C
Clarity News Hub

What tee box should I play from handicap?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 20, 2026

At a golf course with three sets of tees, the guidelines for choosing the correct set are pretty easy: The championship tees (back tees) are for low-handicap men. The middle tees are for middle to high handicap men, low-handicap or long-hitting women, and low-handicap or long-hitting senior men.

How do I figure out which tees to use?

Use average 5-Iron distance

Example: You hit your 5-iron 150 yards. So 150 times 36 equals 5,400. Choose the tees closest to 5,400 yards in length. If you hit your 5-iron 180 yards, then look for tees around 6,500 yards (180 times 36 equals 6,480).

What color tee box should I play from?

White (Competition) Yellow - typically used by men of all ages playing recreational golf. Red - often the tees nearest the green (sometimes referred to as the Ladies Tees, although that term is being discouraged)

What golf yardage should I play?

It should simply be the yardages and which sets of tees we look at. If your 5-iron goes only 70 yards, a regulation course isn't fun. But one with tees—even if in the fairway—measuring 2,520 yards would be a great way to keep people in the game. Think about it.

What club should you use on the teeing ground?

Tee Height with Irons and Wedges

For long to mid-irons (2-, 3-, 4-, 5-irons), it is recommended that about a quarter-inch of the tee remain above ground. For the shorter mid-irons and short irons (6-, 7-, 8-, 9-irons and PW), press the tee all the way into the ground so that only its head is above ground.

17 related questions found

What are the tee box rules?

Your ball must be between the two markers, but you can stand outside. You may tee your ball up to two club-lengths behind the markers, but not an inch in front. Your front foot can be in front of the markers, though.

What are the different tee boxes?

Most golf courses have at least three sets of tees—the forward tees, middle tees and back (or championship) tees.

Is a 250 yard drive good?

The average driving distance for a golfer with a 5 handicap or less is 250 yards. You might think that's kind of low for a good golfer but it's pretty realistic for someone who isn't a professional. If you hit the ball the average distance you're really not that far away from the average distance of a scratch golfer.

What is the rule of 85 in golf?

The rule of 85 is explained as a simple maths equation to determine what tee position you should hit from. The 85 golf rule formula is that if your age + current handicap is greater or equal to 85 then you should use the senior tees or the next closest set of tees.

What are the gold tees in golf?

Gold tees can have two purposes. If placed near the tee they are meant for senior players. If a gold tee is the farthest tee then it is only used for championship play. Silver tees are for use by senior female players.

What tees do high school golfers play from?

High school golfers typically play from the men's tees on the golf course, the average middle handicapper tees. These tees are considered the “white” tees at many courses. For an 18-hole golf course, the total distance from the first tee to the 18th hole is typically just under 6,000 yards.

How do I choose a tee box?

A general rule of thumb to determine which tee box is right for you is if you hit your driver under 200 yards, play from the closest tee. If you hit from 200-225 the next farthest tee, and so on. When you are hitting 275+ accurately you should be playing the farthest tees back.

What color tees do seniors play from?

So black tees (sometimes green, sometimes, well, pick a color), were added behind the traditional blue tees. The next set of tees that were added (the fifth set, if you've lost count), were usually gold, aka “senior” tees, that were placed ahead of the red, or “ladies”, tees.

How far does Tiger Woods hit a 7 iron?

Tiger Woods is a legend of golf but on average, how long does he hit a 7 iron? Tiger hits his 7 irons approximately 172 yards. This is an average figure and there will times when Tiger hits the ball closer to 200 yards.

What is a 8 iron used for?

The 8 and 9 irons are commonly called the "short irons". They have the highest-mass clubheads and the shortest shafts of the numbered irons, and are used for shots requiring high loft or moderate to short distance (typically between 130 and 150 yards with a full swing).

What percentage of golfers can break 90?

According to data from the National Golf Foundation, only 26 percent of all golfers shoot below 90 consistently on regulation 18-hole courses; 45 percent of all golfers average more than 100 strokes per round.”

How far should a 70 year old hit a 7 iron?

How Far Should a 70-Year-Old Man Hit A Seven Iron? A 70-year-old man should be able to hit a seven iron roughly 135 yards. The 135-yards shot will vary depending on the use of steel or graphite golf equipment.

Why do I hit my 3 wood farther than my driver?

Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.

How far should a 65 year old man hit a golf ball?

The ranges are very wide, as you'd expect, with 25-year-old scratch players averaging 271 yards and 65-year-old 30 handicappers averaging 180. Check out the fascinating data in this video and below...

What does the tee box look like for golf?

Officially, the teeing area is defined by the USGA as a “rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where the front edge is defined by the line between the forward-most points of two tee-markers set by the Committee, and the side edges are defined by the lines back from the outside points of the tee-markers.”

What does 3 off the tee mean?

A Provisional ball, as described, is ALWAYS classed as '3 off the Tee' - provisionally! You must announce it as a 'provisional ball', otherwise it isn't provisional, so becomes the ball in play (and 3 off the tee).

Do you have to stand in the tee box?

The rule also means that golfers don't even have to stand in the mowed area in which the tee box sits. So long as a golfer's ball is teed up within the proper space, where the golfer stands doesn't really matter.

Can you tee up outside the tee box?

Basically, a golfer can draw an imaginary rectangle to determine where they can tee up their ball on any hole. First, two corners of the rectangle are the tee markers. You can't tee the ball in front of them, and you can't tee the ball up outside of them.