So you've just got your mat and a net or impact screen set up....you grab you driver from the bag, pull the head cover off and get ready to send some bombs into your net. Then you realise that you haven't got a golf tee!
A golf tee is one of the essential items that you will need for your golf at home set up, especially if you are playing simulator golf on a long golf course.
In this article, we'll go through a number of golf tee options that are on the market today.
Broadly speaking, there are 2 types of golf tees when it comes to home set ups.
- Golf tees which sit up on top of the mat - these are your Birtees or Tomahawk Tee type product. They sit up on the mat itself and you prop your ball on top of it. These golf tees are more purpose built for home set ups and golf simulator play.
- Golf tees which are inserted through the mat - these are the more traditional type of rubber tees that you see at golf driving ranges. They are inserted from the bottom of the golf mat through pre-drilled holes on the mat.
Of course, there are golf mats which give you the option of inserting your golf tees directly into the artificial turf itself and you can basically use normal tees when you play or practice at home. One such example is our popular Tee Turf Golf Mat.
Now let's go through each type of product in more detail as well as pros and cons with each option.
Floating Golf Tees
What is it?
Floating Golf Tees are a really popular product that's been made specifically for golf simulators. There is a taller tee and a shorter tee and they both sit on top of the golf mat to provide 3 different tee heights
- Driver - 42-45mm with the longer tee
- Woods - 12mm with the shorter tee
- Irons - 7mm with the shorter tee placed in the opposite direction
These tees are very lightweight and durable.
Pros
- 3 different tee heights - catering for driver, woods and irons. However tee height is fixed at 42mm for drivers which may not suit everyone. You can however stack multiple tees together if you want to tee the ball up higher.
- No need to drill holes - not every golf mat comes with pre-drilled holes, so having the golf tee floating on the mat may be your only option.
- Skytrak compatible - if you have a skytrak or a similar photo based launch monitor where the 'hitting zone' is pretty small, then being able to quickly place and remove the tee precisely on the 'red laser dot' becomes very important. Using a rubber tee which you have to insert through the bottom of the mat will be very cumbersome.
Cons
- They are not cheap - expect to pay over $30 AUD for a pack of 9 tees (3 driver tees and 6 shorter tees). We also have a 6 pack floating tee product for $20.
Another popular product in this category are the Birtees. They do offer various tee heights (8 in total), but are even more expensive. Also these golf tees are not readily available domestically in Australia.
Rubber Tees
What is it?
These are your garden variety rubber tees that you see at driving ranges. Insert them through pre-drilled holes on your mat, pop the ball up and send it.
In terms of pros and cons, they are almost the opposite to the floating type tees.
Pros
- Much cheaper - a pack of rubber tees of different heights can be bought for less than $10.
- They won't fly away - as they are attached to your golf mat, these tees won't fly away after each shot which is also pretty neat.
Cons
- Pre-drilled holes are required
- Not easy to insert and remove - this can be quite annoying if you are using a photo based launch monitor like a Skytrak where the 'hitting zone' is small.
Rubber Tee Holders
What is it?
These tee holders work similarly to rubber tees, however, they are made to be much shorter than a rubber tee and you insert your own tee into it to get the tee height that you prefer.
Although it's designed to be inserted into a golf mat, you can also sit it on top the mat and it will work just like a tomahawk tee. It's 38mm compared to the tomahawk tee which is 42mm.
If you prefer to have a higher tee height, you can just insert a short tee into the holder and really give it a rip.
Pros
- They are much cheaper - we currently sell them as a 3 pack for $15.
- Pre-drilled holes not necessary - you can either insert them into pre-drilled holes or you can just sit it on the mat, it can work either way.
- Adjustable driver tee height - insert your own tee and get the tee height you prefer
- Easy to place/remove - if you have it sitting on the mat
Cons
- Can be used for irons / woods but it needs to be inserted into a mat. You can either insert a short tee or depending on the thickness of your mat, the top of the tee holder may already be at the perfect height.
Final Thoughts
So here are some of the popular options when it comes to golf tees for your home set up or simulators. Each product will have its pros and cons and your purchasing decision will be dependent on your individual needs.
The good news is that we offer both a rubber tee holder as well as a floating tee option so we've got your needs covered!
Tee it high and let it fly!
What golf tees do you use? We'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us, we would be grateful for your feedback!