Problem with amateur ryder cup

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By Sam S

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  • 10 Replies
  1. Sam S

    Sam S

    We have a group of 16 people going to Myrtle this summer and we're going to hold a ryder cup style event. Only three of us out of the 16 have been on a "golf trip" before so many people do not know what to expect. We are all in our mid twenties and only 5 of us played golf before 2021 so we have many skill levels going with handicaps ranging from 4.5-25+.

    We are all looking forward to it but the person that is putting this trip togethers has run into a predicament with tee boxes. We have two golfers who consistently drive the ball 290-300yds, me and 2 others are consistently around 270yds, there's another 6-8 people on the trip who average around 225 yards. The person putting it together is one of the shorter hitters and has pointed out that it could be uneven no matter which tee boxes we play.

    We're playing 4 courses and these are the tee boxes we're deciding between. Tips/2nd longest. 6900/6450 6850/6400 7000/6500 6950/6600

    The two player that drive it 300 always play from the tips, other three of us normally play 6600-6900. and 2 of the 5 longer are adamant about playing from the tips since we're traveling and paying more money than usual to play fun courses. The trip organizer doesn't think they should play from the tips cause people would have a wood into some par 3s and par 4 second shots, but he also acknowledges that if the two long hitters played from 6400 then they wouldn't be able able to use their drivers or irons above a 7 (since their 7 iron goes 185+). This is a long post but i would love to have any sort of suggestions for us, we have several months before we go so we're trying to sort it out early instead of pushing it off until june.

    I had the idea of just making individuals handicap based on what tee boxes they play from during our trip but i'm not sure if the formula works that way. i would appreciate any suggestions.

  2. GMcClanahan

    GMcClanahan
    Pinehurst, NC

    I go on a trip with a group of 12 where the handicaps range from 4 to 18, with some driving distance ranges similar to your group, with the exception that longest hitters are probably 280 yards off the tee. We all play the same tees- approx 6,300 yards. To be honest, I’m not sure what yardage each person plays courses at outside of the trip. The handicap system is not always perfect but I think it more or less works.

    I see two options here. First, split the difference and have everyone play the same tees, using the approx avg of the short hitter and long hitter typical course yardages. Long hitters, who I assume have lower handicaps, will get fewer strokes, and the shorter hitters will get more strokes, thereby evening things out for driving distance/skill. Course ratings and slope are lower when you move up tee boxes so they effectively adjust for this. Second option, have each player play equivalent tee boxes to the ones they play at home. So handicaps will be fairly consistent from home courses for each player (assuming similar difficulty level on courses on the trip). My initial thought was option 1 would be better but you have a little broader range in handicaps than my trip so option 2 might be better in that situation.
  3. TGendron

    TGendron
    iowa

    You hit the nail on the head. Using a handicap to tee system is the perfect remedy. That is what the different tee boxes are set up for. Also you will keep up with pace of play "guidelines" and your higher handicaps will enjoy the golf trip. Which 4 are you playing in Myrtle. Go there every year and can give my advice about your trip.
  4. Sam S

    Sam S

    We're playing Glen Dornoch, Arcadian Shores, Kings North, and TPC Myrtle. Two of us went to Myrtle for the first time this past winter, and the people we made the golf package with gave us a great deal!
  5. Rob R

    Rob R
    Chicago, IL

    My group has split the long hitters that want to play from back tees.

    If the 2 long hitters are close in handicap range put them on opposite teams. They can then play from the back tees and the rest of the guys can play from a set of other tees that are agreed upon.
  6. Sean M

    Sean M
    Liberty, MO

    Military
    I’ve planned golf trips for groups from 4 to 24. I’ve always let players play the tee boxes that they are most comfortable playing from and let the handicap strokes fall where they fall. That’s the beauty of the handicap system. It allows players of all skill levels/distances to compete.

    Players are spending their money to plays some great courses. Let them look back on it as a fun and rewarding experience not one where they were having to fly a driver over a long forced carry and then hit a fairway wood into every par 4. Trust me your pace of play will be much more enjoyable.

    The GHIN app will make all the adjustments for the handicaps for all the players whichever tees they play from.

    Enjoy your trip!!!!
  7. Sam S

    Sam S

    Thanks for the response! That seems to be the general consensus of the group, more worried about enjoying our time than having a "perfect" Ryder cup set up
  8. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Some courses down this way in SC even have recommendations based on how far you hit the ball off the tee. I would check with them. Then you get your GHIN handicap. GHIN is a fair handicapping system and it will determine how many strokes you will get on each course based on you home course handicap vs the course you will be playing. Most handicap systems do. Might not be out of the question to use three tees. Someone will always complain.
  9. Sam S

    Sam S

    Chuck Z said:

    Some courses down this way in SC even have recommendations based on how far you hit the ball off the tee. I would check with them. Then you get your GHIN handicap. GHIN is a fair handicapping system and it will determine how many strokes you will get on each course based on you home course handicap vs the course you will be playing. Most handicap systems do. Might not be out of the question to use three tees. Someone will always complain.

    Good point about complaining hahaha, but it shouldn't be too much of a speed bump. Thanks for the suggestion about tee recommendations based off of driving distance.
  10. EddietheKarp

    EddietheKarp
    Pennsylvania

    Split tees are the only viable option, but how you’ll get there depends on how much work your organizer wants to put it. The most effective and equitable way to do it is to use the “8 iron” rule. If you can, take each player’s distances into account for each hole, with a target approach shot for everyone being struck with their 8 iron and assign tees based on this projection. It’s a lot of work for 12 players over 4 rounds, so you may want to simply split the tees based on handicap. It won’t be the most effective, but will avoid hours of work in the preparation phase.
  11. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    In my opinion, the handicap system does not level the playing field. The shorter golfer will be forced to use long clubs on par 4s all day long. Even using driver on a par 3s. I never get an extra stroke on a par 3 hole when the distance is more than 170 yards with a handicap system. So it may seem fair on paper for a tournament, but it hardly makes for a fun round of golf. Jack Nicklaus has stopped playing golf because he doesn’t want to play driver - hybrid on every hole.

    There are a couple of formulas to determine course length based on driver or 5 iron distance. I enjoy the game a lot more using all the clubs in my bag. Playing 6300+ yards, I can pretty much leave 5 through 8 irons at home. Unless I missed the point of a buddy trip is to have fun, assign tees based on physical ability. Handicap really only adjusts for skill, not physicality.



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