Want some variety on the course? Try mixing and matching tee boxes

The unique arena of golf is one of the great joys of this game. Unlike other sports that have regulation sizes for their playing surfaces, there are no such parameters limiting golf. The only regulation is that the hole is cut with a 4.25-inch diameter.

However, if you play the same course often, it can begin to feel a little stale. The hole locations change from day to day, but there’s a chance your everyday course will begin to feel a little repetitive with every passing round.

Instruction

That’s how I began to feel at my local muni, Marine Park in Brooklyn. While I love the benefits of its location and affordability, I started to crave some variety from my home course. As a solution, I’ve taken to getting creative in how I play the course.

The easiest way to create variety at an otherwise familiar course is to switch up the tees you play. I tried this tactic last month when I played a round from the forward tees (which I highly recommend), but the most recent time out, I decided to take it a step further.

Instead of playing one set of tees throughout the round, I mixed it up on every hole. Some holes I played from the tips, some from the middle, and others from the forward tees. Here are five reasons you should try it, too.

1. You’ll get a new perspective

When you play from a different set of tees on each hole, it will give you a new perspective on the course. Teeing off from a tee box previously foreign to you forces you to view the hole through a different lens and can make you see things that used to be unnoticed.

2. It forces different shots

You’ll also be forced to play different shots than what you’re used to when hitting from a new teeing area. Holes that used to be doglegs might now be straight, while the angles into certain greens will also be different. These new looks to the holes will force you to shape the ball in ways you might not be used to, but it will make you a better shot-maker.

3. It makes you use all of your clubs

Mixing tee boxes should force you to use almost all of the clubs in your bag. With a mix of short, medium and long holes, your entire set will get a workout. No more leaning on just one part of your bag. With a variety of hole lengths comes a variety of clubs needed to execute.

4. Par becomes obsolete

Par is ultimately a construct and means very little in golf. The only thing that matters is the number of strokes you use over 18 holes. With mix and matched tees, this becomes very apparent. You might play a 420-yard “par 5” one hole and then get a 500-yard “par 4” the next. Birdies and bogeys don’t mean as much in this format, and you’ll start to focus on the only number that matters — how many strokes it takes to get the ball in the hole.

5. It’s more fun

This format puts a lot of fun into the game. Some holes are going to beat you down, but others will give you some fun scoring opportunities. It will test your entire game and shift your mindset out on the course, making the game tons more fun. After all, that’s why we all play this game, right?