The 11 Best Golf Tees – Which Fits Your Style?

Striking a ball resting on the turf has its challenges and leaves barely any room for error. Having the ball set higher on golf tees makes life a lot easier, especially with your driver.

It almost permits you to cheat a little, legitimately, of course. Using the best golf tee will give you an advantage off the tee box. By current estimations, there are 2 billion golf tees used in the U.S. market each season!

In this golf tees review, we have a closer look at the best golf tees for 2023.

Are Longer or Shorter Golf Tees Better?

As per the rules, a golf tee size may not exceed 4 inches in length. Most tees vary in length between 2 ¼ inches and a maximum of 4 inches. The most commonly used length is 2 ¾ inches.

Ultimately the length of the tee that you play is up to personal preference and style of play. Long golf tees generally produce more distance, and shorter tees are the best golf tees for drivers.

Why You Should Trust Us

Golfspan is independent and not pressured by manufacturers to recommend products. We were not paid for the reviews in this article. Our team has over 100 years of golf experience, has spent thousands of hours reviewing golf equipment, and has hand-picked these tees. We may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase something through our retail links.

Read More: Best Golf Clubs for Intermediate Female Players

Reviews of the Best Golf Tees

1. Pride Professional Tee System – Best Wooden Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• Low-resistance tip for less friction makes it easy to push the tees into the ground
• Different tee lengths linked to different clubs
• Comes as wood or plastic tees
• 100% Natural hardwood
• Leading choice on the PGA Tour
• Consistent height

Cons:

• Wooden versions of the tees break easily
• Possible to transfer white paint onto clubs

The Pride PTS (Professional Tee System) is a proprietary color-coded tee system whereby you can easily identify the length of the tee and match it up with the club that you are using.

Pride claims that the Pride Professional tees are employed by more professionals than any other tee. This has not been impartially authenticated, but it would not amaze us considering the consistency and excellence of these tees.

The PTS premium golf tees come in classic white plastic and standard hardwood in the wood color. There are 5 lengths for different applications, but it is up to your individual choice to select the clubs you want to link to every length.

The first three lengths are aimed at drivers, the fourth at fairway woods and long irons, and the fifth are for hybrids and the shorter clubs in your bag.

• The first and longest tee measures 4 inches and is ideally suited for drivers with large 460 cc heads. This will provide extra distance when teeing the ball up so much higher.
• Secondly, a 2 ¼ inch tee is more appropriate for medium-sized drivers in the 400-cc range.
• Thirdly, there is a 2 ¾ inch tee for small-headed drivers.
• Fourthly, there is a 2 ¼ inch suited for fairway woods, hybrids, and longer irons.
• Lastly, there is the 1 ½ inch tee more specialized for hybrids and irons.

There is an exclusive color system connected to the various lengths, and it will be straightforward to identify the depth that you have to drive each tee into the turf. To make it more cost-efficient, you can buy small quantities of the various lengths to offer a range of tees for the different clubs.

In our estimation, these are the best wooden golf tees.

2. Flight Path Golf Tees – Best Premium Golf Tee

View on Amazon

SAVE 40% OFF AT FLIGHT PATH’S SITE

Pros:

• Unique diamond design
• Smart Arrow Guidance System
• Robust durability
• Reduced frictional resistance
• Compatible with all clubs

Cons:

• Initial adjustment required
• Pricier than traditional tees

FlightPath golf tees are rapidly emerging as top contenders in the golf accessory market. Conforming to the USGA Rules of Golf, these tees are not only tournament-legal but are also engineered with precision to ensure golfers gain an edge in their game.

Constructed from high-grade polycarbonate, these tees promise lasting durability, even outlasting the conventional wooden tees by a significant margin. Their unique diamond design ensures that they won’t harm the base of your woods or irons, making them safe for all your clubs.

A standout feature of the FlightPath tees is the Smart Arrow Guidance System. This novel addition acts as a physical alignment aid, aiming to refine a golfer’s precision and consistency with each swing. Moreover, the 10-degree angled launch platform paired with its design significantly reduces frictional resistance, which laboratory tests have indicated could lead to straighter and potentially longer drives compared to average wooden tees.

In my testing, teeing up was straightforward, and the tee’s durability was evident, as it remained intact despite multiple powerful swings. When I positioned it at an angle, the ball came off the tee with noticeably less spin. They are more expensive than wooden tees, but can add an extra element to my game.

Considering their design and the enhanced features they bring to the table, these tees are particularly suitable for golfers keen on optimizing their drive and achieving consistent results on the green.

3. Martini Step-Up Golf Tees 3¼ inch – Best Golf Tees for Seniors

View on Amazon

Pros:

• Good ball support
• Versatile tees
• Simple yet effective
• Bright colors
• Fairly durable

Cons:

• Not the greatest value for money

The Martini tees are some of the best plastic golf tees right now. They are made at a manufacturing plant is based in Michigan, USA, and conform to the USGA Rules of Golf making it legal for tournament use in competitions run under the USGA Rules of Golf.

The tees are manufactured from a polymer blend, making them practically indestructible golf tees, and they will almost certainly outlive wooden tees by a considerable time.

The design of the Martini tees makes them safe for use by all clubs as they will not damage the base of your woods and irons.

Martini Step-up tees feature a large cup design that tilts towards the target, reducing the clubhead resistance by up to 20% at impact. These tees have been independently proven in laboratory tests to result in longer and straighter drives compared to the average wood tees. 

Each pack includes 5 identical tees of 3 ¼ inches in length which are marked for consistent depth on the tee box.

Given the increased cup size surface area, we feel that they are the best golf tees for seniors on this list.

4. Four More Yards Golf Tees – Best Long Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• Excellent longevity
• Less friction yields less spin off the tee
• Assorted sizes available
• Increased control through the reduced spin
• The best option for large-headed drivers
• Color bar designates tee length
• Consistent height of the tee

Cons:

• Expensive unit cost
• Problematic to press into the ground
• Tricky to find if they bounce out of the ground

Four More Yards are plastic golf tees with an elastomer crown and have a flexible six-prong top that is intended to flex at impact. This lowers friction for more accurate drives that travel like the name indicates “4 Yards More.”

The elastomer crown flexes at impact to reduce resistance, and the polymer stake grips the turf for extra stability. This is also the only tee that has been proven by robots to increase distance.

The six-prong top reduces friction compared with the basic design of a hollowed-out tee top. The combination of materials and the flexible form allows the manufacturer to guarantee a minimum of 100 shots off the same tee without it breaking. This is good for your budget and the environment.

It is available in 1 ½ inch, 2 ¾ inch, and 3 ¼ inch lengths. The longer tees are ideal for drivers and fairway woods, while the shorter tees are more appropriate for hybrids and irons. Ideal tee height is consistently attained by using a solid color on the bottom of the tee.

The soft top creates some struggle to push the tee into harder turf and is not easy to track once it has bounced off the turf. A positive point is that the ball is more likely to stay unmoved by windy circumstances when you tee it up.

White is the primary color for the 4 More Yards tees. 

5. Wedge Guys PGA-Approved Professional Bamboo Golf Tees – Best Bamboo Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• 2-3/4-inch tee that is compatible with all shots off the tee box
• Biodegradable to make a positive impact on the Earth
• Bamboo is stronger and longer lasting than other materials
• 100% money-back guarantee for 30 days

Cons:

• Tends to fly more after impact so it might be hard to find
• A tad expensive
• Typical design

The Wedge Guys have made one of the best bamboo golf tees on the market, and they are delivering incredible value.

Bamboo tees have become a staple for many golfers because they do not break as easily as other materials. Another incredible feature of these tees is that they are biodegradable.

Some golfers still have yet to try out bamboo golf tees which is a real shame. Their longevity could help save you money and it feels pretty great to help the environment while doing so.

A great way to do this would be to check out these Wedge Guys tees.

Go ahead and click the link to see why these cool golf tees have a great rating on Amazon and positive reviews!

6. Green Swing Bamboo Golf Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• Consistent tee height
• Durability
• Tees penetrate the turf effortlessly

Cons:

• Lines on side push below the surface so add no value

Green Swing Bamboo golf tees deviates from the standard tee materials of wood and plastic by using strong, sustainable, and biodegradable bamboo.

These tees are very versatile and solid. While they don’t claim to help you hit the ball farther, straighter, or better, they are still some of the best wood golf tees around. They have plenty of size options too. 

These tees are available in seven different sizes with the step portion below ground level when teed up.

• 6 x 25mm (0.98 inch) Castle Tees (5mm + 20mm step)
• 6 x 32mm (1.25 inch) Castle Tees (12mm + 20mm step)
• 6 x 38mm (1.5 inch) Castle Tees (18mm + 20mm step)
• 6 x 45mm (1.77 inch) Castle Tess (25mm + 20mm step)
• 6x 50mm(1.97 inch) Castle Tees (30mm + 20mm step)
• 6 x 60mm (2.36 inch) Castle Tees (40mm + 20mm step)
• 6 x 70mm (2.75 inch) Castle Tees (50mm + 20mm step) 

7. Zero Friction Tour 3-Prong Golf Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• Great colors
• Various lengths
• Bonus Zero Friction item in every package
• A proven winner on the PGA tour

Cons:

• Some found them hard to balance the ball on

This is one of the best-performing tees in the game of golf and has been the top-performing tee on the PGA Tour since 2005. It has led golfers to 70 Tour wins and over 320 top 10 finishes. It has also been proven to add a couple of yards onto tee shots and improve preciseness for all golfers.

The Zero Friction Tour 3-prong tees are made with bio-composite materials and are based on the basic design with three pillars for reduced resistance on the golf ball. With the reduction in the number of contact points on the golf ball, the Zero Restriction design aids golfers in being longer and straighter off the tee.

It is not only on the technical side that it stands out though. The Tour 3-prong is available in many colors and lengths of 1 inch, 2 ¾ inches, and 3 ¼ inches.

As a windfall, the manufacturers have included a bonus Zero Friction item in every package. So if you’re looking for the best golf tees for distance, the Zero Friction Tour 3-prong tees are among the top golf tees on the market.

8. Maxfli Low Resistance Golf Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• 4 prong head helps to increase distance
• Tough to break
• High visible colors
• Mixed sizes
• Markings for consistent height

Cons:

• Cheap appearance

With one more prong than the Zero Friction tees, the plastic Maxfli tees also minimize the amount of material in contact with the ball to simultaneously decrease spin and increase distance. However, their sizes differ a little.

Rather than choosing a specific size, the Maxfli golf tees come in two sizes. The first is large 3 ¼” tees, of which there are 40 in the pack. And as for the remaining 10 tees, these are smaller 1 ½” tees ideal for shorter clubs. The markings of the large tees also differ from those of Zero Friction. With 3 marks instead of 2, you can easily set your tee for low, mid, or high launch.

One of the more subjective qualities of these golf tees is the colors. They come in an assortment of bright blue, green, yellow, and orange, making them easy to spot. While this is advantageous, we can’t help but feel that they look a little cheap due to the translucent plastic.

So in our opinion, the Maxfli tees deliver in terms of performance, but we don’t feel that they’ll be winning any awards regarding aesthetics.

9. CHAMPKEY Premium Golf Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• 5 prong head minimizes friction and increases distance
• Available in two lengths
• Strong and long-lasting
• Individually marked for specific club use
• 100% satisfaction guarantee

Cons:

• Green tees are easy to lose

If you’re in the market for plastic tees, then the 75-pack by CHAMPKEY could be an excellent option. They feature a 5-prong head to minimize the amount of the tee in contact with the ball. This helps improve distance and reduces the likeliness of those dreaded slices!

The tees are available in two lengths, 2 ¾” and 3 ¼”. They also feature a highly visible marking system to make it easy for you to achieve a consistent height every time. There are three marks in total: one for irons and hybrids, another for drivers under 360CC, and a final mark for drivers over 360CC.

One of the benefits of purchasing plastic tees is their longevity, yet CHAMPKEY takes this one step further. They offer 100% satisfaction when you purchase, so if the tees don’t meet your expectations, you can get your money back.

10. SAPLIZE Golf Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• 4 prong head helps to increase distance
• Variety of size choices
• Markings for consistent height
• Non-toxic
• Bright colors easy to spot
• Inexpensive
• Satisfaction guarantee

Cons:

• Rounded tips are harder to dig into the ground

The SAPLIZE golf tees are one of the more affordable options that don’t sacrifice quality. They come in various lengths and quantities, so you can easily select exactly what you need. These lengths are 3 ¼”, 2 ¾”, and 1 ½”.

The heads use 4 prongs which offer a nice balance between stability and spin reduction, and all of the larger tees have 3 markings to aid you in achieving consistent ball height. As they are made from plastic, you can be assured that they will last for a long time, and given their bright colors, they are hard to lose.

We really like that they are non-toxic, which is more eco-friendly than many other models. Because while it is tough to lose track of these bright tees, we know that a rogue tee could get lost here and there.

We don’t really have much to say about drawbacks to the SAPLIZE tees, as they are great all-around options. However, one quality we noticed is that the tips are more rounded compared with the others we looked at. This makes them a little tougher to push into the ground.

11. Callaway Par-Tees Golf Tees

View on Amazon

Pros:

• Made by a reputable golf brand
• Rubber top reduces spin
• Sharp tips for easy application
• Very strong

Cons:

• Tacky web address printed along the shaft
• Only 10 tees per pack
• No markers for consistent height
• Pricey

While the Callaway Par-Tee golf tees are a little more expensive than some of the other options, there is certainly merit in picking up a pack. Available as a pack of 10, you don’t get very many tees. However, given they are near unbreakable, you really don’t need that many.

They sport a co-molded plastic base and a rubber-cupped top. This rubber top helps to reduce spin at launch, giving you a greater overall distance. The tips are also sharpened, making them easy to embed into the ground.

Unfortunately, these tees have their drawbacks. The first and most glaring are the web addresses printed along the shaft. They make the tees look very tacky and ruin what would otherwise be a great-looking tee.

The second issue is that no markings help you achieve a consistent height. Instead, you have to eyeball it, which is never a good idea. The Callaway tees measure 3 ¼” long, making them a great choice for anything up to a 460CC driver head.

What To Consider When Selecting A Golf Tee

The simple structure of the tee should let you insert it into the turf with little effort and have a head that will hold the ball and prevent it from falling off. The concave-shaped head is the most frequently employed form. This basic shape comes in a variety of colors and materials.

Producers of top golf tees devote significant sums to creating a product that will provide golfers with an advantage by using a range of materials and adaptations of the basic shape.

Benefits achieved through these adaptations are tees that fight your slice, reduce friction, and use biodegradable materials that protect the environment.

When using a driver, you must use a tee to strike the ball while the driver is on the up to achieve more height and distance. When playing irons off the tee, the raised ball position creates a better prospect for a clean strike and diminishes the odds of a thin or fat strike.

Most golfers take the tee for granted and pay little interest in the tee they use. On some short holes, many golfers tend to look for broken tees lying around to use rather than using one that is still of full size.

By paying more interest in and selecting good golf tees, you can gain extra distance off the tee, possibly better accuracy, and reduce your score.

Golf Tee Color

As you have probably seen, golf tees come in a range of colors with white and wood being the most common. There are only two advantages to picking a good golf tee color. The first is that some tees have markings on them that show you how far to press them into the ground, ensuring you have them at the optimal height.

The second advantage is that certain colors are easier to spot than others. So if you want your pack of tees to last for as long as possible, we recommend choosing your color wisely as tees are very easy to lose.

What Materials Are Best In A Golf Tee?

There are many types of golf tees, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are the main ones you will come across:

Wooden Tees

Wooden tees are the most-used tees by all levels of golfers as they can be shaped and personalized to your preference and are biodegradable. Adding paint and other personalization marks to a wooden tee are simple. Wooden tees are also more affordable, making them the best golf tees for beginners.

Bamboo Tees

The use of bamboo is turning out to be enormously popular in several fields such as building and construction. It is no surprise that they are growing in popularity for golf tees as they are tougher and thus outlast wooden tees. Bamboo is also straightforward to grow and harvest while it is exceptionally eco-friendly and less costly than wooden tees. Once bamboo tees become more acceptable, they will become the best tees for golf due to their environmentally friendly impact.

Plastic Tees

The use of plastic to produce new golf tees has become popular even though it is not eco-friendly and takes decades to break down. The major benefit of plastic tees is that they reduce the friction at impact with the ball and don’t break easily but instead bend under stress. A common subset of plastic golf tees are step tees. These have a much thinner base and always keep a consistent height making them among the best golf tees for high handicappers. 

Rubber Tees

The use of rubber tees is largely restricted to driving ranges or areas where you will find tee mats, and they will not fit for use on the golf course.

Standard Tees

The standard tee is the most widely used tee by golfers of all levels, including professional golfers, and is mostly produced from wood ranging from 2 ¼ inches to 4 inches. They are basic in shape and performance and you can legally use them in competitions.

Anti-Slice Tees

The biggest fault in a golfer’s swing, especially beginners, is the slice where the ball starts straight and bends sharply to the right. This is amplified when using a driver off the tee and results in a loss of distance.

Manufacturers have taken on the challenge of producing a tee to counter the slice to an extent. This resulted in a standard tee and features a cup at the back which supports the ball. When you make contact between the club and the flap, it reduces the sidespin that causes the slice quite dramatically. This is not permitted for competition play.

Brush Tees

Brush tees are made with a plastic base of various heights and colors and topped with soft bristles that are strong enough to keep the ball atop. These bristles cause a huge reduction in friction at contact and an increase in distance. As such, these are often top-rated golf tees.

Zero Friction Tees

These tees are remarkably similar in shape to standard tees, with the main difference being that the top has between 3 and 6 columns that the ball lies on. This lessens the contact area with the ball and results in less friction and more distance.

FAQs

What Are the Best Golf Tees?

Pride Golf tees have long reigned as the top dog in the industry and we don’t see that changing any time soon. High quality, well-engineered, and color-coded for easy identification, it’s got everything you’d want when looking for tees.

What Are the Most Popular Golf Tees?

Wood golf tees remain popular with golfers due to the ease at which they penetrate the turf, and their adjustability once teed up.

Although they break easier than plastic golf tees, they remain more affordable.

What Golf Tees Do the Pros Use?

Most pro golfers use wood tees. Pride claims professionals use their golf tees more than any other brand.  

At every professional tournament, the sponsors provide thousands of tees branded with the sponsor logo and/or the tour logo. These are made available to professionals and they make good use of them. Caddies generally grab a handful of tees before they go to the practice area or before they go to the tee box.

Do Golf Tees Really Make a Difference? 

The height of your golf tee plays an instrumental role in the distance you get when hitting your driver. When teeing it up low, the impact tends to be before or on the lowest point of the driver swing. This causes more spin, and the ball keeps lower to the ground. 

Although this may be ideal when playing into the wind, it does not optimize distance on a calm day or when the wind is from behind.

Teeing the ball higher allows you to make contact when the driver is on the upswing after bottoming out. This optimizes the amount of spin at impact and during the flight.

Golfers often neglect par 3s, and they don’t tee the ball up. Instead, they place it on the grass or make a higher point by hitting the club into the ground. The real reason professional golfers tee the ball up on par 3s is to minimize the amount of grass or dirt that can become trapped between the clubface and the golf ball.

In these cases, the tee ensures that the contact is pure and makes a difference.

Be aware that if you tee the ball up too high, the impact will be high on the clubface, which will almost certainly rob you of distance.

Are Wooden Tees Better Than Plastic Tees? 

Even the best wooden tees tend to break easier than plastic tees, however, they are more environmentally friendly. They are also stronger than plastic tees; hence it is easier to penetrate the ground with a wooden tee.

On the negative side, painted wooden tees can leave marks on your clubs. However, you can easily remove these marks by cleaning your club.

Plastic tees are more durable as they tend to bend rather than break so you end up using fewer tees. However, they cost more, and once lost, they take decades to disintegrate. 

Technology has developed to an extent where manufacturers can reduce the friction when hitting the golf ball off a plastic tee.

What Tee Length Do Pros Use?

Former world number 1, Rory McIlroy, prefers to tee the golf ball up high to enable him to secure impact during the upswing for more distance. However, Tiger Woods prefers to lower the golf ball for increased accuracy but he can still hit the ball prodigious distances.

When playing under stress or when the driver is not working well, I tee the golf ball lower, but under normal circumstances, I generally use the longest tee I can find, often the 3 ¼ inch length. On occasion, I have used tees as long as 4-inch Pride Tee (the green tee).

Read more: What size tee should you use? We answered this question in detail.

Do Anti-Slice Golf Tees Work? 

Some tee manufacturers claim that they have produced anti-slice tees. These tees generally reduce the friction between the golf ball and the tee, reducing the spin. 

The lower spin will prevent the ball from slicing thereby helping you to hit the ball straighter. 

However, a better way to deal with a slice is to practice and fix your swing causing the dreaded slice.

Does Tee Height Affect Driving Distance?

The height you tee your golf ball up for a driver can make a significant difference in the distance you hit your drive. 

Theoretically, non-friction tees could provide the best distance. However, 4 Yards More may well be optimal. These tees have a flexible six-prong top to flex at impact, thus lowering friction.

How Do I Know Which Tees I Should Play? 

If your contact point is consistently high on the clubface, you should tee the ball lower to promote contact in the sweet spot. Conversely, if the impact zone is generally too low, you need to tee the ball up higher.

Find the right height from ground level to the most appropriate impact zone, and add ½ inch as that is the distance for most golfers. 

How Much Distance Does a Tee Add?

When hitting an iron off a tee rather than the turf, you will likely gain up to 5 yards above your normal distance.

Be aware though, that if you tee the ball too high, you may move the impact point too high and lose distance.

Using a longer tee for your driver can add up to 15 yards due to the lower spin and higher launch angle.

Should I Always Use a Golf Tee?

You don’t have to use a golf tee for your tee shot, but it is certainly recommended as there are no disadvantages if you use them properly. Tees help to elevate the ball to the perfect height thereby increasing the chance of you making a clean connection with the ball.

Conclusion

Looking at the number of golf tees laying on the tee boxes, it is clear that we should consider the environmental effect when selecting tees. That being said, plastic tees do present less friction and thus more distance which is a distinct advantage. They are also more robust since they are less likely to break but rather bend when under a lot of pressure.

In our opinion and experience, the best golf tees are the Pride Professional Tees. They are the most flexible of the tees evaluated as they cover more lengths and clubs and reduce resistance. Their popularity, particularly with the pros, backs this up.

Related Articles

• Golf Terms Explained
• Best Amateur Golf Balls
• What Size Golf Tee Should I Use
• Gag Gifts for Golfers