Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2018 - 43

BACK
PRESIDENT'S
DESK
Making the
Game Faster
(and More Fun)
* BY BARB HANSON *
R
ecently I played golf from a set of tees that was considerably
shorter than the tees I normally play. As I
got into the round, I realized how much fun it was
to have shots to the green with a middle or low-iron instead
of a 3- or 5-wood, and what a joy it was to be putting for
birdie on quite a few holes.
We've all heard about " Tee it Forward " -an initiative
begun by Barney Adams, a golf inventor and patents holder,
that was later adopted by the USGA to encourage players to
consider playing shorter tees. The desired outcomes were to
speed up play and to have more fun. Let me introduce you to
a friend of mine who has taken this a step further.
I met Jan Bel Jan many years ago at a WIGI (Women In
the Golf Industry) conference. She is a golf course architect,
one of just a few women in the fi eld, who is designing and
redesigning golf courses to include " Scoring Tees. "
In a Jan. 21 Golfweek article, writer Martin Kaufmann
profi led my friend:
" Bel Jan was intrigued by the
fact that college coaches sometimes
have their players use the
forward tees in practice. The
reasons are three-fold:
course
management ('Just because you
can drive the green, is that the
smart play?' she asks); working on the short game; and
learning how to go low. If it makes sense for top amateurs,
she reasons, why shouldn't it appeal to all players? "
Scoring Tees (ideally ranging between 4,000 and 4,400
yards) are a great option for juniors, families, beginners, and
the aging golfer.
According to Kaufmann, some courses are encouraging
their lower handicappers to try them out as well. " We
encourage better players to challenge themselves on it, " says
Dan Gawronski, director of golf at Pelican's Nest in Bonita
Springs, Fla., adding, " They can stand on a tee at 240 yards
and might try to hit it on the green (or get in jail). Ultimately
it puts the short clubs in their hands, and they fi nd out
maybe they're not as good as they thought they were. "
I have been involved in women's golf for many years, and I
know that a lot of women rarely reach a green in regulation
(and some don't even know what
GIR means). Par is achieved with
a one-putt or a chip-in and is
highly celebrated, and birdies
are certainly not the norm. I also
know that " red tees " are a red fl ag
to many men, and they will not
play from those tees. " Scoring Tees " are designed to be gender-neutral
and are rated for both men and women.
Some courses already have tees at a yardage that would
be considered " Scoring Tees, " so I encourage you, even challenge
you, to try them out for yourself. I believe your game
will improve and you'll have a great time in the process.
Play hard. Play happy, and " Tee it Forward. "
mngolf.org
Spring 2018 MINNESOTAGOLFER
43

http://www.mngolf.org

Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2018

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Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2018 - Contents
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