Golfers arrive at a course to play a round and are typically told where to tee off. If you’re a woman, you play off the reds. Any man having a casual round plays from the yellows. The white or blue championship tees are reserved for men’s competitions only. It doesn’t matter your ability, age, or physical strength—that’s where you’re expected to play from.
Well, that has all changed here at Wychwood Park. Back in May 2021, we removed the traditional coloured tee markers from the course. The blues, whites, yellows, and reds have been replaced by tees based on the course’s slope rating. The new markers are labeled as the 151s, 148s, 138s, and 132s. Outside the Pro Shop, there is a recommendation board offering guidance for all golfers. These recommendations are based on a golfer’s handicap index and average driver carry distance. We don’t force anyone to play from a specific tee—you now have a choice, guided by a recommendation.
The course at Wychwood Park is a challenging, championship-level layout. We found that while many golfers enjoyed the course, some found it too difficult. When we recommended that certain groups play from the forward red tees—reducing long carries and creating a more enjoyable experience—we often heard the same response: “We don’t want to play from the women’s tees!” Clearly, something had to change. The language needed to be updated to remove the stigma associated with forward tees. The solution was to eliminate gender-based, colour-coded tees entirely and replace them with what we now call “enjoyment tees.”
Slowly but surely, we’ve seen more and more golfers choosing to play from the forward 132 tees. Conversely, low-handicap players often opt for the 148 or 151 tees—even visiting women golfers sometimes move back to play from the 138. All because golfers now select the challenge they enjoy most. A golfer should play from where they’ll have the most fun—after all, that’s why we all play the game.
Tom Peters, a visiting golfer, has seen the benefits:
“I think it’s brilliant. I’ve never been able to get on the green in two on the long 4th hole—I was always around 50 yards short. After playing from the 132 tees today, I reached the green with my second shot. It was a great feeling to have a putt for birdie rather than having to get up and down just to make par.”
The golf team continues to make this former host course of the European Tour Qualifying School more accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for all levels of golfers. Our mission is to provide an outstanding experience that allows every golfer to enjoy the game to the fullest.