There are a lot of accessories in the game of golf, and it can be tough to determine which are truly necessary. However, when it comes to golf tees, there is no getting around them. Playing a round of golf without teeing your driver up is a recipe for disaster.
However, many players often ignore the fact that each tee type you use can impact the feel, distance, and trajectory of your drive.
We’ll cover the types of golf tees available, from material types to lengths and how these small changes can affect your golf swing and ultimately, your score.
Types of Golf Tees
Not all golf tees are created equal. Many manufacturers claim their golf tees help the ball travel 5 yards further, while others claim lofty anti-slice construction. You’ll have to determine which types work best for you, but it’s best to know your stuff when it comes to choosing your tee.
Here’s what you need to know about the types of golf tees available for your next top up of golf accessories.
Choice of Materials
There are four main types of materials that you will see in golf tees. They are wood, bamboo, plastic, and rubber.
Natural Wood
The classic golf tee is a wooden tee. These tees are usually affordable and easy to find. Golf courses love them because they are biodegradable and much better for the environment. The problem with wooden tees is that they break easily.
Plastic
Plastic tees are much more durable, and you can sometimes use them round after round. The problem, of course, is that once these plastic tees break, they create some issues for the environment.
Bamboo
A bamboo tee is very similar to a wooden tee in that it is biodegradable; the additional benefit, however, is that it is more durable than wooden tees. Bamboo tees are becoming a material of choice for many golf manufacturers.
Rubber
Most rubber tees are found at driving ranges because they are incredibly durable and can work round after round. Some companies make rubber tees for the course, and they are reusable, but of course, if you lose one, keep in mind you’re contributing waste to gorgeous golf courses, similar to plastic.
Golf Tee Lengths
Golf tees come in a variety of lengths, and you can choose the length based on the club you are hitting with. Here are the suggested lengths per type of golf club:
- Drivers: 2.75-4 inches
- Fairway Woods: 1.5-2.5 inches
- Hybrids: 1.5-2 inches
When you have a large 460cc driver, it is imperative to have a tee with more than 3 inches of length. If you don’t have enough height on the tee, it’s possible to continually miss the sweet spot on the driver.
With fairway woods and hybrids, the goal is to keep the golf ball just slightly above the ground, so tee height here is not as important.
Tee and Ball Connection
Something to consider when choosing your golf tees is how they affect the connection and quality of sturdiness when the ball is on the tee.
Some golf tee options include a brush tee where the golf ball sits on top of some plastic fibers, creating almost no resistance at all. Other golf tees have small points that eliminate the surface area connection between the ball and the tee. Another fun option is the cocktail-inspired “Martini Tee,” where the ball sits in a small cup.
The tee/ball connection is something to consider if you are looking for a specific performance benefit in your golf game.
When To Use Each Golf Tee?
The most important part of choosing the right tee when you are on a tee box is ensuring the tee for your driver is tall enough. If you want to use a long tee for every tee box, you can; you just have to push it into the ground further for the hybrids, fairway woods, and irons.
Distance-enhancing tees like brush tees should mostly be used with the driver as they are usually taller and designed to produce maximum distance. Some golfers also find that plastic tees hold up better with the driver simply because of the angle of attack of the club.
Wooden tees break easily when above the ground, but short wooden tees for iron shots can often last for more than one swing.
Things To Consider When Purchasing Golf Tees
When buying golf tees, you will want to think about the number you are getting, the clubs you are playing with, and what you are looking for from the tee itself.
Size of the Bag
Golf tees usually come in large bags. However, purchasing plastic tees or special brush tees may only get four or five per. Remember that these are to be used over and over again, so you don’t need as many as they’re not as disposable.
Realistically, even if you play with a tee that breaks every single time you use it, you would need 18 tees for a round of golf. Most golfers using quality bamboo tees or plastic tees only need 2 to 4 tees per round.
Keep that number in mind when stocking up for your golf season.
Types of Clubs You Have
Take a look at the size of your driver. The bigger it is, the longer the tee you need. Purchasing tees up to 4 inches in height is not a bad thing. It lets you get your driver’s face lined up exactly with the golf ball.
Game Improvement Factors
You have to be careful with golf tees designed for game improvement. Many of these golf tees are illegal as they are designed to change the ball’s flight.
Therefore, anti-slice tees are typically not USGA-conforming.
Here are a few of the things that make a golf tee considered non-conforming, which is considered illegal by USGA standards:
- Longer than 4 inches in height
- Changes the movement of the ball (direction and velocity)
- Manipulates the line of hit in some way
Any non-conforming tees will be clearly marked, so you should be able to tell right away which you’re buying, and if they’re approved!
However, using golf tees that indicate proper tee height is one of the best advantages allowed by the rules. Some tees have a ring on them that keeps them from going too far into the ground. Another option is tees with different color stripes and lines that help indicate the proper tee height.
Use these to your advantage next time you tee up!
Local Course and Environmental Regulations
Due to environmental concerns, some golf courses are banning plastic tees, as they can pose a long-term waste issue and create issues with golf course maintenance equipment. Be sure you know the rules of your local golf courses, and see if you need to bring natural wood tees with you.
Visibility
Choose a golf tee color that you will be able to find. Typically, white tees stand out pretty well on the green. Something that some people don’t like about color tees is that they can leave some residue on the golf driver’s face. Usually, it comes right off, but it’s something to consider if you’d prefer to not have that extra golf club maintenance.
The 5 Best Golf Tees
Choosing the best golf tee for your game can take a little trial and error to see what works best for you, but today we want to share some of our top picks for you!
Pride Professional Plastic Tees – Best Overall
If you can use plastic tees for your course, the Pride Professional Plastic Tees are the best you will find. They have lines on them to help you perfectly indicate your golf ball height. However, most importantly, the tees are durable and incredibly lightweight.
For players looking to increase clubhead speed and hit long drives, the Pride Professional tees won’t get in your way.
Green’s Keepers 4 Yards More Brush Tee – Best For Distance
The Green’s Keepers Tees allow the ball to sit on what looks like a brush, making it very easy for the ball to launch from the tee with ease.
If you feel like step tees or wooden tees are holding back a bit of your distance, this would be a good option.
Martini Step-Up Golf Tees – Best for New Golfers
The Martini Step Up Golf Tees are a great choice for golfers new to the game and nervous about how high to tee the golf ball. The Martini Tee can only be pushed into the ground so far, making it much easier to set up correctly to hit the center of the clubface.
Remember that you will want some shorter tees to ensure you have a way to tee up irons and hybrids.
Green Swing Bamboo Golf Tees – Best Bamboo Tees
If you are looking for something a little more durable than wood but also a great choice for the environment, the Green Swing Bamboo Golf tees are a good option.
These hold up for several holes worth of use, and they are a light wood color that is easy to find after you make contact.
GoSports 2.25 Iron Tees – Best Tees For Irons
Golf irons barely need to be teed up to hit solid, so you don’t need to worry about the tee as much. The GoSports 2.25 iron tees are a great choice for the golfer who likes to hit those piercing long iron shots off the tee box. These are also great if you are using the longer step tees and can’t put them to the ground for an iron.
Final Thoughts
We won’t try to convince you that choosing the right golf tee will impact your game as much as choosing the right golf ball. However, there is an impact, and you should be taking advantage of every opportunity to shoot lower scores. Now get out there and test out some tees.
