Leave your ego at home (Charlie Rymer)

Correct tees are super important. 

Totally agree. Some years back, I was in a threesome that played Royal New Kent in Virginia (at that time, owned or operated by the Legends group). One of our guys, a legitimately less than scratch golfer (club champion at Congressional in DC), asked if he could play from the Invicta tees, a set that had its own separate scorecard. His friend, the contact I had with this better golfer, couldn't resist doing the same thing. I try to go along to get along so went back to the Invicta tees with the other two--and played over 20 years ago from tees measuring around 7400 yards. That's not too long today for the pros, but was long for that time.

I literally played every hole as one stroke more than on the card--fives as sixes, fours as fives, threes as fours. I used a three-wood off each tee that required a driver because although I sacrificed distance, I gained accuracy. As a result, although I was in the fairway of each hole, I was frequently no more than 15 yards into the short grass. I actually shot about as well as I would have playing shorter tees (at that time, I would have preferred to play two tees in front of where we were: Invictas were insane, there were black tees that made the course 500 yards shorter, and the blues that would have been about 6600), but I wasn't very happy because I knew standing on the tee that I was playing, at best and without luck, for bogey.

That's a depressing way to play golf. And frankly, the scratch I played with, hacked it around from those tees. I was around 90-91, he shot no better than 84-85, and at that time, he should have been at least 10 strokes better than I was.

The right tees bring some fun into the game. You get legitimate chances to birdie a hole occasionally. Since none of us is playing for a US Open title, I see no point in trying to overtax yourself during what should be a fun round of golf. And the wrong tees definitely slow down the pace of play.

Very interesting story. Like you, i am wondering where is the fun when you know that the better you can score is a bogey. Playing from the good tees is the way to go.

Several years ago I read an article written by a PGA professional. He did an extensive study between the relationship of distance off the tee (with a driver) and second shot distance to the green.  He then created a chart listing the yardage one should play. Based on this I started "creating" a course length of between 5,400 - 5,600 yards for myself.  While I have yet to break 80 at this distance range I have scored more birdies then ever before and last year I eagled a par 5 for the first time. (Driver, 5 wood, 40' putt.)  I'm certainly enjoying the game more too.

I play mostly as a single and have rarely seen anyone play the correct tees for their ability.  Once I played with a gentleman that had won the Ohio State Amateur Seniors Championship.  Even he did not play from the tips the day we were paired together at True Blue.  Back here at home, I got paired with a gentleman at Worthington Manor in Urbana, MD.  He played from the tips.  It was his practice round before attempting to qualify for the US Open.  (Worthington Manor has been a US Open qualifying site as well as a site for the MD State Amateur championship on multiple occasions.)  He could flat out play from back there in the hinterlands.  Sadly though, 90 percent of the time I see ego before talent level.    

@kladusky

Interesting. If a pro like Rymer think that it is better to leave our ego at home, why not? He is a wise guy. 

Yup, 6000yds is about right for me also. 

Charlie relocated here for a job at Golf Holiday/Golf Tourism Solutions as the Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Spokesman. 

My golf teacher has even recommended to go up a tee box multiple times a year while out to get better at making Birdie and Par, as the easiest way to make them is to get more practice at making them.  Shorter distance = more opportunity.

Amen!!