Championship Friendly Tees
 

My cousin, who is a beginner golfer, is visiting next month. We have golfed executives before, but she wants to try a championship. I'll have her hit from the friendly Tees

Any suggestions on what courses where it might be easier from the friendly Tees? I don't want her to get too frustrated..

Don't take this as gospel truth, but Bonifay, Destin to Fort Walton would have minimal water and pretty wide open. Mallory, Virginia to Amelia might be reasonable as well. But keep in mind, if she is not ready, you're just setting her up for "frustration", not to mention those behind you.

You nailed it, probably the two easiest 18 hole combinations. My wife likes to play the friendly T’s as well, it allows her to reach the greens in regulation and keeps the pace of play moving at a good clip.

Agree. Sometimes it is a good idea to keep moving is to have play like a scramble, if she is having a hard time.

If she cannot reach the green in par, please have her pick up and put the ball on the green. Championship golfers are not as understanding as Executive with beginners. Keep pace.

Wife plays the friendly tees, was a competitive player for years but time takes its toll, and we find most put the player well beyond any trouble. When it doesn’t, she will drop by my tee shot. She plays as fast if not faster than I. Friendly tees will allow a newer player to expand their game and use a broader selection of clubs.

Any of the championship course other than Tierra del Sol will work. The Villages championship courses are designed to be quite easy for average golfers. On the closer tees, water generally doesn't come into play. Bunkers are off to the sides on most greens, and the rough is always cut down so folks can roll the ball to the green.

Tierra del Sol is the only tight course where you can't hit your drive offline and expect to have a 2nd shot.

The friendly tees on all the other courses will work well for your friend.

Personally I would not bring her to the regulation golf courses till she has at least gotten proficient enough to play well on the execs. The experience for her would be a lesson in frustration. The only thing she gains by playing a regulation golf course is the chance to spend hours and hours hitting shots she may be unequipped to hit.

The execs aren't easier because they are shorter due to being mostly par threes. The aren't any easier than regulation courses if you can't get the ball in the air and have some idea how far each club hits the ball. The execs are easier because it takes less time to complete the nine holes. If she wants to play regulation courses for the time spent then book two exec nines with a meal in between.

Even though there are some that think regulation players are a bit stuffy it's because there are many who play them that think "mulligan" is a golf term and use it most any time they hit a bad tee shot on the execs. Now apply that same mentality to regulation courses and you get to watch some folks who should be on execs due to it being widely accepted as a normal way to play. On regulation course if you fall to far behind the group in front of you(or not on time)you can and will be expected to pick up your ball(the whole group)and perhaps even skip a hole or two.

Lastly teach her etiquette...how to put sand in every divot she takes...how to properly rake a bunker and place the rake in the bunker properly...to not stand behind someone hitting, walking in their putting line, to keep still and quiet while anyone in the group is hitting, fixing a pitch mark properly. All these things and more are supposed to be do's and don'ts on a regulation course. It's not anything like an exec course and it NOT considered to be rude to expect better behavior on the regulation courses. Good luck

Championship courses
 

Having lived on a couple of championship courses and watched so called “good golfers” hitting off their “ego tees” and having to hit a three wood or five wood toward the green on par fours I can’t say much about a beginning golfer or 80 age plus golfers hitting from the friendly tees. Just advise them to pick up the ball after hitting three shots to the par four and put it on the green. If you want to speed up the game all players should do that after four shots unless they are keeping a handicap score. They could improve the friendly tee boxes a bit IMHO and any beginner golfer should take good golf school and get at least three lessons before playing any golf. Fore

very good advice

speed
 

Make sure you are golfing as fast as the group ahead

Frustration will come with all if you don't keep pace. The Villages are very strict on time. I suggest to go toward the end of the 2nd wave with less people playing due to heat. Orange Blossom which is a straight 18 is tha least crowded. Go out around 1 and you should be good. Remember every shot is a nice shot. Good luck

Hmmmm. Not sure everyone would agree with that:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

You might try baseline in Ocala. 18 holes short and one of the most beautiful course around

How about those following your group ? Beginners should NOT try a championship course until skills improve period !

The Friendly tees on the Virginia 9 at Mallory would be a good choice. Another option would be: A buddy and I sometimes take our wives out to a championship course. The ladies like the beauty and the chance to play these courses, but they are not long hitters. On some of the longer holes, we simply have the ladies tee it up from the 150 markers. That allows them to come out and play the "big" course with us, without impacting the pace of play too much.

Tee It Up
 

Have her use a tee in the fairway speeds play and instills confidence using different clubs.

I agree beginners only hit balls maybe 50 to 60 yds.& usually not straight. Play at a VERY slow time or just be courteous & be prepared to let a lot of people to play through. Personally I would play the Executive courses until she can hit a ball far enough to reach a par 3 green, or you’ll be hearing a lot of French language!

Easier golf course for beginners
 

I suggest you try Baseline in Ocala. Only 30 minutes from here, depending on where you live. It is an 18 hole executive style course. Just beautiful!!! A great course if you like to walk. You can rent a cart for riding, or a push cart for walking.

Try Baseline Golf Course, off the reservation, a short, beautiful and less expensive course with lots of discount bargain shopping in the club house. All par 3 & 4’s with plenty of shade from the sun. Try it, you’ll like it.

The Championship courses being longer and generally wider than Executive courses are more forgiving if you're not a big (long) power hitter. If she's able to play any Level 2 Exec. course and maintain pace of play, she should be fine on any Championship course from friendly tees. As someone mentioned, have her tee up 2nd shots to minimize heavy (duffed) fairway shots. Have fun, play 9 after 4:20 and save $!

Don't listen to these people take her to the Championship and enjoy, it's golf not brain surgery your allowed to make mistakes.

Even the pros do. But not at the expense of 10 foursomes waiting behind you. By all means take her out, but keep up with the pace of play. Taking 5 hours to play is not "a mistake"

Life is too short to get aggrivated for "five hours" by the clueless.

Just skip the hole and go around them. Let the next Ambassador know why.

Seriously???? Sorry, but I'm not a big fan of playing 17 holes. :yuck:

What you have to realize, is that all Championship golfers in TV were scratch players from the first ball they ever hit. At least that's the impression they like to give.
There are no friendly tees or golfers, just players obsessed with speed of play
All games are played at 92mph.
No one must actually enjoy the game, just beat the stopwatch!
Not the best place to start on championship courses.
Stick to the harder Execs and get proficient on them.
As other posters have said, outside the bubble, the Championship courses are a lot cheaper, most better kept, and a whole lot more friendly. :duck:

Baseline is an executive course. Why should one pay for Baseline when you can play TV exec courses for free(well guest have to pay something)?
I haven't played Baseline in years but I remember that once I had to wait 90 minutes to tee off because they didn't let golfers schedule a tee time. It was a just-show-up course. Not sure if that has changed.

When playing TV champion courses, I've never had a problem with golfers who play from the friendly tees, either in front of my group or behind. Those usually can't hit that far so they spend less time looking for their balls.

If she wants to play from the Championship friendly tees, just do it. I’ve played hundreds of rounds of golf on the Championship courses. The levels of golfers is wide ranging. There are many men who should move up to the friendly tees. Keep pace with the group in front and take advantage of the empty courses in the evening and late afternoon. Don’t let some of these people discourage you from playing. The ambassador will keep you informed of your pace of play. Good luck learning the game!

"There are many men who should move up to the friendly tees."


Agreed. Especially since a USGA/GHIN handicap can be established and maintained, playing from the yellow (friendly) tees.

I would much rather play with a lousy golfer who plays fast than a great golfer who plays slow. Take your beginner out on the /championship course, have them play from the short tees (the 150 marker idea is brilliant), and have fun. Have them pick up their ball if they're taking too long.