What tees should golfers play from? This handy guide makes it simple.

Want a sure fire way to improve your scores on the golf course? You should probably consider moving up a tee box.

Of course, it’s not as easy as just playing the furthest forward tee to shoot the lowest score possible. If you’re a golfer who plays competitively, you’ll often have no choice on what tees you play from.

But, if you’re playing somewhere for fun, the tees you choose to play from can have a huge impact on how much you enjoy your round.

Golfers want to find a balance between enjoyment and challenge, and a lot of that comes down to how long the course we play is.

So, how should we go about selecting the perfect tees for our next round? Some courses will suggest tees based on handicap, while others, particularly in the UK, will be based on gender.

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But, it’s the 21st century after all, so perhaps we should be looking at new ways to decide where we’re teeing it up, and we like the look of this little formula, courtesy of Athletic Motion Golf.

It’s something that we’ve seen variations of, but this is an easy method to follow, and we think it’s pretty accurate. It goes like this…

• Find out how far your 5-iron goes
• Multiply that number by 36
• Play from the tees at that distance

For example, my 5-iron goes, on average, 175 yards. (Except when I’ve waited for the green on a par-5 to clear, where it goes around 87 yards).

175 multiplied by 36 is 6,300 yards, which is almost exactly the distance for my home course from the medal tees.

So, what about other players? Thanks to Shot Scope, we know that a 20 handicap player hits their 5-iron, on average, 140 yards. Stick that number into the formula and we get a course just over 5,000 yards.

Now, that might seem short, but it might be something to consider next time you’re out on the course. We guarantee you’ll shoot better scores, and you’re probably going to have more manageable distances into greens. All that will equate to a more enjoyable round of golf.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor