Golf operators need to consider whether their courses are playable for all
For golf to grow participation, the sport needs to be more inclusive. There are lots of aspects to creating a culture of inclusion, but, at the most basic level, which is the courses we play, we must address a critical issue of course architecture.
The great majority of existing courses, by not providing a greater choice of tees, effectively exclude or at least discourage a wide spectrum of potential players or send current players into early retirement.
It is clear that the distance golfers hit the ball is directly proportionate to their club head speed. Recognised, but not totally embraced, is the idea that club head speed is not determined by gender or age. With that concept in mind, why not position tees to fit the full range of driver swing speeds between 65-105 miles per hour, thus letting players, no matter their age or gender, have the choice of a set of tees that fit their swing speed?
There are some courses that have followed the idea of providing such a choice. The first, to my knowledge, is Province Lake Golf in Maine, USA, the course my wife and I owned for ten years. We completely rebuilt our tee system to fit 65mph (4,169 yards), 75mph (4,900), 85mph (5,700) and 95mph (6,336) swing speeds. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough land to expand the course for 105mph players.
While increasing our rounds by 250 per cent, our women’s play increased from 15 per cent to 35 per cent and our juniors play from 1.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Our senior men were able to move up to the 4,900 yard tees, as they were no longer the ‘ladies tees.’ They played more and extended their playing careers by years.
Ideally, with the clear understanding that turf conditions make a significant difference (for example, a heavily watered parkland course as against a hard and bouncy true links), a guideline for tee distance and swing speeds is as follows:
• 65 mph: 4,000-4,200 yards
• 75 mph: 4,800-5,000 yards
• 85 mph: 5,600-5,800 yards
• 95 mph: 6,200-6,400 yards
• 105 mph: 6,600-6,800 yards
For family play and to encourage younger players, a set of tees between 2,000-3,000 yards should be considered.
The average woman who makes up a majority of the demographic that golf industry should want to attract golfer swings her driver at 65mph (driver yardage 135-140) and the senior man, at 75mph (driver yardage 165-175), wants a course he can play comfortably and with the memory of what he was able to do at a younger age.
In addition to what we did at Province Lake, others, most notably Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser, have adopted this concept. All of Mike’s courses have five sets tees that fit 65/75/85/95/105 mph swing speeds. Milan Kapel at Berkshire Hills in Ohio has six sets of tees ranging from 3,800 to 6,698. All the courses that have adopted this concept have experienced greater golfer satisfaction as players can reach greens in regulation and no longer struggle to feel like they are ‘real golfers.’ They have more women, seniors and juniors playing.
From the golf facility’s point of view, those who have adopted this concept have increased women’s, senior men’s and junior’s play without causing any issues with men’s play. All golfers’ enjoyment has increased, speed of play has increased and facility bottom lines have grown. This is clearly a win/win for everyone.
Arthur Little and his wife Jann Leeming offer free advice to courses on forward tee positioning. Contact him by email at arthurdlittle8@mac.com