Cracker Barrel IQ tester

I was at Cracker Barrel yesterday and as always played the "golf tee jump" game. For those who haven't played it is a triangle with 15 holes filled with 14 golf tees. You jump and take off tees, similar to checkers. The idea is to have as few as possible left at the end. The game states your IQ based on how many tees are left, but only in "fun" terms of "genius" for one to "just plain stupid" for 4. Best I could get was 2 left.

So I figured I would ask the math guys here about two things on it:


1. Does it matter where the "empty" hole is at the start. You are allowed to put it anywhere, but is one better than the other?

2. Is there an optimal staratgy here? Other than not isolating one tee at a far end?

Yes there is an optimal strategy and it definitely matters where the empty hole is. A woman showed me the correct way to do it once when she witnessed me floundering about with it, but I forget the correct path.

I think the empty hole should be near the middle, if I remember correctly, definitely not on an end.

I think Durango Bill's page covers this game completely.