Forget the rare birdies, the occasional pars, the frequent bogeys and, well, let’s just not talk about the others.
While the numbers on my scorecard can resemble a bingo card, there has always been one constant in my golfing life. How far I hit a 7-iron.
According to USGA research, that golf club distance (141 carry, 151 total) reveals not only which tee I should be playing from, but might also be the secret to unlocking one of the sport’s biggest frustrations – how long it takes to get round.
In their members’ magazine, Golf Journal, USGA research revealed 57 per cent of players pick tees to play that are too long and, though it may surprise you given the stereotypes we always hear, 20 per cent choose tees that are too short.
So how do you choose the right tees? That’s where your 7-iron comes in Why this club? Let USGA chief executive Mike Whan explain. He told Golf Journal: “With driver, I am probably plus or minus 20 yards.
“If I say I hit it 240, I know that I can hit it 260. And I know that there’s plenty of 220s in my bag. So, if you ask me how far someone hits their driver, you get the 220 answer, you get the 240 answer, you get the 260 answer.
“Now, ask how far I hit my 7-iron, and I’m going to say 160. You ask any player, and they will give you a definitive answer.”
Right, got that. How does that translate into the tees?
Golf club distances: Check out this 7-iron distance chart
Pic: USGA
The USGA say if you hit your 7-iron 155 yards, you’re most ideally suited to a course between 6,400 and 6,600 yards.
If you strike it 125 yards, then it’s 5,400 yards to 5,600 yards. If it’s 80 yards or less, then your best course length comes out at 3,500 to 3,700 yards.
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What’s this got to do with playing times? The USA surveyed more than 20,000 golfers, and Matt Pringle, the USGA Green Section’s managing director, told Golf Journal: “The fascinating thing about the research was when we asked them ‘What’s too short, what’s too long, and what’s just right for you?’.
“We found consistently, within a pretty narrow range for most of those 20,000 players, that if you divide those distances by their 7-iron, you keep coming up with the same answer.
“People will say – no matter whether they hit their 7-iron 100 yards or 180 yards – the most enjoyable holes are medium par fours where they hit driver, then 7-iron.”
The USGA said at a Florida club the pace of play quickened by 15 minutes when a tee-based selection based on 7-iron distances was brought in.
What’s behind it? With the yardage differences between back and front tees sometimes significant, there’s less walking. The time it takes to physically get round the course is shorter.
There are some other logical things that stem from playing a shorter course, if you think about it. You’re generally going to have shorter approaches than you might from tees further back. Those shots may prove easier to hit. You might spend less time looking for golf balls.
It all adds up to the bottom line of overall round time. So next time you find yourself in a traffic jam, just think. The answer may be sitting idly in your golf bag.
Now have your say
What do you think? Is the secret to pace of play really all about golf club distances and a 7-iron? Does the research make sense and will you try it at your club? Let me know by leaving a comment on X.
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