Tees are one of golfs most essential pieces of equipment. And one of the few things you are going to use on every hole. Though they seem simple there is plenty to learn about golf tees and why they are so important to golf. This article is going to breakdown what a golf tee is, where the golf tee name came from and other interesting information.
What is a golf tee?
A golf tee in a small piece of golf equipment that allows you to raise your ball a few centimetres off the ground. Its purpose is to give you a better opportunity to make quality contact with your golf ball.
Plastic or wood are the materials used to make golf tees.
Golf tees are used on the first shot of each hole. They not allowed to be used on any other part of the golf course aside from the teebox.
Why is it called a golf tee?
The origin of the name tee is believed to come from golfs Scottish roots. The word tee came from the gaelic word of “Tigh”. This word refered to the circles that make up the area in which you aim in curling.
Back then you would setup up tees in a ring around the hole about a club lengths away. This is believed to be the origin of the word.
Are Plastic Tees Illegal?
No, typical plastic tees are in fact 100% legal. Though there are some forms of golf tees that do not fall under USGA guidelines.
Tees that are designed to stop a ball from hooking or slicing are illegal. These sorts of tees don’t fit under the USGA guidelines so they cannot be used in tournament play.
In order to determine if a tee is illegal or legal, you can reach out to the manufacturer to confirm. Though if it is a standard plastic tee than you should be fine.
What is a tee box in golf?
A tee box is simply the area on a golf hole in which you “tee off”. This area of the hole is often nicely groomed. It will often feature several different coloured tee blocks to show you where to tee off.
If someone tells you they would like to meet at the tee box or tee blocks. They mean the area in which you start the hole.
Can I Use A Tee On the fairway?
No, as tempting as it may be. You are not allowed to use a tee any where other than on the tee blocks.
Golf tees are quite helpful in hitting a golf shot. By allowing players to use tees on shots in the fairway will significantly change your ability to score well. This would be an unfair advantage.
Conclusion understanding golf tees
We hope you enjoyed our guide to understanding golf tees. Please reach out with any questions you have about the article.
If you enjoyed the article and would like to learn more about golf check out some other articles such as our guide to understanding “fore”.
