Back tees vs forward tees comes down to one thing: pick the set that matches how far you hit the ball, not the set that feels most impressive. Back tees are the longest rated tees, and forward tees are the shortest. [1]
A simple starting point from 18Birdies uses your driver distance. If you carry it 285 yards or more, play the back tees or whichever tees offer the longest distance. If you land between 210 and 285 yards, the standard or middle tees fit better. [2] Related reading: What Does It Mean to Play From the Tips in Golf?
Below, you’ll see how the two compare on pace, enjoyment and scoring, and who gains most from moving up.
How do back tees and forward tees compare side by side?
Back tees give you the longest test the course offers, and forward tees give you the shortest, so the real difference comes down to how much golf you have to play between the tee and the green. For this comparison, forward means the shortest rated tee and back means the longest rated tee. [1]
Criterion | Back tees | Forward tees |
|---|---|---|
Length | Longest rated tee | Shortest rated tee |
Pace | More strokes and more walking for shorter hitters, which can slow your group | Easier to keep moving when the yardage fits your distance |
Enjoyment | Can feel like a grind if you are overmatched | More fun for most recreational players |
Scoring | Harder to score well unless you hit it far | Scores often come down, though it depends on your game |
Approach shots | Longer clubs into greens, more long irons and hybrids | Shorter clubs into greens, with more chances to attack |
Best for | Long hitters and skilled players who want a full test | Beginners, high handicappers, juniors and anyone who hits it shorter |
Tee boxes exist so golfers of different skill levels can play the same course at a difficulty that suits them. [3] Neither set is better in itself; each one is built for a different kind of player.
In short, the back tees ask for distance and precision on nearly every hole, while the forward tees reward good shots with shorter, friendlier approaches. If a round on the back tees leaves you hitting hybrids into most greens, the table points you forward. If you routinely have short irons in your hands and want more challenge, the back tees are where that challenge lives.
Which tees keep the round moving?
Tees that fit your distance keep the round moving, and tees that are too long are one of the quickest ways to slow down your whole group. Longer holes mean more strokes and more walking for shorter hitters. A hole that plays 450 yards from the tips might take a short hitter two extra shots just to reach the green area, plus a longer hike between tee and fairway.
The pace cost is real. One MyGolfSpy writer recalls watching a group head to the back tees at her local course, where they were called the “pro tees,” and then playing a six-hour round. She concluded that those tees were often chosen by average players who lacked the game to belong there. [4]
So the fix is simple: match your tees to how far you hit the ball. If you are reaching for a hybrid or fairway wood on nearly every approach shot, the course is too long for your game, and a forward tee will serve you better. [4] That is what keeps a foursome on pace with the group ahead.
Who hits first when groups mix tees
If your group plays from different tees, the usual answer is that the back tees hit first. One golfer on a forum put it as “back tees almost always,” with one exception: if the front tees have a ready-made stand of trees to get to quickly, they might go first. [5]
That is one golfer’s opinion rather than an official rule, so treat it as a common courtesy. In practice, agree on the order at the first tee and keep it consistent, so nobody stands around wondering whose turn it is.
Will moving up make golf more fun and lower your scores?
Yes, for most recreational players moving up makes golf more enjoyable, and it often helps scores too, though how much depends on your game.
Shorter clubs into greens
When the hole is shorter, your second shot is shorter. Instead of a fairway wood or hybrid into a par 4, you may be hitting a mid-iron or wedge. Shorter clubs are easier to hit solidly, which means more greens in reach and more realistic birdie and par putts.
Fewer forced carries and long clubs
Back tees tend to stack the demands: more yardage, plus the hazards and bunkers that were designed with longer hitters in mind. From forward tees you face fewer forced carries, and you hit fewer long irons and hybrids, which are the clubs many weekend players struggle with most.
The MyGolfSpy piece on the back tees tells of a six-hour round that followed a group heading to the “pro tees” without the game to belong there. [4] Playing longer than your game supports can drag the day out and wear you down.
What about your score?
Scores often drop when you move up, because the shorter holes leave you with easier approach shots. But it is not automatic. If your short game is shaky or you struggle with accuracy off the tee, shorter holes will not fix those problems.
A fair test is distance. Per 18Birdies, a drive of 285 yards or more suits the back tees, while 210-285 yards points to the standard or middle tees. [2] If your drives fall below those ranges, forward tees are a sensible next step.
Fun is the point
If you are playing for recreation, enjoyment matters more than where you tee off. Reaching greens in regulation, making a few pars and finishing without feeling beaten up is a better day than grinding from yardage you were never going to handle. Nobody checks which tee marker you used.
Who should move up to the forward tees?
You should move up if the course is regularly bigger than your game, and that describes most beginners, high handicappers and juniors. The clearest sign is simple: you are hitting woods or hybrids into most greens. If that is your normal approach shot, the tees are asking for more distance than you have.
A few other signs point the same way:
Your rounds drag on. One writer describes a six-hour round in a group that had picked the back tees without the game to belong there. [4]
You rarely reach a par 4 in two reasonable shots.
Your drives sit below the range suggested for the back tees. The 18Birdies guide says 285 yards or more suits the back tees, while 210-285 yards points to the standard or middle tees. [2]
If your drives fall under those numbers, a longer set of tees will mostly add long clubs and extra strokes.
Who benefits most
Beginners get the most out of moving up because shorter holes let them practice real approach shots instead of scrambling from the fairway with a fairway wood. High handicappers tend to see the same effect: more wedges and short irons, fewer desperate swings.
Juniors fit the same logic. Kids stay engaged when the holes are sized to what they can actually hit. Our dedicated junior tee article covers that in more detail.
Moving up is not a step down
The back tees are not a badge. At one local course they were called the “pro tees,” and the writer assumed anyone there must be a pro, then learned they were often chosen by average players who lacked the game for them. [4]
Picking tees that match your distance is just good course management. If you want a method for matching your drives to a course’s yardages, our article on choosing tees by driver distance walks through it.
When do the back tees make sense?
The back tees make sense when your drives regularly travel far enough to handle the extra yardage. The simplest test is distance: 18Birdies says that if you hit it 285 yards or more, you should play from the back tees or whichever tees offer the longest distance. [2] Very few weekend golfers are in that group, so for most of us this is a short list. Related reading: What Tees Should I Play From?
Where the back tees fit
Long hitters. At 285 yards or more off the tee, the back tees keep a long hole from turning into a wedge-and-putt routine. [2]
Skilled players who want a full test. If you can reach most fairways and greens with a reasonable club, the extra length asks for the shots the course designer had in mind. That is my read of the situation, not a rule.
When the middle tees fit better
If your drives land between 210 and 285 yards, 18Birdies points you to the standard or middle tees. [2] That is a wide range, and it covers a lot of recreational players who assume they belong in the back. A 250-yard driver, for example, sits comfortably in the middle of that band, not at the top.
The yardage is the part to trust, because course setups differ. Tee boxes are typically colour-coded, and each is positioned at a different distance from the green. [3] The names and colors for those sets are not the same everywhere, though. One course’s “blue” can be another’s “white” or “gold.” Instead of choosing by color or by what your buddies play, read the yardage on the scorecard and compare it with how far you really hit the ball.
Tee boxes exist so golfers of all skill levels can enjoy the same course at a difficulty suited to their game. [3] Picking the back tees only because they are the farthest cuts against that purpose.
So, which tees should you play?
For most weekend golfers, the forward or middle tees are the right call. Pick the set that matches your drives, not your pride, and the round gets quicker and more fun.
Save the back tees for when your distance backs them up. The 18Birdies guide puts that line at 285 yards or more off the tee, and puts 210-285 yards on the middle tees. [2]
Your next step is simple: play one set up from your usual tees next round. Notice how many clubs you hit into greens, how your group keeps pace and whether you enjoy the walk more. If it feels better, you have your answer.