[knicknut]

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Yeah, I guess it is different depending mostly on elevation. 6900-7000 is a long course for Michigan, not so much for Colorado.

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This is a good point. Because of the low humidity and high elevation in Phoenix (most people don't realize it's like 1200 feet above sea level here) the ball tends to go quite a ways. When I make my semi-annual pilgrimage back to Iowa I get humbled and keep coming up short until I remember it's almost a club difference.

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I concur. I play the tips no matter where I go, but 7000 in Vegas in 110 heat definitely plays like 6500 or less on the east coast--I can usually hit iron off the tee and a wedge in 2/3 of the time on a 7000 yarder in the southwest, but 7000+ on the east coast makes me use every club in the bag.

I think naming them is important too to get people to play the right tees. Moreso than everyone playing the 2nd from back tees, which is true, a lot of golfers (my father included) say "I always play the whites," regardless of where the whites are.

My local munis go Red/Gold/White/Blue for Ladies/Seniors/Men/Champ. I keep telling them to change it to Red/White/Blue/Gold as Ladies/Seniors and Men/Good Men/Champ, and people will end up playing the proper tee more often while maintaining their fragile ego.