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When it comes to tee box selection, longer is better, right? Unless you play on the Dakota’s Tour or carry a PGA Tour Card, the black tee’s or longest boxes might not be best for you. We sat down with Justin Arlt, Market Manager of Sioux Falls Golf, and discussed choosing the right starting point. Arlt emphasized three main points when deciding what box and yardage to play.

#1 Ignore color when choosing as every course is different. More importantly, pay attention to the total yards listed per nine and eighteen.

#2 When in doubt, play it for forward and choose shorter over longer every time.

#3 A good base calculation that can help figure out the correct yardage to play from is to take your average drive and multiply it by 25.

Arlt said, “If I’m honest, the main issue is that 80% of golfers live in a world of overstating the true distance they hit the ball. They always remember the downhill, downwind tee balls in the summer with dry conditions.” Golfers tend only to remember that perfect swing with a great contact. People need to be honest with the calculation. “Out of fourteen drives, I hit less than seven on the sweet spot with a good swing producing a great or good result, and I’m a PGA professional,” stated Arlt. 

Another way to calculate what tee and yardage are suitable becomes easier if you play a course routinely. If you play the same courses regularly, you can track how many seven irons and below you hit into a par four. The most challenging, longest holes should be the only ones you are hitting long irons, hybrids, or fairway woods. One or two holes max. If you’re hitting more hybrids and fairway woods into par fours than you are seven and eight irons, then you’re playing a distance that is too long for your game and enjoyment. It would be best if you were hitting short and mid irons the majority of the time. Move up for better, faster, and more fun golf.

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