How this U.S. Open course ‘solved slow play’ with a simple 7-iron hack

This might be difficult to believe, but some golfers will exaggerate how far they drive the ball. “Oh, yeah, I think I hit that one 290,” isn’t just a fib; it might be a reason for slow play at the recreational level. And one prestigious golf course has decided to actually do something about it.

Erin Hills, a former U.S. Open site, inside the top 50 of our America’s 100 Greatest Courses rankings and host of this week’s U.S. Women’s Open, has discovered a bit of a lifehack to keep groups moving and shut down slow play at this Wisconsin public facility. It all comes down to playing the right tees and a 7-iron chart in the right place.

“On the walls of the starter’s shack and inside the caddie barn, there’s a chart on display that advises players which sets of tees to use based on how far they typically hit that one club,” writes Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal. “Since [head golf pro Jim Lombardo] first put up the chart in 2023, Erin Hills has seen a 26 percent uptick in people using the shorter, white tees. And the overall speed of play has picked up accordingly.”

/content/dam/images/golfdigest/fullset/2023/1/Screenshot 2025-05-28 at 10.47.05 AM.png

The chart at Erin Hills

Lombardo and his staff were once using GPS monitors to keep groups on time but quickly found that it all came down to how far golfers hit their 7-iron and if they were using the right tees. For example, if you normally hit that club 140-150 yards, maybe you should try the white tees—listed on the scorecard as 6,238 yards—instead of throwing your back out on the greens (6,801 yards) or the blues (7,316).

The aptly named “7-iron Solution” comes from a 2020 paper put together by USGA and R&A. The gist of the report was on pros and distance, but it also made note of the fact that many golfers are taking too long because they’re playing from a yardage that’s too long for their games.

Erin Hills Golf Course

Paul Hundley Public Erin Hills Golf Course Hartford, WI 4.6 42 Panelists

• 100 Greatest
• Best In State
• 100 Greatest Public

Despite the rumor, Erin Hills wasn’t designed specifically to host a U.S. Open. Its original concept was to be a simple, affordable, lay-of-the-land layout, to prove Mother Nature is indeed the best golf architect. 

View Course

“The driver is the most exaggerated club in the bag,” said David Pierce, the former USGA Director of Research. “They tell you how they hit their best drives—not their average drives.”

That’s far from surprising, so Erin Hills and the “7-iron Solution” focus on iron play to keep away from exaggeration.

The WSJ headline reports that Erin Hills has “solved slow play,” and in the last two years, the course has seen a boom in players trying out the white tees. One in 10 players seem to be open to advice; we are a stubborn bunch after all.

This has all led to faster rounds and (perhaps) even happier golfers playing the course the way it’s meant to be played. It makes sense that all it takes to shut down slow play is the correct assumption that golfers are prone to a lie or two, and then finding a way around that.

More From Golf Digest Golf Digest Logo Why Condoleezza Rice deserves the Dinah Award Branded Content Aon Risk Reward Challenge enters sixth year on LPGA Tour SPONSORED Father’s Day Gift Guide 2025: Upgraded basics to elevate dad’s golf game essentials