Thoughts on Tee Manipulation

[BaconJunkie1]

I have a course that Frans has seen that is really close to being published and since you all use my courses the most, I'd like to get both the tour admins and players thoughts on "Tee Manipulation". For those that know about that, it's where the tees are varied in their position on the holes, see the image below. This is Trinity Forest outside of Dallas, Texas, The Byron Nelson used to be held here and it is deemed as Tour Worthy here at TGC (hint, hint LOL). On hole 1 going straight the blue tees are in the back, the whites in the middle and reds in the front, on hole 10 going to the right the whites are in the back, the reds in the middle and blues up front. On some courses the tees are at different angles to vary the way the hole is played even more. 

What this allows us as designers to do is keep the overall distance on the 3 tees pretty close but since the tees are varied from round to round you use different clubs to play the holes on different rounds, combined with the pin placements on the green and it really changes things up from round to round a little more. We only do this on courses that we think will be used on tours or as a championship course. 

Trust me, I highly value everyone of your opinions.  

[trailducker]

I think it’s cool to do just a lot of work and make sure it’s a course that will for sure be used on tour.

I spent a lot of time manipulating four tee sets on Columbia Wetlands and then it never was used on tour. I think playing the different tees in different rounds really brings to life some of the variability you are building in.

I did the same on Moab Downs and that wasn’t given TW. But Uinta I manipulated the back tees and they were used on CC and I think people liked them. Made me wish I did at least one more manipulated tee rather then just a short front tee more there for the visual aspect then playing rounds from. My struggle is not making the “other” tees seem like an after thought. Because when I first design a course I design it with a main tee set in mind.

I have seen people design manipulated tees for certain pin sets. My issue is you never know if people will actually follow that direction but I think it’s a way to make the other tees seem integrated in the Strategy.

[BaconJunkie1]

trailducker I value your opinion and I'm so glad you chimed in with that good info, much appreciated! There is room for 5 but I'm leaning towards doing 3 tees and was hoping to get more feedback from the TST group on using manipulation.

This is the course ... PGA Catalunya Stadium Course on the Camiral Resort in Spain (The LiDAR data is as easy to get as it is here in the States), there is actually another course on the property that intertwines this one but it's easier and not as highly ranked one. Par 72 and 7,336 from the Tips. They wanted a European course that was like PGA Sawgrass and built this course, both have quite a bit of water but flat, no sir, not here. LOL


Promo video of "PGA Catalunya Stadium Course"

Camiral Golf & Wellness STADIUM COURSE, THE BEST GOLF COURSE IN SPAIN
This spectacular and imposing course has been consistently ranked among the best ten golf courses in Europe since it was opened in 1999 and was voted #4 in continental Europe and #1 in Spain in 2019. As the venue for numerous PGA European Tour events, it is also routinely singled out for praise from the professional playing fraternity.



Be warned, however, the beauty of the PGA Catalunya Stadium Course can distract from the many dangers waiting to do serious damage to your scorecard. It makes no concessions with its trees pressing onto fairways, strategically placed bunkers and lakes that come into play on no fewer than seven of the toughest holes.



This is a quality that keeps players returning time and again to test themselves at the PGA Catalunya Stadium Course, the Number 1 Golf Course in Spain. It is rare to find so many memorable holes on one course and despite the many ups and downs, tees are elevated and very few fairways are uphill. The stunning dogleg of hole 6 is one of them and it demands nothing less than a driver and total commitment.



Golfers not only anticipate a spectacular golf course but also are in need of something challenging that will put their best abilities to the test. That is just a tip of what is offered by the PGA Catalunya Stadium Course, designated Best Golf Course in Spain and TOP 3 in Continental Europe. This golfing masterpiece has been in play for about two decades now and still continues to be a top choice for golf lovers from all over the world.



THE SETTING



The Stadium Golf Course has such a spectacular and imposing beauty that it may distract you for a tough play ahead. It is picked to host the Spanish Open for many reasons. The first one being its endowment with some of the toughest and most challenging holes in Europe.

[fransslabak]

Missed this one, Robert... but just noticed it!

As a scheduler, I like manipulated tees on courses I schedule - it allows me to create rounds that really differ in how the course plays. Especially on RCRs this is helpful because they tend to still be shortish (for pixel golf) from the back tees, so I usually have to use those for all four rounds if they are traditional length based tees.

If there are manipulated tees, I'd appreciate the designer to warn me about that fact in advance... 

Best wishes
Frans