Alright, so I gotta share what I’ve been up to on the course lately. Decided to give the forward tees a serious shot. Yeah, you heard me, the “reds,” or whatever color they are at your track. For years, I was a die-hard white tee guy, sometimes blues if I was feeling particularly foolish.
First Thoughts & The Ego Thing
Gotta admit, walking past those white markers to get to the forwards felt a bit… off. Like I was copping out. You know, the ego. We all got one. And the golf ego? That’s a whole other beast. Kept thinking, “Am I gonna get looks? Are people gonna think I can’t hack it anymore?” Silly, I know, but that’s how the brain works sometimes.
What Pushed Me Over The Edge
So why the change? Well, it wasn’t just a random whim. My game had gone to pot, plain and simple. I mean, I was spraying it everywhere. Every round was a grind, a real slog. Used to love this game, and it was becoming a chore. I’d finish rounds just angry and frustrated. My handicap was ballooning like a bad soufflé.
Then, a few weeks back, I got paired with this older fella. Must’ve been in his late 70s, maybe early 80s. He strolls up to the forward tees, no fuss, and just plays this beautiful, simple game. Hitting fairways, hitting greens, making putts. He shot something like an 82, and had a grin on his face the whole time. Meanwhile, I’m back on the whites, hacking it out of the fescue, probably shot a 95 and wanted to throw my clubs in the lake. That got me thinking. Really thinking. He wasn’t trying to be a hero; he was just playing his game from a yardage that made sense for him. And he was having fun!
The Actual Experience: Playing From The Front
So, next time out, I swallowed my pride. Marched right up to those forward tees. First drive, felt weird. Way shorter hole. But then, magic happened. My tee shot found the fairway. My second shot? Instead of some long iron or hybrid I’d duff half the time, I had a short iron in. A PITCHING WEDGE! Into a par 4! I actually hit the green. Had a legit birdie putt. Didn’t make it, but still, a tap-in par.
And it went on like that for most of the round.
- Shorter clubs into greens, consistently.
- More greens in regulation than I’d hit in months.
- Fewer lost balls (because I wasn’t trying to kill it and ending up in Narnia).
- My scores? Dropped like a stone. Shot an 80 that day. An 80! Hadn’t seen that number in ages.
The Big Realization
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Golf isn’t about how far you can hit it, it’s about scoring. It’s about having fun! Playing from the forward tees made the game fun again. I was hitting better shots, having more chances at birdie, and not spending half my day looking for lost balls or taking penalty drops. It wasn’t “easier” in a cheap way; it just made the course playable for my current game. I’m hitting the same clubs into greens that the pros hit, just from shorter overall distances. That feels right.
So, Am I Sticking With It?
You bet your sweet dimples I am. My handicap’s coming down, I’m enjoying my rounds way more, and honestly, nobody cares what tees you play from. They just care if you’re keeping pace and being decent company. If you’re struggling, if the game’s become a beast of burden, seriously, give the forward tees a try. Just one round. What have you got to lose? Your ego might take a tiny hit for about five minutes, but your scorecard and your enjoyment will thank you. Trust me on this one. I learned the hard way that slugging it out from tees that are too long is just a recipe for a bad time. Now, I’m actually looking forward to my next round. That’s a win in my book.
