We’ve all heard the joke before. It goes something like this…

It was a sunny Saturday morning, just perfect for golf, and Murray was beginning his pre-swing routine, visualizing his upcoming shot, when a voice came over the clubhouse loudspeaker.

"Would the gentleman on the Ladies tee back up to the men's tee, please!"

Murray was still deep in his routine, seemingly impervious to the interruption.

Again the announcement - "Would the MAN on the WOMEN'S tee kindly back up to the men's tee!"

That was too much for Murray. He broke his stance, lowered his club back to the ground and raised his voice.

"Would the announcer in the clubhouse kindly be quiet and let me play my second shot?"

The fact is, there is no such thing as a “Women’s Tee” or “Men’s tee”. The tee markers and teeing areas are there to show the player, regardless of gender, where they need to play their first shot. There’s nothing that says that a man can’t play forward, and there is no rule against a woman playing from the Championship tees.

There are separate course and slope ratings for Women and Men. But the tee itself has no gender. Knowing this fact is one of the key points to the whole concept of Tee it Forward.

Tee it Forward is an initiative started by PGA and USGA to educate golfers about playing a set of tees that is more accurate for a golfers’ ability. It will help speed up play and provide the greatest playability and enjoyment to a round.

Much of this concept came from the mind of Barney Adams, founder of Adams Golf. Amateur golfers, by playing from more forward tees, can now play relatively the same distance as professional golfers.  The playing field is now leveled and allows the golfer to play from a distance where the course is designed to their abilities.

Jack Nicklaus
"All of us deeply involved in the game constantly encourage golfers of all skill levels to play the proper tees, but too often golfers want to bite off as much of the golf course as they can. What ends up suffering is their scorecard and their overall enjoyment. This program should help stimulate people to play the proper tees and maximize the golf experience."

But wait, doesn’t the USGA Handicap Index account for the difference? Well, it does, partially. Any person can play from any set of tees. And the player can adjust their Course Handicap to account for that. But how enjoyable will your round be if you are hitting a 3 wood into every green? Wouldn’t it be nice to use a wedge or short iron?

Know that playing forward tees isn’t just better for the senior golfer, it is also a benefit for juniors, those that are just beginning the game or players returning from an injury.

Comment from a golfer who practiced Tee it Forward, Paul Crawford:

"My friend and I had a great time making GIR's and keeping our ball on the fairway. Normally I would shoot 9 holes in the mid 50s. This time I shot a 47. So, guys, get over the egos. Be true to yourself and know your capabilities. You are not professional tour players, or you wouldn’t be working whatever job you have now. Give it a shot and see how it feels to hit a par 5 green in three rather than four or make bogie before even getting to the green."

We do understand that the stigma is still there. We hear it all the time. Red tee = Women’s tee. Many courses are changing the Name/Color of the forward tees to reflect more contemporary train of thought. Change the forward tees from Red to Gold. Think of it this way, Gold for “Golden Years” but I’d skip calling them Yellow, since yellow is still affiliated with ‘chicken’. Who says you even need to call the tees by their colors? Royal Oaks Country Club has “Squirrel” and “Acorn” tees. You could name the tees after mountains, rivers, your favorite movie dog.

As a policy moving forward, it is OGA’s intention to rate ALL sets of tees for Men and all but the longest sets of tees for Women. Having the ratings accurate, ready and accessible for a golfer will help them to “Tee it Forward” while also keeping an updated USGA Handicap Index. If your course is not yet rated for men from the forward tees, have your Pro give us a call and we’ll make it happen.