Its 175 yards out, not just the green. And it does matter huge. On a par 72 half your strokes are on the f'n green if you 2 putt each one.... which you'll never do until you can stake a 6 iron thru a wedge. Do whatever you want Izzy, but you'll never shoot your age if you worry about stuff like graphite shafts and coming off the tee with your driver. #1 sign of a chop.
Many parallels to trading obviously. Most hacks would be best served watching Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker et al. and how they approach the game. Hint: they are lethal 120 yards and in. Back when I played a bit, there was always a group of geriatrics who would bunt the ball off the tee, bunt the ball up near the green and get up and down about 80% of the time. You couldn't beat these guys in a chipping contest even if you were good; they basically had just developed those skills because they never had length to begin with...Truth told, they could still score respectably.
No No NO. The amateur needs to get themselves within 100 to 140 yds of the green , not 175 to have an opportunity. Distance and straight shots are much more important to the amateur. --Most amateurs play in the woods.