Long tees or short tees

[CoachQ]

I play both. Since I have to drive 45+ minutes to get to the nearest course, I usually play two rounds. I tend to play shorts first and then a second round at the longs. I prefer to play longs if there is an option.

I played a tournament a while back and the int. med (my division) played short tees with all womens divisions. I was pretty bummed that it turned a really cool course (temp course on a ball golf course) into a pitch'n'putt for my division. I refused to play this year unless all divisions played the same tees. Alas, I got my wish and my registration was sent in last week. Can't wait.

 

[wolito]

Whatever I am in the mood for. Whatever is the more challenging tee shot, and it isn't always the long one. Generally the longs though.

 

[CwAlbino]

I play long tees the majority of the time. Sometimes, in the case of ISU stable run, I play short tees often. For leagues we like to play short tees to long basket (2 pads and 2 baskets per hole) so that it's challenging but also lets us get through a round in a timely manner. If I go out on a solo round though I will play longs.

 

[optidiscic]

I throw the longer tees typically though I have been overwhelmed a few times from them a few times and meekly made my way down to blue or the shorts. Killens Pond was longer and more technical...probably the most difficult long tees I have ever encountered. I'm not that exceptional and should play the shorts but I usually wanna experience the long tees...I have wimped out and walked up to the shorts quite often (plastic is more expensive than my ego)and am not embaressed to say so

 

[billnchristy]

Agree.


Disagree. Tees based on skill equal pigeonholing, just like tees based on gender do. At the tournament I played this weekend, there was a different tee-basket configuration each round, but in each round everyone from the open players down to the juniors threw the same layout.

Fact is, tees are only one half of the equation in the difficulty of a hole. The position of the baskets (if you have movable baskets) is the other, and unless there are actual multiple baskets, that variable is beyond the player's control.

Granted, the position of the baskets may play a role in which tees I decide to use. When I was in Omaha last month, I played at Seymour Smith Park. They had just has a tournament the previous weekend and they set the baskets all short for the last round. Short to short on that course is very underwhelming for experienced players, and the short tees had plenty of mud around them, so I decided to go all long that day.

Ok, I will give you that on a dynamic course.

If I had my way a tee wouldn't be short or long or whatever, but a completely different look giving another set of options on how to play.

I have seen this theory used at tournaments where they alternate longs and shorts for even/odd baskets proving there is merrit in any tee position if it is different enough to change things.

And those who consider shorts an approach...what better way to practice your upshot game?

 

[joshmo65]

i kept the options simple.

so few courses have middle tees so i really didn't want to include that and take away from the more grand question of long or short.

an 'it depends' option would completely kill the thread as everyone would check that. 99.9% of people prob play both. even i play the occasional short tee because we have a home course here where the long tee is just rediculous. i've never actually even played the long for that hole so i would have to check 'it depends'.

i kept the question factual and literal, including everyone. it is, which do you play more, long or short?

Hmm. I must be spoiled then cause every course I have played on sans one or two have three tees (one course had 4!)

I always play the middle ones. I guess if they only have two tees then I would play the long.

 

[Technohic]

I play mostly longs but will play short.

Generally as a rec player, I play whichever looks like a fun shot.

 

[Brall]

Hmm. I must be spoiled then cause every course I have played on sans one or two have three tees (one course had 4!)

 

[slowRoll]

Longs because that's all we ever get to play in tournaments. But I do play the shorts anytime I go with my wife and kids.

Hear that all you 8 that voted shorties.
You're all playing from the KIDDY and LADIES TEES!

Mwahahaha!!!

But seriously, who cares? Just play discgolf. If you're lucky enough to have courses that have 2 setups on them, play them both.

 

[Deaf Leopard]

I usually walk 30 to 50 feet past the shorts to tee off to take a few strokes off my game. Just kidding

 

[Phil_Ludvik]

i just started playing tourneys this year, and I play novice. I play shorts (or middle on courses with 3 options) cuz thats what i have to shoot from when im in a tournament. When I make the step up to a higher division, I will play whatever tees that division plays.

 

[Gflap]

At my local course, we have 3 sets of tee pads, reds ( we call tampads), whites and blues. Most play from the reds as they are the only concrete pads. the whites are about 1000 feet longer than reds and the blues play another 1000 feet longer. They are all fun to play.

 

[agent_peebody]

tampads. lulz.

 

[craftsman]

Shorts usually. Leagues and my division play shorts.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I play both, depending on the course and my mood. If both tees have the same surface, I tend to play from longs for the challenge, with occasional fun rounds from the shorts. If only one set of tees has concrete, I tend to play more from that set of tees whether it's long or short.

Shorts. I am a rec player and that is where rec players should play. Some courses shorts are silly and then I play longs but at home I play shorts more often than not.

^, ^^ What they said. :hfive:

so far the majority is definitely leaning twards long being more often played. i thought it would be a much closer race. i see so many people constantly playing shorts.

My guess is a lot of those players aren't spending that much time on this site.

 

[Brall]

now it's starting to even out some

24 long
15 short

why don't all tourneys just use long? sounds like from previous posts that they more commonly use both (even/odd) or only use short.

 

[garublador]

why don't all tourneys just use long? sounds like from previous posts that they more commonly use both (even/odd) or only use short.

The point of the different tees is to get the best scoring distribution for different skill levels. There's a good chance that lower skilled players throwing from the long tees will give a worse scoring distribution (i.e. more players with the same score) that you'll get when they throw from the short tees.

That being said, unless I'm in a tournament where I'm supposed to be throwing from the short tees I throw from the long.

 

[DavidSauls]

What's missing here is the concept that not all courses use longs and shorts the same way. For example, the shorts at Trophy Lakes are probably longer and tougher than the longs at Crooked Creek. Some courses had a standard layout and and then added "gold" tees for an extra-tough challenge; others indeed have short tees designed for rec/women/juniors, etc.

Likewise, some tournaments use short tees for some divisions to balance out the difficulty or, more likely, the amount of time a group will take to play a round. Some do so with water-carry considerations (Trophy Lakes, Stoney Hill). Some for the heck of it---at the Firecracker Fling we played long from the odd-numbered holes, short from the even, making a course of birdie holes and monster holes, nice variety. Trophy Lakes has done one entire round from the short tees, 3 from the long (for higher divisions), giving a different look and perhaps favoring a different set of skills.

 

[HarkeyPuck]

The courses I usually play offer 3 sets of tees. Red (short), white and blue (long). Occasionally there will be a set of Gold tees, which having played one time @ Moraine State Park, I usually avoid. Most of the time I/we opt for the white tees, and occasionally give blue a shot. We have played a few Glow rounds with our Aviars from the Reds @ Schenley Park.

If there are only 2 sets I play the longer of the 2. If there is 3 (or more) usually the middle or white tees.

 

[compn]

i find that a lot of courses are designed from the long tees. the shorts are put in as an after thought, or just arent as much fun. so i play longs. best obstacles, best lines, more fun. and i mean... you gotta walk it anyways, most holes dont make you walk the opposite direction of the basket to get to the longs.

i see this especially on signature holes. cass #3 you can either toss downhill from the longs on a 100ft tall toboggon hill (600ft), or walk down to the shorts (300ft) for a flat boring shot to the basket.

one of my fav holes (at the extinct kensington tunnel) had you atop a hill, throwing over a swamp valley, with large tree obstacles in your way. the short tee is on the other side of the valley for a 200ft straight-flat throw to the basket.

mostly i see people playing from the shorts.