It SUCKS Getting Old...
Machine golf is not really playing golf. Your driving is all about what you do on the 14 holes you tee it up( assuming the average 4 par 3’s per course). 14 balls between 190 and 220 on or close to the fairway will give you a good day. 3 at 260, 3 in the water, 3 in the woods, 2 ob and 3 in deep rough will be a disaster.
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The "Distance Creep" gets more rapid once you hit 70 years old. I don't know how far I THOUGHT I hit it before, but I first got a Garmin Golf GPS when I was around that age. I was in shock the first time I measured what I thought was a well hit drive and found that it was not even 220 yards! Now, at almost 75 years old, I have practically quit checking (although it is useful to know if, God forbid, you have a forced carry over a water hazard off the tee!). I played Friday, and measured the two drives that I thought I "pured." They finished at a disappointing 195 and 197. Geez....I'd like to think I can still hit a ball 200 yards, but it is what it is! That's why I play the senior tees on most holes anymore (about 350 yards is as far back as I can play for a par 4 anymore; 180 for a par 3). Otherwise, the only clubs I would need would be my driver, fairway woods and wedges!!
fatshot The "Distance Creep" gets more rapid once you hit 70 years old. I don't know how far I THOUGHT I hit it before, but I first got a Garmin Golf GPS when I was around that age. I was in shock the first time I measured what I thought was a well hit drive and found that it was not even 220 yards! Now, at almost 75 years old, I have practically quit checking (although it is useful to know if, God forbid, you have a forced carry over a water hazard off the tee!). I played Friday, and measured the two drives that I thought I "pured." They finished at a disappointing 195 and 197. Geez....I'd like to think I can still hit a ball 200 yards, but it is what it is! That's why I play the senior tees on most holes anymore (about 350 yards is as far back as I can play for a par 4 anymore; 180 for a par 3). Otherwise, the only clubs I would need would be my driver, fairway woods and wedges!!
At age 70 your discussion of distance creep is right on. I noticed a big loss of distance particularly in my irons two years ago and it keeps progressing each year. It is happening to all of my friends as well. We find our tee shots from the gold tees far behind where we used to hit them from the tips what seems like only a few years ago. Some of our par 4's are still too long because of the terrain so we move up to a designated spot in the fairway and tee it up there and we still have about 130 or more in after the tee shot. We are just trying to keep it fun for us.
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Rickochet Some of our par 4's are still too long because of the terrain so we move up to a designated spot in the fairway and tee it up there and we still have about 130 or more in after the tee shot.
We do the same thing....I don't mind playing a 340-350 yard par 4 once in a while at this point....but I don't need to play 280 yarders YET (that day will come soon enough, I guess!). And I agree with you 100%....it's all about having fun with your buds and still playing something resembling a decent game of golf...!
Rickochet Some of our par 4's are still too long because of the terrain so we move up to a designated spot in the fairway and tee it up there and we still have about 130 or more in after the tee shot. We are just trying to keep it fun for us.
Rick, you guys are awesome for doing that. I wish everyone were that smart! I don’t know if it’s “pride” thing with some people but I tell guys, “ you’re here to have fun.” They won’t even play the red tees....which are still too long.
I used to do almost the same thing with my kids. They would tee off from 150-180 and play from there to keep it fun for them.
Weirfan seems like a reasonable chart, my SS is 100-105 and the numbers jive although my iron distances are More in line with the 110 SS column, likey because AP1 's have stronger lofts. My previous 2 Ping sets would coincide with the chart
That is a great chart, I actually found it and downloaded it a while back. I’m the opposite from you Pete. Where driver swing / distance is, my iron distance is a column back. I know I swing driver hard though and irons not as much.
Interesting chart. I fall in line with 100 if not a bit more with all clubs except the driver and my irons are not strong lofted. I am not usually getting that much yardage off the driver; it seems like I feel like I killed it and get 230-240. Could partly be that my club's longer holes are usually into the wind and the fairways allow for hardly any roll (shaggy and many have humps). There are a couple of holes where drives seem to run and I'm 250-260 and at times longer on big hits. Or maybe time for another driver fitting?
Fairway and turf conditions are different on every course this is why the carry number is the important number. But it's also why golfers estimate their carry number is higher than it is in reality as they really don't know and always round up. 
Chasing distance as you get older is a holy grail kind of thing. In my reality playing the correct tee box IF offered and accuracy are more important than distance.
scotts33 Chasing distance as you get older is a holy grail kind of thing. In my reality playing the correct tee box IF offered and accuracy are more important than distance.
I agree. I hate losing distance, but my score is not that closely related to my driving distance. It comes down to keeping it in the fairway and also my short game. Lots of heavy rough, woods and OB at my course so accuracy is key. I have big hitting buddy in my regular foursome that was not scoring as well as he should have been. He finally started hitting a 4i on most holes and has now broken 80 several times. Of course he hits a 4i where many hit driver....bastage.
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Spuzz Hell, nothing embarrasses me any more. 
I should go play the Par 66 course I used to play. I've shot around 70 there a few times, but I wasn't playing as good then as I do now. I could hit it a lot farther, but did not 'play' as well. Now, the distance would not be as relevant. I could shoot under my age, with a Par for the round. THAT I could post without embarrassment!
Rickochet Some of our par 4's are still too long because of the terrain so we move up to a designated spot in the fairway and tee it up there and we still have about 130 or more in after the tee shot. We are just trying to keep it fun for us.
Our course put in a set of 'junior' tees when we developed a strong program for them and NOW they have
been taken over by those who need to move up. I have a friend who just turned 81 and a good golfer who
was shooting mid 80's from the 'senior' tees and now shoots around our par 73 most times out. Just goes
to prove what has been discuss above. He is a 2 handicap at age 81 (calculated from those tees).
Just have fun. 
Typhoon Rick, you guys are awesome for doing that. I wish everyone were that smart! I don’t know if it’s “pride” thing with some people but I tell guys, “ you’re here to have fun.” They won’t even play the red tees....which are still too long.
When nobody in our group could get to a par 4 in two we moved up to our own tee spot. I mentioned to the pro about moving the gold tee up and he said "just play it like a par five." That kind of negates the reason for creating senior tees. We also adjust some par threes if many in our group can't make it over a long water carry anymore. With groups our age our group numbers continue to dwindle and our games are declining and it is very easy to lose interest. My FIL was an avid golfer until age 75 and he just lost interest and gave it up. I always thought that golf was a game for all ages. I can now appreciate his decision. We are trying to keep it fun for as long as we can.
Back maybe 10 years ago I asked the pro at my old course to put out senior tees because we had a few guys in my group that wouldn’t play red tees because of the “women’s tees” stigma. I even volunteered to buy the wood... finally after a year or so they made them and put them about a foot behind the red tees... BUT, the seniors were happy.
Not to mention women's tees are too long for women on 99% of the courses in the USA. Move them up.
