“What tees are you playing today?” That’s what guys always ask me before I head to the first hole. And when I say, “Any tee that puts me at 5,800-6,000 yards,” they roll their eyes and try to make me feel guilty about playing such a “short” course.
Well, I refuse to feel guilty. You see, 5,900 yards is my comfort zone. It’s where I’m challenged. It’s where I have fun. It’s where I keep track of my handicap.
So it was fascinating to sift through the responses Golf Digest got when it asked, via Twitter and Facebook, the following question:
Let's say you're playing against a woman who has the same handicap as you do. If money is on the line, should she play from your tees?
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigestMag) June 5, 2012
Let’s begin with the kinds of answers that made me furrow my eyebrows:
@GolfDigestMag you bet your butt she does! Aren't these modern time? Equality for both sexes #goesbothways
— Robert Vargas (@Bobby_V) June 5, 2012
Bobby isn’t the only guy who played the "equality" card. Sure, “equality” would hold true if the woman regularly records her handicap from the same tees as her competitor. Otherwise, playing the same tees is far from equal.
Jen explains it nicely:
@GolfDigestMag Anyone who understands handicapping knows you determine COURSE handicap based on the tees you play.
— Jen Kuntz (@jmkgolfnut) June 5, 2012
Thanks, Jen. My eyebrows are back in place. On the other end of the spectrum were guys who demanded that women play from “women's” tees.
@GolfDigestMag No, she's a woman. She goes from the women's tee box.
— zach moore (@thefifthscallop) June 5, 2012
Please know, Zachery, that there’s no such thing as “women's” tees. Tee boxes are created to accommodate golfers of various playing abilities, not golfers of different genders. Indeed, I’ve played with many men who’d be far better off if they teed it up from the forward tees. Just saying.
Other guys decided to “chivalrously” respond to Golf Digest.
@GolfDigestMagHer option. I'm a gentleman. And if she picks the short tees it gives me a good excuse if I lose.
— The One Swing (@The_LOTL) June 5, 2012
Thanks, One Swing, but chivalry plays no part in determining the right tee box. While she should never have to play from any yardage that extends beyond her comfort zone, she shouldn’t milk the system by choosing a tee box that make the course much too short.
Lastly, a migraine-inducing response:
Dee Mike Carbone, via Facebook: "Depends on her size, is she a burly girl?"
Dee, size doesn’t matter. Really, it doesn’t.
Guys, if you have such an issue playing against us from different tee boxes, I’d welcome a unique challenge: come up to our tees. C’mon, I dare you.
--Ashley Mayo
Follow @AshleyKMayo
