained patch of grass or rubber mat or cement tee pad.

When I rate a course lower because it has a bit of gravel left around a dirt pit that was a tee pad I'm rating that course down because of the bad maintenance not there choice in building material.


this is all just my opinion of course

 

[Adam Schneider]

Obviously, permanent hard-surface pads are ideal, but I can still see giving a course a "5" if everything else was near-perfect. Of course, it might depend on the weather too; hard-packed dirt makes a fine teepad when dry, not so much when wet.

Also, I've played a couple of courses that were so much about finesse (rather than distance) that a huge well-supported run-up wasn't necessary on most holes.

 

[magictenor1]

I prefer concrete but I don't think I would lower a rating just for non-concrete tees. It would depend on what the other tees were like. If there was a problem with the tees then maybe I would lower the rating.

 

[Geoffro]

Concrete tee pads are great but so are a well maintained gravel tee pad. If fine gravel is used and it leveled out with a rake on a regular basis I think it is better than concrete. It spreads out making the tee longer and wider. NO sudden drop off at the back and sides. If the gravel is not maintained it just goes to hell like a dirt tee pad does.

It comes down to course maintenance. No maintenance, no five stars.

I agree with this. I prefer the hard-packed gravel tee-pads to concrete - but it does require maintenance. It's the same thing with concrete, however, as noted above, erosion around the edges can be dangerous on the approach and follow-through.

 

[Olorin]

I'd never give a course a 5 if it didn't have good tees. I consider good tees to be concrete or good rubber pads. I've never seen adequate gravel pads, that's probably just the courses I've played.

 

[magictenor1]

Hey Olorin, I think you should have Timg revoke your Eagle status and make you a lifetime "par" member.

 

[WillA]

I have played on concrete tees that get very slick when wet. I stand to the side and tee off instead of using the teepad. Other than that concrete tees are fine. But I like natural tees too. The absolute worst tees I have evers een are at the course in Glasgow, Ky. They are sand so you never get solid footing. It's just crazy in my opinion.

 

[discinator]

I definitely prefer cement pads, but it seems like Austin has an aversion to cement. Two of the best courses in this area, Circle C and Pease Park, both have abysmal tee pads. They were probably ok for a week or so, but now after years of use, they have worn holes in the centers and many have rocks jutting out. Needless to say, I do downgrade my reviews if they don't have cement tees.

 

[Mando]

Obviously, permanent hard-surface pads are ideal, but I can still see giving a course a "5" if everything else was near-perfect. Of course, it might depend on the weather too; hard-packed dirt makes a fine teepad when dry, not so much when wet.

Also, I've played a couple of courses that were so much about finesse (rather than distance) that a huge well-supported run-up wasn't necessary on most holes.

I'm not even sure that concrete pads are ideal.
I can play two rounds on natural pads and have less knee soreness than one round on concrete. If you have good soil drainage (loam) and a maintenance program to match the traffic, natural pads are actually preferable for folks like me with bad knees.
I give 5's for course layout...pads,signs,bathrooms & water fountains are superfluous.