Tips
In golf, “the tips” are the farthest-back set of tee markers on a hole, and playing from them means taking on the course at its full length.
What are the tips in golf?
“The tips” is a slang term for the rearmost tee markers on a golf hole, the ones set furthest from the green. Play every hole from these markers and you are playing the course at its maximum yardage, which is almost always the headline number printed on the scorecard. When a course lists itself at 7,200 yards, that figure comes from the tips.
Most golfers know these markers by other names. They are also called the back tees, championship tees, tournament tees, or pro tees. On courses that label their tees by color, the tips are usually the black tees, though some courses use gold or blue for their longest set. An older nickname, “Tiger tees,” turned up after Tiger Woods arrived on tour, but it has faded from everyday use.
The term works as both a noun and a verb. A golfer can play “from the tips,” and a course can “tip out” at a given distance, as in “this layout tips out at 7,240 yards.” Because the tips represent the course as its architect designed it for the strongest players, they carry a certain mystique, which is part of why the phrase gets used with a mix of respect and intimidation.
Why are they called “the tips”?
The name has never been formally documented. The most accepted explanation is a simple one about geography: the back markers sit at the rear edge, the literal tip, of the teeing ground for each hole. In the early days of course design, teeing areas were not the manicured rectangles seen today. They were stretches of mowed grass, and to play the longest version of a hole a golfer walked to the back edge of that usable ground. You were, quite plainly, standing on the tip of the tee.
A few more colorful stories float around, such as the idea that playing from so far back earns a “tip of the cap.” These make for good clubhouse talk, but the plain geographic reading is the one that holds up.
How playing from the tips works
Moving to the tips does more than add yardage. It changes the character of nearly every hole. A fairway bunker that a mid-tee player carries or lays up short of can become the exact spot a tee shot from the tips lands. Water hazards and creeks that cross the fairway sit at more demanding distances. Doglegs that a player could cut the corner on now ask for a longer, more careful line.
The approach shots change too. From a middle tee, a good drive on a par 4 might leave a wedge or short iron. From the tips, that same drive can leave a long iron, or even a hybrid. That is a different game entirely. Longer clubs are harder to stop on the green, so the margin for a clean approach shrinks.
Forced carries stretch out as well. A shot that has to fly 170 yards over a lake from the middle tees might need 210 yards from the tips, which adds both physical demand and mental pressure. None of this requires a different swing, just more distance and cleaner ball-striking on every hole.
The tips vs. other tee boxes
Most courses have three to five sets of tees, each a different starting point on the same hole. The tips are simply the longest of them. Color systems vary from course to course, so the scorecard is the reliable guide, but a common four-tee setup looks roughly like this.
| Tee set | Common color | Typical 18-hole yardage | Who typically plays it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward tees | Red | 4,800–5,400 | Beginners, juniors, shorter hitters |
| Middle tees | White | 5,700–6,100 | Average recreational golfers |
| Back tees | Blue | 6,200–6,600 | Low-handicap and skilled players |
| The tips | Black (varies) | 6,700–7,400+ | Scratch golfers, elite amateurs, pros |
One caution on color: the notion that red is the “ladies’ tees” is outdated. Modern guidance treats every tee set as a distance option matched to a golfer’s game, not their gender or age. The yardages above are typical ranges, and any given course can differ, so checking the scorecard is always the safest move.
Who plays from the tips?
The tips are built for the strongest players. They suit scratch golfers and touring professionals, the players with the distance and control to handle them, and at most courses only a small share of golfers tee off from the back on any given day. For reference, the average male amateur in the United States carries a Handicap Index in the 14 to 15 range, according to USGA and GHIN data, which is well outside tips territory.
Distance is the practical filter. The USGA and PGA of America run an initiative called Tee It Forward that encourages players to match their tees to how far they hit the ball. Its “Rule of 28” multiplies a golfer’s average driver distance by 28 to suggest a course length. A 250-yard driver points to roughly a 7,000-yard course, while the PGA’s guideline chart places a 200-yard hitter at 5,200 to 5,400 yards, nowhere near the back markers.
The USGA does not officially recommend any particular set of tees. Tee choice is a personal decision about balancing challenge and enjoyment. For most golfers, playing from the tips means higher scores and slower, less enjoyable rounds, which is why the common guidance steers recreational players toward tees that fit their distance.
Related Golf Terms
- Robbed — Slang for a putt that lips out after looking certain to drop.
- Pin seeker — Slang for a shot tracking straight at the flag.
- Blow-up hole — Slang for a hole that goes disastrously wrong.
- Going low — Slang for shooting an unusually low score.
- Dime — Slang for a shot that finishes very close to the pin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the tips always the black tees?
Not always. Black is the most common color for the tips, but some courses mark their longest set gold, blue, or with a special tournament marker. The scorecard confirms which set plays the longest.
What does it mean when a course “tips out” at a yardage?
It means that number is the total length of the course from the back tees. A course that tips out at 7,100 yards measures 7,100 yards when every hole is played from the tips.
What handicap should you be to play the tips?
There is no fixed rule, but the tips generally suit single-digit handicaps who drive the ball far and straight. Players who consistently carry the driver 275 yards or more are the usual candidates.
Is playing from the tips harder?
Yes. The tips give the course its longest yardage and its most demanding forced carries, which is why they are reserved for the most skilled players.
Sources
- United States Golf Association. “Forward Tees for the Future.” Green Section Record. Accessed July 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green-section-record/61/issue-06/forward-tees-for-the-future.html - PGA of America and USGA. “Tee It Forward Guidelines.” Accessed July 2026.
https://pdf.pgalinks.com/p-g-a/Tee_It_Forward_Guidelines.pdf - GolfersReport. “Tee It Forward: What Tees Should You Play” (citing USGA/GHIN average amateur Handicap Index data). Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfersreport.com/tee-it-forward/ - Brent Kelley. “What Are ‘The Tips’ on a Golf Course?” LiveAbout. Accessed July 2026.
https://www.liveabout.com/what-are-the-tips-on-a-golf-course-1564283 - “Golf Tee Box Colors Meaning.” Vovex Golf. Accessed July 2026.
https://vovexgolf.com/blogs/golf/golf-tee-box-colors-meaning - 18Birdies. “What Set of Tees Should I Play?” Accessed July 2026.
https://help.18birdies.com/article/550-what-tees-should-i-play
