Maps your handicap to a yardage range — each stroke shifts the center ~50 yd.
Formula: 6,980 − (index × 50) ± 200 yd
15 hdcp → center 6,230, band 6,030–6,430
Supporting context, not a tee color. The green driver band remains the primary recommendation.
Driver distance sets the upper bound on how much course you can cover. Mapped to a recommended 18-hole yardage band using Tee It Forward anchor points.
150 yd → 3,600–4,000 · 200 yd → 5,200–5,400 · 250 yd → 6,200–6,400
Club-head speed maps directly to tee yardage through carry distance.
90–105 mph → Blue / Championship (6,500–7,000+)
80–90 mph → White / Member (6,000–6,400)
< 80 mph → Gold / Forward (under 5,800)
Reinforces the driver band. If you have launch-monitor speed data, the green band already reflects it.
A widely respected benchmark: multiply average total driver distance by 28.
210 yd total → 5,880 yd → look for 5,800–6,000
Both approaches converge in the 200–250 yd range. The ×28 formula is easy mental math on the course.
Many pros consider the 7-iron a more accurate distance indicator than the driver — lower variance, truer swing speed.
Formula: 7-iron carry × 45
150 yd carry → 6,750 yd course
Classic course-setup rule: 5-iron distance × 36 for total yardage.
170 yd 5-iron → 6,120 yd course
The 5-iron represents mid-bag; scaling by 36 accounts for the mix of tee shots and approaches across 18 holes.
On a typical Par 4, you should be holding a mid-to-short iron for approach.
Red flag: hitting 3-wood, hybrid, or long iron into most Par 4s means the tees are too long.
Course architects assume a target carry; when approach clubs skew long, scoring suffers disproportionately.
Quick litmus test: can you reach every Par 3 with an iron?
If you need a driver or fairway wood to reach a Par 3, the course is too long.
Par 3s are designed so the target tee group can reach with an iron. Needing wood means every other hole is proportionally stretched too.
Low apex means you can’t hold greens with long clubs — even with distance, a flat trajectory from 170+ yd rolls through.
Rule of thumb: 7-iron apex below ~25 yd → consider one tee shorter than distance alone suggests.
VectorGOLF stores apex from launch-monitor sessions. Treat low ball flight as a qualitative tee-down adjustment.