Playing the Tips in Golf: What It Means and When to Do It

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Quick Answer

• Playing the tips means teeing off from the furthest back tee boxes on a golf course, typically marked in black.
• This setup significantly increases the course’s length and difficulty, usually reserved for professional tournaments or highly skilled amateurs.
• It demands greater accuracy, power, and strategic thinking from golfers.

Who This Is For

• Highly skilled amateur golfers seeking to test their abilities against the longest course configurations available.
• Competitive golfers looking to simulate tournament conditions and improve their long-game performance under pressure.
• Golfers who have consistently played well from the middle tees (like blue or white) and are looking for a substantial new challenge to push their game.

What Does Playing the Tips Mean in Golf: First Checks

• Verify Course Tee Box Markings: Before you even think about stepping up, confirm that the black tees are indeed the furthest back markers on the course. Sometimes, a course might have a different color for its championship tees, or there might be multiple sets of “back” tees. You want the absolute furthest.
• Check the Scorecard for Yardage: Grab a scorecard and compare the yardage from the black tees to the other tee boxes. This is your first real indicator of the challenge. Is it 500 yards longer? 800 yards? Knowing the raw numbers gives you a baseline. I remember seeing one scorecard where the tips added nearly 1000 yards over the blue tees. Yikes.
• Assess Your Current Game Honestly: Be brutally honest with yourself. What’s your average driving distance with a well-struck shot? How consistent is your accuracy? Can you reliably hit a 4-iron or a hybrid 180-200 yards and keep it in play? If your driver is barely clearing 220 yards, the tips might be more of a punishment than a pleasure.
• Understand the Course’s Layout from the Tips: Some courses are designed with specific holes that become dramatically harder or different from the back tees. Are there more hazards in play off the tee? Are doglegs tighter? Does the prevailing wind become a much bigger factor? A quick look at the scorecard or a course layout map can reveal these nuances.

Step-by-Step Plan for Playing the Tips

1. Action: Select the black tees as your starting point for the round.

What to look for: Visually confirm these are the furthest markers from the hole on the teeing ground. Double-check the scorecard to ensure you’re playing from the designated championship or “tips” yardage.
Mistake to avoid: Accidentally selecting a different set of back tees that might be marked differently or are not the true furthest tees. It’s easy to get confused if a course has multiple “back” options.

2. Action: Thoroughly study the scorecard for each hole.

What to look for: The total yardage from the tips, but more importantly, the individual yardage for every hole. Note the par-4s and par-5s; these are where the length really adds up. Pay attention to any significant increases in yardage on specific holes compared to where you normally play.
Mistake to avoid: Not familiarizing yourself with the hole-by-hole yardages. This leads to misjudged club selections on nearly every shot, often leaving you too far away or in trouble.

3. Action: Mentally recalibrate your club yardages.

What to look for: Recognize that you will likely be hitting one to three clubs more into the green on most approach shots. A 7-iron approach might now require a 5-iron or even a 4-iron. Your driver needs to be consistently reaching further than usual.
Mistake to avoid: Sticking to your “normal” club selection based on feel rather than distance. This is a surefire way to come up short, leaving yourself with difficult chips or pitches instead of putts.

4. Action: Prioritize your driver and long iron/hybrid game.

What to look for: Consistent, solid contact off the tee. Aim for accuracy over sheer power if it means sacrificing control. You need to trust your ability to hit longer clubs from the fairway or the rough.
Mistake to avoid: Trying to swing out of your shoes on every drive to gain a few extra yards. This almost always leads to loss of control, shanks, hooks, slices, and potentially even injury. Tempo is key.

5. Action: Re-evaluate your course management strategy for every shot.

What to look for: Identify new hazards that come into play from the longer tee boxes. Look for safer landing areas and consider playing strategically to avoid trouble, even if it means laying up. Think about the most advantageous angle to attack the green from your longer approach distance.
Mistake to avoid: Playing the same lines and aggressive strategies you use from closer tees. What was a safe bailout area might now be a deep bunker or water hazard. You need to be more thoughtful and less reckless.

6. Action: Adjust your expectations and embrace patience.

What to look for: Understand that pars will be harder to achieve, and bogeys are a more common score. Focus on making solid contact, good decisions, and avoiding big numbers. Celebrate good shots and smart play, not just birdies.
Mistake to avoid: Getting frustrated by the increased difficulty and forcing aggressive, low-percentage shots out of desperation. This often compounds errors and leads to blow-up holes.

7. Action: Consider your short game and putting strategy.

What to look for: You’ll likely face longer putts more often. Practice lag putting to get the ball close to the hole. Your chipping and pitching will also be from further out, so ensure you have a good feel for different distances and trajectories.
Mistake to avoid: Neglecting your putting and chipping practice, assuming the problem is only with your long game. Longer approach shots mean longer putts, and missed opportunities around the green can quickly derail your round.

Playing the Tips: Understanding the Challenge

When golfers talk about “playing the tips,” they’re referring to teeing off from the furthest back tee boxes on a golf course. These are typically marked in black, though some courses might use other colors like gold or orange for their championship tees. The primary goal of the tips is to maximize the course’s length and, consequently, its difficulty. This setup is rarely used for casual play by average golfers because it demands a level of skill, power, and strategic thinking that goes beyond what most recreational players possess.

The difference in yardage can be substantial. A course that plays around 6,500 yards from the men’s white tees might stretch to over 7,000 or even 7,200 yards from the tips. This added distance means longer carries off the tee, longer approach shots into the greens, and generally more challenging holes. For context, the average driving distance for male amateur golfers is around 220-240 yards, while professionals consistently average over 290-300 yards. If your longest club doesn’t reliably travel that far, playing the tips will feel like a marathon.

Common Mistakes When Playing the Tips

• Underestimating the Added Yardage — Why it matters: This is the most common pitfall. Players don’t truly internalize how much further each shot is, leading to misjudged club selections, shots that come up short, and poor course management decisions. — Fix: Study the scorecard meticulously before you start. Mentally rehearse hitting one or two clubs more than you normally would on approach shots. Visualize the longer carry needed off the tee.
• Over-swinging for More Distance — Why it matters: The temptation to try and “muscle” the ball further is immense. This leads to a loss of control, increased errant shots (slices, hooks, shanks), and a higher risk of injury. Accuracy and tempo are far more important than brute force when playing from the tips. — Fix: Focus on maintaining your normal swing tempo and smooth rhythm. Trust your equipment and your swing mechanics rather than trying to force extra power. A well-struck 250-yard drive is infinitely better than a poorly struck 270-yard drive that goes way offline.
• Neglecting Proper Course Management — Why it matters: When a course plays longer, hazards that might have been out of play from closer tees can suddenly become a significant threat. Longer carries are required to clear bunkers, water, or rough. Strategic shot-making, choosing safe routes, and knowing when to lay up become paramount. — Fix: Plan each shot with the “tips” yardage and potential hazards in mind. Don’t just hit to the flag; consider the safest landing area, the best angle of approach, and potential bail-out zones.
• Not Having a Sufficiently Strong Long Game — Why it matters: From the tips, you’ll be hitting mid-to-long irons (5-iron through 3-iron) and hybrids into greens far more frequently. If you’re not confident or skilled with these clubs, you’ll struggle to reach the greens in regulation and will be faced with difficult chips and pitches. — Fix: Before playing the tips, spend time practicing your 150-220 yard shots. Work on hitting consistent trajectories and controlling the distance with your fairway woods, hybrids, and long irons.
• Ignoring Wind Conditions and Elevation Changes — Why it matters: Longer shots are much more susceptible to the effects of wind. A slight breeze can drastically alter the ball’s flight and where it lands. Similarly, uphill or downhill shots from longer distances require careful consideration of club selection and trajectory. — Fix: Always factor in wind speed and direction when selecting clubs. Learn to adjust your aim and club choice for elevation changes. Many GPS devices and rangefinders can help calculate adjusted yardages for slopes.
• Getting Discouraged by Higher Scores — Why it matters: The reality is, most golfers will shoot higher scores from the tips. If you’re solely focused on your score, you’ll likely become frustrated, leading to poorer decision-making and more mistakes. — Fix: Shift your focus from the score to the process. Concentrate on executing good shots, making smart decisions, and enjoying the challenge. Celebrate small victories like hitting a great drive or a solid approach, regardless of the final scorecard number.

FAQ

• What are the black tees in golf?

The black tees are typically the furthest tee boxes from the hole on a golf course. They are designed to present the longest and most challenging version of the course, often reserved for major championships, professional tournaments, or elite amateur events.

• Is playing the tips for everyone?

Absolutely not. Playing the tips is generally recommended only for highly skilled and experienced golfers who possess significant power and accuracy. For the average amateur golfer, playing from closer tees like the whites, blues, or even golds is usually a more enjoyable and appropriate way to play the game.

• How much longer is a course when playing the tips?

The difference in yardage can vary significantly from course to course. However, a course playing from the tips can easily be 500 to 1,000 yards longer than from the men’s white or blue tees. It can be several hundred yards longer than even the “member” or “blue” tees.

• What skills are most important when playing the tips?

You’ll need a strong and consistent driver capable of reaching long distances, excellent command of your mid-to-long irons and hybrids, superior course management skills to navigate hazards and select optimal lines, and a high level of mental toughness and patience to handle the increased difficulty.

• Can playing the tips help improve my game?

Yes, playing the tips can be a valuable training tool if you’re ready for the challenge. It forces you to hit longer shots, demands better course management, and highlights specific weaknesses in your game that need improvement, such as your long game or strategic decision-making. Just be prepared for a tougher round and don’t let it discourage you.

• What is the difference between “tips” and “championship tees”?

These terms are often used interchangeably. “Tips” refers to the furthest back tees, while “championship tees” are the tees used for major tournaments or championships. In most cases, the championship tees are indeed the furthest back tees on the course, hence they are the “tips.”

• Should I play the tips if I want to feel like a pro?

While playing the tips mimics the conditions professionals face in terms of length, it’s important to remember that pros also possess exceptional accuracy, short game, and putting skills. Simply playing the tips without the underlying skills can lead to a frustrating experience rather than a professional one. Focus on improving your overall game rather than just the tee box you choose.