Golf Tees are one of the most trivial variables in golf. That is until you need one and do not have one.
Could you imagine trying to hit a driver without a tee?
My advice for golf tees is simple. Find a tee that suits your game (wooden or plastic), buy one cheap pack, and continue to pick up discarded tees off of tee boxes.
I haven’t spent a dime on tees in the past 10 years using this method.
Best Overall Tee- Pride Professional Plastic Golf Tees- 30 Pack
– Best Value out there- $9 for 30 long lasting, extremely durable plastic tees
– At 3.25″, work for the driver as well as the wedge. Can get several rounds from the same tee.
– Less contact area between ball & tee leads to longer & straighter drives
Best Unbreakable Golf Tee- Brush-T 4 Pack (3 Wood, Driver, Oversized, XLT)
– 4 Sizes for Driver and Woods: 2″, 2.2″, 2.4″, & 3.12″
–Ball sits on bristles and thick plastic base result in a tee that will last years.
– Bristles offer little to no resistance at impact, and should increase driving distance and accuracy
Best Golf Tees for Distance- Zero Friction Tour 3 Prong Tees
– 66% reduced contact area between golf ball & tee leads to longer & straighter drives
– Extremely durable and flexible plastic made from recycled materials
– Height striping system for consistent tee height
Best Golf Tees for Simulators and Mats- Birtee ProSpeed 8 Pack
– Heights of tees from 1/4″ to 2″ with 1/4″ increments
– Long lasting, extremely durable flexible plastic
– Smaller base from previous version for less detectability on simulators
Best Golf Tee for Beginners and High Handicappers- Callaway Par Tee
– Co-Molded construction along with impact ribs make tee practically unbreakable
– Wide, rigid plastic base with sharp tip allows for easy insertion into ground
– Rubber cupped top super easy to tee up and engineered to promote low spin launches for added distance
Table of Contents
- Best golf tees to use
- Best Overall Golf Tee- Pride Professional Plastic Golf Tees- 30 Pack
- Best Unbreakable Golf Tee- Brush-T 4 Pack (3 Wood, Driver, Oversized, XLT)
- Best Golf Tee for Distance- Zero Friction Tour 3 Prong Tees
- Best Golf Tee for Mats & Simulators- BirTees
- Best Golf Tee for Beginners and High Handicappers- Callaway Par Tee
- Factors to consider when buying golf tees
- Golf Tee frequently asked questions (FAQS)
- Final Thoughts
Best golf tees to use
Best Overall Golf Tee- Pride Professional Plastic Golf Tees- 30 Pack
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Pride Professional Plastic Golf Tees- 30 Pack
Summary
4.7/5 stars from 4,567 Amazon Reviews.
For $9 for a 30 pack, these are the best value pack of tees you can get for the durability and quality from the top Golf Tee brand.
These are made from an extremely durable and flexible plastic, resulting in hundreds to thousands of swings and still being usable.
These tees are extremely easy to push into the ground, and you will not find a better value at this price point!
Best Unbreakable Golf Tee- Brush-T 4 Pack (3 Wood, Driver, Oversized, XLT)
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Brush-T 4 Pack (3 Wood, Driver, Oversized, XLT)
Summary
4.6/5 stars from 890 Amazon Reviews.
For $12 for a 4 pack, these are perfect for those who are a minimalist and want a consistent tee height every time.
They help provide a consistent tee height every time and can possibly lead to longer and straighter drives.
Best Golf Tee for Distance- Zero Friction Tour 3 Prong Tees
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Zero Friction Tour 3 Prong Tees
Summary
4.4/5 stars from 1,789 Amazon Reviews.
For $15 for a 40 pack, these are some of the more expensive tees out there. However, you will get long lasting plastic tees that will help you gain a few yards on your tee shots.
I am a believer in the reduced contact surface leading to longer drives and it gives me the confidence to swing away freely to try and outdrive everyone in my foursome.
If you are looking to get bragging rights on the longest drive and gain a small advantage over your competitors, buy a pack of Zero Friction tees today!
Best Golf Tee for Mats & Simulators- BirTees
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Birtee golf tees- pro speed version
Summary
4.6/5 stars from 255 Amazon Reviews.
For $20 for a 8 pack, these are the best value pack of tees you can get for the durability and # of varying tee heights.
These are made from an extremely durable and flexible plastic, resulting in hundreds to thousands of swings and still being usable.
If you are one that likes varying tee heights depending on variables like wind condition, these tees are my top recommendation!
Best Golf Tee for Beginners and High Handicappers- Callaway Par Tee
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Callaway par tee plastic golf tees
Summary
4.6/5 stars from 2,940 Amazon Reviews.
For $8 for a 4 pack, these tees are a great value as they will take years to break. They also serve as a divot tool and groove cleaner, allowing less clutter in your bag and pockets.
The 4 pack comes in red, blue, green, and black.
These tees are perfect for kids as well as seniors because of how easy they stick into the ground and how easy it is to keep the ball on the tee with the wide rubber top.
Factors to consider when buying golf tees
Golf Tee Height
Golf Tee height is the most important factor when buying golf tees for 2 main reasons.
- Correct tee height is critical for maximum distance on all tee shots with drivers, fairway woods, and irons
- Multiple tee lengths may be needed for those that struggle to put the tee into the ground (juniors and the elderly)
| Club | Tee length | Height of golf ball |
| DRIVER | 3.25-4″ | Half the ball above the clubface |
| FAIRWAY WOODS | 2-2.25″ | Middle of ball in line with middle of clubface |
| HYBRIDS | 1.5-2″ | Middle of ball in line with middle of clubface |
| IRONS | 1-1.5″ | Quarter inch above the ground |
| WEDGES | 1-1.5″ | Eighth of an inch above the ground |
Golf Tee Price
Golf Tee price is the 2nd most important factor in my mind because there is no advantage of one type of tee over the other. My golf bag consist of about half wooden tees and half plastic tees, with the majority of them being found on teeboxes.
My method of only buying one pack of tees in the past 10 years:
- Buy cheapest pack of wooden or plastic tees you can find
- Pick up discarded tees on teeboxes, usually at least one full size tee on every teebox (broken tees work great for par 3s!)
- Never pay for golf tees again!
All of the pros use free wooden tees that are given out at the tournaments. If there was even a minimal distance of 1 yard to be gained from a certain type of tee, the pros would be taking advantage of it. So don’t fret about what tees you want to use or trying the “latest technology” that will gain you 3+ yards on your drives.
Pros use the simple wooden tee design that has been around for decades, so should you.
I have saved about $20/year by picking up discarded tees off of teeboxes instead of buying new packs of tees. It may seem trivial and extremely frugal to pick up discarded tees, but that’s 9 free holes a year!
All you have to do is take an extra second to pick up a tee off the teebox. Golf tees are definitely reusable when cracked or broken, take advantage of it!
What is the Golf Tee made from?
Golf Tees are typically made from wood, plastic, rubber, bamboo, or metal.
| Golf Tee Material | Pros | Cons |
| Wooden | – Good For The Environment – Cheapest Tees to buy | – Break easier than bamboo or plastic – Can be harder to find in grass (if natural wood color) – Clubs can get scuff marks with colorful tees |
| Bamboo | – Good for the environment – Last longer than wood tees | – More expensive than wooden tees and most plastic tees – Do not last as long as plastic tees |
| Plastic | – Last longer than wood or bamboo tees – Most bang for the buck | – Not good for the environment – Can be hard to stick into dry or hard ground – Can bend easily and get distorted when having to force into the ground |
| Rubber | – Don’t have to stick into ground – Great for Winter Golf and most mats – Extremely cheap | – Usually only one height for a driver, can’t adjust height based on conditions – Most struggle staying upright on teeboxes, not very rigid without a mat – Durability issues with the cheaper rubber tees at fast swing speeds |
| Metal | – ??? | – WILL leave scratches and nicks on clubface – These were made originally as a novelty gift, not to play with |
The golf tee material is not a huge factor for me as performance between all tees is about the same. Your local ground conditions could dictate what tee you buy.
If you play somewhere that doesn’t get much rain and the teeboxes are rock hard most of the playing season, you may want to choose a wooden or bamboo tee because plastic tees struggle with hard ground. The wooden tees will break pretty easy in hard ground, which is why I always search for golf tees on teeboxes.
The plastic tees will also bend and become distorted or even break when trying to stick into hard ground. If you’re able to stick them into the ground, these tees will last forever and save you money if you are one to buy golf tees.
Rubber tees were originally made for golf mats, but could be a great solution for juniors and elderly alike who struggle to put a tee into the ground. Rubber golf tees are usually cheap and sit on top of the ground, which is great for hard or frozen ground as well.
The rubber tees are not adjustable and some models struggle to stay upright without a golf mat. Majority of these tees are not very durable for anyone with a fast swing speed (100+ MPH).
I have seen metal tees pop up on golf forums as a solution to hard ground, please never use metal tees as it could damage the clubface.
From the table above, I use wooden or plastic tees randomly, depending on what I pull out of the tee bag. If ground conditions are hard, I will opt for the wooden tee because it is easier to stick into the ground.
Frozen ground is a whole different story as it is impossible to get a tee into the ground unless you have a hammer or drill. The best golf tee for winter is the BirTee Golf Tees.
Style of Golf Tee
There are all sorts of golf tees made for different situations.
Traditional Golf Tee
The traditional golf tee is what the pros and top amateurs alike have been using for decades. It is the most popular shape of golf tee, and for good reason. It’s cheap for manufacturers to produce and it gives just as good results as any other style of tee.
The pros have stuck with the traditonal wooden tee over the past 2-3 decades even with all of these new style tees that claim their “technology” will help you hit it 5 yards farther.
Reduced Friction Golf Tee
The reduced friction golf tee is usually made of plastic and the golf ball sits on 3-5 prongs. This will reduce friction between the ball and tee by having less contact area and should theoretically help the ball fly a little farther.
I can not find any independent studies helping verify the claim that these tees make the ball fly farther. I’m skeptical because if there truly was a tee that helped increase your distance by 3+ yards, every pro and top amatuer would be using them.
Brush Golf Tee
The Brush Golf Tee works on the same principal as the pronged tee. Less friction equals more distance because the golf ball is sitting on hundreds of bristles. As your club hits the ball through impact, minimum speed is lost by friction between the clubhead and bristles of the brush tee.
This is how they claim to gain distance over wooden tees. I remain skeptical because if you truly gained 3-7 yards from a tee, someone like Bryson Dechambeau would have tried these tees to gain a small advantage on his competition.
The Brush Tee usually has a thick portion on the tee which will sit level with the ground, helping you tee it up the same height every time. The brush tees are plastic, so they are extremely durable and will not break.
There are hundreds of reviews and independent studies claiming added distance and increased accuracy off the tee. They definitely won’t hurt your game, so if you’re searching for the holy grail of extra distance with your driver, try out a brush tee and let me know what you think!
Plastic & Rubber Golf Tees for Mats/Frozen Ground
These plastic and rubber tees were designed for golf mats and for those of us dedicated enough to golf when the ground is still frozen. They sit above the ground so there is no need for a hammer or drill to try to force a tee into the frozen ground.
I personally do not use these tees outside of winter golf and for my golf net, but I could see them being of great convenience for the young and old who struggle to put a tee into the ground. Before buying I would read the reviews, as most rubber tees have not held up under fast swing speeds of 100+ MPH
Anti-Slice Golf Tee
Anti Slice Golf Tees are almost a “gimmick” tee that has one side built up like an ice cream scooper to prevent that nasty banana ball most high handicappers have. This tee is not USGA legal, so it can not be used in competitions or to enter any handicaps.
I would avoid this tee because:
- It only minimally helps prevent side spin and the amount your ball slices or draws
- It is not USGA legal (can’t enter competitions or scores for handicap)
- It is just a bandaid, time should be spent trying to fix your swing instead
Golf Tee frequently asked questions (FAQS)
What is a golf tee?
A golf tee is a piece of wood or plastic used to prop the golf ball up off of the ground to make it easier to hit. Many golfers use a golf tee to help make more consistent contact with the ball.
The tee helps maximize your chances of making solid contact with the ball first and not the ground. With the size of the modern driver, a tee is necessary to get your driver in the air.
How are golf tees made?
Wooden golf tees are made from a hardwood, usually birch or cedar.
Bamboo golf tees are made from the bamboo plant, which happens to be 7x stronger than wood.
The wood and bamboo golf tees are made from dowels, where they are put into lathes to make the golf tee.
Plastic golf tees are made using a injection molding machine.
This process involves putting plastic high density polyethylene (HDPE) pellets into the machine and compressing the melted pellets into the mold.
Where can I use a tee in golf?
You can only use a tee on the teebox for your first shot, called the tee shot.
Using a tee anywhere else on the course outside of the teebox is prohibited and is a penalty.
According to R&A and USGA rule books, you can stand in line with the tee markers and up to two club lengths behind the tee markers.
The ball has to stay within the tee markers. It is perfectly legal to stand outside of the tee markers with the ball just inside of the tee markers.
Do Golf Tees make a difference?
The golf tee will help you make consistent contact with the ball and help your chances of hitting the golf ball before the ground. The type of tee is irrelevant, many studies have shown that you do not gain any distance using the “gimmicky” tees that claim you can gain up to 5 yards on a teeshot.
Teeing the golf ball to the correct height is critical to get the maximum distance out of every tee shot.
Hitting the ball too low on the clubface will result in a low, stinging ball flight with more runout.
Hitting the ball too high on the clubface will result in a “pop fly”, a high ball flight that travels significantly less than a shot hit near the sweet spot.
How high should you tee the golf ball?
The general consensus from Golf’s Top 100 Teachers for tee height is as follows:
Driver- Half of the ball is above the crown of the clubface.
Fairway woods- Tee the ball half of an inch off the ground
Long Irons- Tee the ball quarter inch off the ground
Short Irons/Wedges- Tee the ball just above the ground
Do you have to use a tee in golf?
It is not required to use a golf tee for your tee shot, but I strongly suggest it to give yourself a perfect lie every time.
With the modern height of the driver, it is nearly impossible to hit a good shot off the deck.
Try hitting some drives off the deck next time at the range with your driver and see how it goes.
Most amateurs and pros benefit from teeing the ball up with fairway woods and irons.
If the majority of pros use a tee on every teebox, it would be wise to copy the best players in the world.
How to tee up a golf ball?
The easiest way to tee up a golf ball in 3 simple steps is to:
1. Grip the golf tee between your index finger and middle finger
2. Curl your palm around the ball which will put it onto the tee.
3. Push the tee into the ground using your palm and the golf ball to drive it into the ground
It’s as simple as that! For frozen or extremely hard ground, you may need a tee that sits above the ground.
Are any type of golf tees illegal?
Yes, any tee that can alter the flight of the golf ball or indicate a starting line are not USGA or R&A approved. The anti-slice golf tees and random tees that have an arrow or other sort of indicator are not legal to use in competition or for submitting handicaps.
What are the Dimensions of a Golf Tee?
The dimensions of a golf tee vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The height will vary from 1.5″ – 3.25″, depending on if it is a tee designed for irons or drivers.
The diameter of the shaft is usually around .2″ with the width of the tee head around .44″.
How many Golf Tees do I need?
To be on the conservative side, let’s say you break a wooden tee every 2 holes. You would need 9 tees for every 18 holes played.
To save money and not constantly buy tees, use plastic tees that break less frequently and pick up discarded tees on teeboxes.
Where to Put Tees at in Golf Bag?
The smaller pockets in the middle of the bag are designed for smaller items such as ball markers, tees, divot tools, etc.
Some people will also buy a valuables pouch which can be used for golf tees as well as wallets, car keys, etc.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of tees out there to choose from. Remember that the tee you use has little to no effect on your teeshot. If it was true, all of the pros would be using one of the newer tees that came out in the past 20 years versus the traditional wooden tee which has been around for decades.
My advice is to start with a small pack of tees and continue to look for tees on teeboxes. You will be amazed at the amount of unbroken tees you will find on every teebox at your local course. This is what I have done for the past 10 years and have probably saved $15/ year! Let me know if you have any additional suggestions!
