Proposed Changes to the Golf Course

The following letter is a suggestion for changes to the golf course. We hope there will be discussion among yourselves concerning the proposed changes. Please feel free to share you opinions with Richard Kimble, Randy Barefoot, or Tim Pope

The Coharie Men’s Golf Association initiated the “green tee project” two years ago. It began with the thought there was a need for an ad-ditional set of tee boxes for golfers desiring an overall distance less than the current white tees but more than the current gold tees. Tempo-rary tees were tested for several months on certain holes, input was received, and the new permanent tees have been constructed. The pro-ject completion now requires an updated course rating for handicap purposes.

Greg Kelly, Director of Course Rating, Carolinas Golf Association, visited Coharie Country Club last week, re-measured the course from all of our tee markers, and has completed his preliminary report. In reviewing that report we have discovered an issue with our gold tees. Currently there is only a difference of 187 yards between our gold and red tees and over 600 yards between our gold and green tees. In order to maintain a more consistent differentiation between all or our respective sets of tees, the following changes are presented to you:

Hole #1 Move the gold tee back to the front of the new green tee box

Hole #3 Mow an area for a new gold tee approximately 40 yards in front of the green tee

Hole #4 Move the gold tee back to the front of the green tee box

Hole #10 Move the gold tee box back to the upper tee box

Hole #11 Move the gold tee back to the front of green/white tee box

Hole #14 Move the gold tee back to the front of the green tee box

Hole #16 Move the gold tee box back to front of the green tee box

In reality these changes are more of a restoration of the gold tee distances used during our last official course rating. On some holes the gold tees have been moved forward for charity superball tournaments, other private outings, etc. and were just not replaced. If done as pro-posed the gold tee yardage would be increased by only 260 yards but would more properly create a better and more consistent differentia-tion between the respective tees.

A larger issue is the 13th hole. It CANNOT (within USGA rating guidelines) be a par five if the gold tee is played at its current distance of only 344 yards. So the choice is to move the gold tee back to the front of the newly constructed green tee box and the hole be played, as it currently is, as a par 5; OR, leave the gold tee at 344 yards and play the hole as a par 4 from all tees.

Consider the following. Decades ago golfers played from tee boxes largely based on gender and age. Current thinking is that golfers should play from sets of tees based on how far they hit their tee shots. The PGA of America has published the following tee recommendations based on driving distances.

Drive Distance Tee Yardage

300 yards 7150 – 7400 yards

275 yards 6700 – 6900 yards

250 yards 6200 – 6400 yards

225 yards 5800 – 6000 yards

200 yards 5200 – 5400 yards

175 yards and less 4600 - 4800 yards

Your feedback is important in making decisions about gold tee yardages on certain holes AND par on the 13th hole. Please give it consider-ation and provide your feedback in the upcoming week. In so doing the course rating can be finalized.

Sincerely,

Randy Barefoot, President, Coharie Country Club

Richard Kimball, General Manager

Tim Pope, President, Coharie Men’s Golf Association