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move back to longer tees as their
skill and distances increase. Then as
players age and lose distance, they
can move forward to an appropriate
tee and still have fun playing golf.
Muirhead:
This system will help
create a more enjoyable experience
for all golfers. It will retain aging
players, as well as welcome and
accommodate new players of all
ages. The system is gender neutral
and helps keep the game fun and
exciting by allowing all golfers,
regardless of skill, a more realistic
opportunity to reach greens
in regulation, make pars and
experience some level of success,
which will encourage them to stay
with the game. All of that translates
to more golfers playing more rounds,
which improves the overall health
of the game. It will also help boost
the operational success of individual
facilities, both public and private.
LaFoy:
Firstly, we must acknowledge
that many of our golfers who were
responsible for the ‘golf boom’ of the
1990s are getting older. Some have
left the game because courses have
just become too difficult for them to
negotiate in terms of yardage. Many
of the male players are reluctant to
move to the most forward set of tees
that may have always been considered
‘ladies tees.’ For some reason, we
also seem to have a mindset that all
ladies play from the same set of tees,
which is as ridiculous as thinking all
men should play from the same set.
By using the Longleaf Tee System,
we are merely acknowledging what
we have known all along—that golf
is a lot more fun when played from a
distance that aligns with our physical
ability and skill level.
One of the reasons I am excited
about it is that three of the last
clubs that have contacted me were
all calling about adding tees to
their course because of their older
members. None of them had heard
about the Longleaf Tee System, so
this is something that was coming
from them, and not prompted by
anything they had read. I have always
thought that ‘real’ movements start
at the grass roots—the bottom of
the pyramid so to speak, and not
As players age and lose distance, they can still have fun by moving forward to an appropriate tee
Greg Muirhead,
ASGCA Past President
This system will
help
create
a
more
enjoyable
experience
for
all golfers
Photo: Istockphoto/Dean Mitchell