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The best golf tee is one that holds the ball at your intended height, suits the surface and is easy to use again. Start with a small pack of ordinary wooden tees if you are still experimenting. Consider a step tee when you have settled on a height, or a reusable plastic tee if you prefer to keep the same peg through several holes. A winter mat may require a different design altogether.
This guide compares tee types and buying choices. It does not claim that changing tee brands will add a set number of yards to your drives. Product information was checked on 9 September 2026; the recommendations are based on design and intended use.
Table of Contents
Choose the type before the brand
| Type | Useful when | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Straight wood or bamboo | You want to adjust height freely | Length, quantity and whether your course specifies a material |
| Plastic performance tee | You want a reusable peg you can recognise easily | Actual length and how easily you can retrieve it |
| Step or castle tee | You want a physical stop for repeatable insertion | Height above the stop, not colour alone |
| Rubber mat tee | Your practice mat needs a compatible tee | Base shape, mat thickness and the resulting ball height |
Wooden tees: the straightforward starting point
A plain wooden tee lets you alter how far it sits in the ground without committing to a fixed step. Keep a short option for shots where you want the ball close to the turf and a longer option for your driver setup. You do not need a separate specialist tee for every club in the bag.
Pride’s Professional Tee System includes hardwood tees in several lengths, with printed identification. Its range also includes Step Wood tees. Those are different constructions: a printed band helps you identify or judge a position, while a physical step limits how far the peg enters firm ground.
For UK shopping, check the current Pride range at GolfOnline or ask your club shop for the material, length and pack size you want. The retailer currently lists bamboo and bamboo step options too. A replacement bamboo listing is not automatically the same item as an older hardwood pack.
Plastic tees: buy for convenience and reuse
Pride PTS Performance plastic tees are offered in short and longer lengths, including 1½, 2¾ and 3¼ inches, with single-length and combination packs. Check the pack itself: similarly named plain Performance tees and PTS versions need not contain the same assortment.
The practical question is whether you can set the ball easily and find the tee afterwards. A bright colour that contrasts with your usual teeing area can be more useful than a complicated product claim. Reuse intact tees and collect broken pieces of any material. Buy a trial pack before committing to a bulk box.
Step tees: understand the two heights
A tee’s overall length includes the section below ground. It is not the height of the ball above the grass. On a step tee, the distance from the shoulder to the cup is the important part once the shoulder meets the ground. Soft turf can still let that shoulder sink, so look at the actual ball position before playing.
Do not assume that a purple, pink or blue tee means the same measurement across every manufacturer. Read the measurement on the pack and establish whether it describes total length or the exposed section. Take a tee that already works for you to the shop if the listing is unclear.
Winter mats and home practice
Follow the range or club’s instructions about which tees can be used in its mats. A rubber tee designed to pass through a mat hole is different from a peg pushed into turf. For example, Golfway Play Tees are sold as flexible rubber tees for Golfway tee mats. That compatibility statement does not establish that they fit every driving-range mat or are intended for every full-speed practice setup.
Check the mat and tee together before ordering. A taller mat can leave less of an under-mat tee exposed; a free-standing practice tee needs to sit securely on the surface. Avoid buying a large pack until the actual arrangement gives you the height you need.
A useful first purchase
Choose one modest pack, establish a repeatable setup and note which tee you used during practice. Compare the delivered cost and number of usable tees, rather than the bag price alone. If your driver setup changes, revisit the height before buying more of a fixed-step model.
For the rest of a first kit, use our starting golf guide. Keep measured club carries in the free distance worksheet, and use the grips and maintenance guide when the equipment you already own needs attention.