Updated June 27, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
If you have traveled to your favorite pro shop or golf superstore lately to buy golf tees, you’ve noticed they are no longer a one-size-fits-all approach.
There are many questions now about what’s the best golf tee for your game.
Should you go long or short? Is plastic or wood better? Can I add distance to my game with a different tee? The answers to these questions depend primarily on the type of golfer you are on the course.
In our review of the best golf tees, we’ll show you the ten best golf models worth your money (and great as gifts) while providing outstanding performance.
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Table of Contents
Best Golf Tees 2023
What are the best tees for golf? Here’s our top 10 picks:
Pride Professional Tee System
Best overall golf tees: Most dependable small plastic golf tees for beginning golfers
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PROS
- Low-friction tip for cleaner contact while providing less resistance at impact
- Excellent durability for repeated use throughout your round
- Outstanding balance through a four-prong tip that keeps the ball stable during the swing
CONS
- Open to bending during the round, although they are easy to reset
The Pride Professional Tee System comes in three sizes, providing durability and balance to your drives and opening shots. These best golf tees, made with durable plastic, utilize a four-prong tip to give the golf ball a steady platform.
It truly rises above its competitors for outstanding performance and long-lasting durability.
Callaway Par-Tee
Best golf tees for low handicappers: Reduces the friction and adds low-spin launch
PROS
- Rubberized cup gives grip to the golf ball and clean point of contact
- Advanced technology that creates a low-spin launch with your driver
- Almost indestructible with high-bond composite materials at the core
CONS
- A little smaller in length than we like to see with a 460cc driver
Callaway has dramatically improved the plastic tee with its addition to the market known as the Par-Tee. Made from plastic, the Par-Tee is virtually unbreakable on shot after shot.
When measuring its performance, this Callaway tee helps low handicappers by reducing the friction and adding a low-spin launch to all your drives.
An advanced plastic tee for advanced golfers, the Callaway Par-Tee elevates the ol’ boring tee to new and exciting heights.
Pride Golf ProLength 3 1/4”
Best golf tees for mid handicappers: Remains stable and balanced throughout the swing
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PROS
- Clear blue line for ideal height for smaller drivers and larger fairway woods
- Made from hardwood for extra durability and reduced breaking after impact
- Large cup on tip of tee provides balance and low friction contact point
CONS
- Thinner wooden golf tees are durable but do experience raised levels of breakage over plastic
The Pride Golf ProLength 3 ¼” Wood Tee remains one of the most popular wood golf tees for all types of golfers.
When you put a Pride tee in your bag, you are playing with the same tees that professional golfers around the globe use on tour.
While this level of Pride tee does not meet the four-inch height requirement we want for our 460cc drivers, this wood tee still delivers the goods if you are in the market for a high-quality, low break accessory for the tee box.
Pride Golf ProLength 2 ¾”
Best wood golf tee for use with irons and fairway woods
PROS
- Marked with the wide yellow band for ideal height to use with 3, 4, & 5 woods
- Entirely made with natural hardwood for no paint streaking on clubs after impact
- Highly durable with low-spin and high launch on impact
CONS
- Wood golf tee that works well with fairway woods and irons, but not large 460cc drivers
The Pride Golf ProLength 2 ¾” Tee remains one of the most durable and high-performing wooden golf tees on the market today. With a wide yellow band across the shaft, you’ll never second guess your tee height again.
If you seek an awesome tee for your iron play on par 3s, the 2 ¾” tee from Pride remains one of the best choices for any level of golfer.
The great thing about it is that these are the same tees that the pros use in tournaments, so you know you are getting high quality and performance – one of the best golf tees to buy.
Pride Golf Tee
Best color golf tee for all golfers
PROS
- Several vibrant and colorful choices for tee color to spruce up your golf accessories
- Safe non-toxic paint on the golf tees provide safety for the golfer and the environment
- Highly durable with reduced breakage due to quality manufacturing
CONS
- Comes in 2 ¾-inch height, not tall enough for bigger drivers, more ideal for irons
The Pride Golf Tee checks in at 2 ¾ inches, making it great for fairway woods and iron play and less suitable for big drivers that reach 460cc in volume.
These best golf tees are thinner than most larger wooden ones, but the hardwood body helps with durability and reduces breakage.
Even though most golfers want to shy away from painted tees because they could lead to marking on their clubs, the Pride offers energetic golfers the chance to spice up their accessories – making it one of the best to have.
Pride Professional Dual Golf Tee System
Excellent dual golf tee package for beginning golfers
PROS
- Provides two plastic tees with differing lengths for use with woods and irons
- Both best golf tees have bars signaling the ideal height for your shots off the tee box
- Made with low-resistance tips for better and more consistent launch
CONS
- Both plastic golf tees did not last as long as other similar models before breaking
If you are looking for a solution that helps you with golf tees for drivers and irons, then the Pride Professional Dual Tee System may answer your problem.
With golf tees that register 1 ½” and 3 ¼” in height, you cover both bases with one of the best golf tees that’s plastic around for beginning golfers.
Each tee also utilizes a four-prong cup that helps reduce friction and adds distance with low spin. While Pride is known for making some of the best golf tees made of wood you’ll find, these plastic ones are quite capable of recreating the wood golf tees’ performance.
Callaway Wood Golf Tees
Most durable hardwood golf tees for low handicappers
PROS
- Outstanding durability with reduced breakage for a hardwood tee
- Hardwood finish assures you won’t transfer paint to the soles of your clubs
- Great for usage with irons and fairway woods for when you need a lower height
CONS
- Reduced height does make this tee preferable to only irons and fairway woods
Callaway’s wood golf tees are also a delightful addition to any golf bag, especially for low handicappers looking for the best tee for their iron shots on Par 3s. This 2 ¾” tee offers a sizable cup to hold the golf ball for clean contact.
As with any wooden tee, you will see some breakage along the way, but the reduced price makes it affordable for a golfer on a budget. They are perfect for anyone wanting a first-rate wood tee that won’t break with every swing.
Zero Friction Victory Golf Tees
Most balanced golf tee for mid handicappers
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PROS
- Multiple lines on the shaft of tee for universal height for your fairway woods and iron shots
- Five-prong top provides extra stability and balance for all levels of golfers
- Incredibly strong with little frequency of breaking after contact
CONS
- Under 3 inches in height, the zero friction golf tees offer just option for fairway woods and irons
There’s not much hiding in the name, but Zero Friction Victory Golf Tees are designed to reduce the friction between your golf ball and your driver’s face.
Using a unique five-prong cup, it provides additional distance and the same height striping system that you’ll find on all first-rate golf tees.
While we wished this tee was a bit taller than its 2 ¾-inch height, the Victory tee presents little to complain about for weekend warriors.
Izzo Plastic Golf Tees
Best plastic golf tees for iron shots off the tee box
PROS
- Offers extended life over wooden golf tees with innovative impact ribs that absorb the strength of the impact
- Four-prong tip provides confidence for golfers that the ball will stay put on the tee in windy conditions
- Reduces friction between ball and clubface for lower spin and better launch angle
CONS
- Three different sizes present flexibility, but no offer of 4-inch tee for bigger drivers
The Izzo Plastic Golf Tees offers all golfers a great plastic tee ideal for fairway woods and irons. Utilizing the four-prong tip, the Izzo offers the golfer low friction between the ball and clubface for low-spin shot-making.
If you are in the market for a dependable and virtually indestructible plastic tee, the good folks at Izzo have outdone themselves with their line of the best golf tees.
Pride Professional ProLength 4-inch Max Tee
Best long tee for large 460cc drivers
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PROS
- Top tee on the PGA Tour featuring durable shaft with a clear marking for uniform height
- Ideal for golfers who use oversized, 460cc drivers routinely off the tee box
- 100% natural hardwood frame keeps drivers from paint streaks
CONS
- Thinner wooden tee does tend to break more easily than smaller iron-preferred models
The Pride Professional ProLength 4-inch Max Tee is one of the best golf tees on our list for big, 460cc drivers.
Not only does this natural hardwood tee provide you with a striping system that is ideal for modern-day drivers, but the cup holds the ball extremely well, no matter the conditions on the course.
The 4-inch ProLength Max Tee is a savior if you are a high-speed swinger that likes to launch the golf ball off the tee box.
History of Golf Tees
Dating back to the turn of the 19th century, golf tees were made from wet sand that golfers molded from boxes placed around the course.
The golfers would use their hands to craft a reverse cone from the sand. Then, they would take the cone, put it on the ground, and set their ball atop the makeshift tee.
The process was incredibly messy and uncomfortable, and frankly, it wasn’t that effective for players. The ball had to directly hit the center area of the club for the golfer to achieve maximum distance.
In 1899, a dentist named Dr. George Grant, an avid golfer invented the first wooden golf tee. Dr. Grant later patented the idea but never claimed the riches that potentially awaited him as he only wanted golf tees for his personal use.
Another dentist, named William Lowell, came along 20 years later and invented what became known as the Reddy Tee.
Lowell’s update of Grant’s original idea took off nationally, and millions of recreational golfers became infatuated with the new form of teeing off.
Golfers around the United States use roughly two billion golf tees.
Basics of Golf Tees
A golf tee has three important sections to help the golfer tee up the golf ball. Each plays a vital part in ensuring the golfer has the ball level and without obstruction to create smooth contact.
The top area is known as the “cup.” Wooden tees use rounded depressed disc-like holding areas that “cup” the ball and allow it to hold in the air.
Plastic tees are different as they use prongs to support the golf ball. They use three-and four-prong designs to ensure the golfer can cleanly hit the ball.
The second part is the shaft. Different types of tees have differing lengths for use with drivers and irons. Longer golf tees are built to use with oversized drivers, while shorter ones are made for use with fairway woods and irons.
The third part is the tip that is pointed to easily enter the ground. Since the soil of golf tee boxes can harden in the summer, when rain is scarce, the tip needs to be sharp to comfortably enter the turf.
Golf Tee Lengths
There are several lengths that manufacturers use to mold their golf tees. Each height has a specific use on the course.
For example, any longer tee over 3 inches is sculpted precisely for oversized drivers.
Since most professionals want at least half the golf ball over the top edge of the driver’s head, a longer golf tee is vital for producing the proper height.
Tees measuring 1.5 inches and 2.125 inches are made for hybrids, fairway woods, and irons. These tees are designed to get the ball slightly off the ground for clean contact.
Other tee sizes are made for use with drivers. A standard golf tee is usually 2.75 inches and is made for some large-headed fairway woods, mainly for smaller drivers.
Tees that reach 3.25 inches and 4 inches are explicitly made for 460cc drivers that are considered oversized.
Materials Used for Golf Tee Construction
Bamboo
Made from bamboo trees, these tees are the strongest wooden tee that you can add to your bag. A terrific value due to their durability, bamboo tees also don’t mark the bottom of your clubs like painted and plastic tees.
Wood
Traditional wood tees are easily the cheapest tee on the market and break easily and, if painted, can mark the bottom of your clubs. Traditional wood tees aren’t as durable as bamboo or plastic golf tees and need to be replaced more often than those alternatives.
Plastic
In terms of durability, plastic golf tees are hard to beat. With exceptional strength and sturdiness, plastic tees are great for golfers who like to save money without sacrificing performance. Plastic tees also offer multiple-prong tips that keep the ball stable for clean contact.
Rubber
Rubber tees are routinely used in hitting mats on practice ranges. Since they are easy and inexpensive to replace, the rubber tees are embedded into the mats, mainly because they can take a pounding and not lose their shape.
Standard
Standard tees measure around three inches and do not offer much colorful design. These wooden tees are used primarily for irons and smaller woods. Oversized drivers have trouble with standard tees and typically work better with elongated tees measuring four inches.
Styles of Golf Tees
Standard
A standard tee, made from wood or plastic, has the traditional look and design of what golfers widely consider to fit the mold of a tee.
The standard tee measures around 2.75 inches and offer either a depressed wooden disc or prong to hold the golf ball, along with a shaft and pointed tip.
Tees measure from under 2 inches for fairway woods, hybrids, and irons to around 4 inches for oversized drivers.
Anti-Slice
Golf tee manufacturers have created anti-slice tees for golfers who struggle with slicing. While they aren’t USGA legal, anti-slice tees are popular for casual play among high handicappers and beginning golfers who want to hit straight shots from the tee box.
Anti-slice tees have a flap along the tee’s crown that covers about a quarter of the golf ball and prevent side spin that creates a slice. Most anti-slice tees are made from plastic because it is easier to create a mold for mass production.
Brush
Brush tees use bristles as you see on a toothbrush to hold the golf ball. These modern innovations provide consistent tee height that reduces the obstacle and friction that wooden tees create.
Brush tees have a plastic foundation where the bristles are attached. The foundation also rests flush against the ground for even tee height with every use.
While brush tee manufacturers suggest that these tees increase distance, there is little evidence that the theory is true.
Zero Friction
Zero friction tees, made from plastic, claim to add up to five yards of distance with every drive. The reasoning behind this claim is that the tees reduce the amount of friction that regular tees produce.
These tees are typically designed with multiple prongs to lift the golf ball for crisp, clean contact with the hitting area of the club. Zero friction tees come in all the same sizes as standard wooden tees.
Questions & Answers
What golf tees do pro golfers use on the course?
Pro golfers use 4-inch tees with their drivers because they want more height on the golf ball. For iron shots off the tee box, say on par 3s, they will use a shorter tee that measures around two inches.
Wood tees are the choice of most professionals because of their strength and ability to enter the soil quickly. Painted tees tend to leave marks on the sole of drivers and irons, so you typically will not see pros use these types of tees.
Since professional golfers tee up every shot to provide clean contact with the golf ball, they go through dozens of tees per tournament.
Compared to wooden and plastic, are bamboo golf tees better?
Bamboo tees are lighter but stronger than traditional wood tees, making them a terrific value for golfers who frequently play.
While they might not hold the ball differently than plastic or traditional wood tee, a bamboo golf tee provides exceptional value and durability.
Another benefit of bamboo tees is that they won’t leave marks on your club. Plastic or colored wooden tees can leave streaks on the soles of woods and irons, leaving damage that’s hard to remove.
Do golf tees matter?
Yes, golf tees matter very much to golfers looking to improve their game and lower their scores. A tee allows the golfer to hit the golf ball cleanly, without impediment.
Clean contact enables the grooves to and sweet spot of the club to generate the spin and accuracy that golfers need to attack the hole.
Tees also allow the golf ball to stand still and give the golfer a chance to place the ball in the ideal position to help focus and consistency. Aside from tees, it’s also essential to carry a divot repair tool to keep the grounds in premium shape.