How Long Are Golf Tees? (What Length You Should Get)

The rules of golf allow the player to tee off. It’s a privilege that golfers can benefit from, provided they place the tees at the right height. And to achieve the right height, the player needs the right size tee.

Golf tees come in different lengths. A player’s choice of the tee size depends on how high they want to hit the ball and their personal preference. So, how long are golf tees generally?

Tees generally come in three sizes: 3.25 and 4 inches tees for drivers with large heads and 2.75 for irons and other clubs. There are even smaller-sized tees for fairway woods and hybrid clubs. With medium irons (6, 7, 8 iron), the ideal tee length is 2.75 inches or less. With short irons (9 iron, SW), the ideal tee length is 2.18 inches. For wood 3, a small tee of 1.5 inches works well to launch the ball into the grass.

Although tee lengths are explicitly designed for different clubs, this largely depends on the players’ personal preference. In addition, a too low tee can result in a bad shot because modern clubs favor an impact on the upper part of the face, and a high tee can lead to a too vertical shot.

Let’s discuss the science behind the tee height to help you understand the ideal tee length for you!

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How Long are Golf Tees?

The length of a tee used in a game of golf is generally expressed in inches. Three tee lengths are most commonly used: 3.25 and 4 inches for drivers with large heads and 2.75 for irons. The smaller tees, 1.5 and 2.18, are used for medium and short irons, fairway woods and hybrids.

Smaller-sized tees are specifically designed for clubs used to launch the ball just above the grass. In irons, the aim is to take the ball farther, not high, which requires the ball to be as close to the ground as possible. The club must brush the ground when hitting, and for that, you should use a small-sized tee. The same goes for fairway woods and hybrids.

Many golfers do not prefer to use tees with short irons and wedges (9 irons). However, if the tee secures you, do not hesitate to use it, provided you push it almost completely into the ground.

Despite the lengths specified for different clubs, choosing the tee size is a matter of preference. It depends on how high you want the ball above the ground for hitting a swing.

What Factors to Consider When Choosing Tee Length?

Depending on your level of play, the choice of ball trajectory, the desired effect, the distance of the shot, and the club choice, you can vary the tee’s length. On the other hand, some principles on the height of the tee are essential according to the club used.

The ideal length of the tee also depends on the player’s height. When your driver is resting on the ground, you want the ball’s center to be at the top of the clubface. This sets the ball right at the clubface sweet spot while swinging, giving you maximum distance.

However, many players buy a single-size tee instead of getting different lengths for different clubs. They can push the tees deeper into the ground and use them with their irons and hybrids. When using a 4 inches tee, we recommend buying a shorter tee for irons and hybrids. It might be difficult to push a 4 inches tee all the way into the ground to use with your short irons, wedges and hybrids.

What Does the Tee Color Represent?

The colors of tee bars on each tee represent the lengths a hole can be played. Golf courses color-coded the bars according to the golfer’s ability. The length of the starts, the complexity of the course, and the longer it takes to play.

Most golf courses use three tee sets designated by color: red, white and blue tees, referred to as front (red), middle (white) and back (blue) tees, respectively. Generally, the blue ones represent long starting bars and are used for official championships, while the red ones are used for club competitions and daily play. Red ones are also known as ladies’ tees, white as men’s tees and blue as champion’s tees.

The logical thing would be that, depending on the handicap, the players would start from specific tee colors. For example, it does not seem logical that a male player with a handicap 20 plays from the white tees or a female player with a handicap 36 plays from a red tee.

However, this is not a set standard, and a golf course can have two tee boxes on each hole. Today’s golfers can use white tees from anywhere on the teeing ground. They can combine any number of colors on a hole, from the front to the middle to the back. The reason for having different sets of tees on each hole is to provide options for golfers of varying skill levels.

Today the colors do not represent the players’ gender or age. Who should play a specific tee depends on their location. Do not consider a white tee as a regular men’s tee. Any golfer with a playing ability that best fits the length of the course from the white tees can play those tees, regardless of their gender and age.

Likewise, a golfer who finds the golf course easier for the front tees and difficult for the back tees can opt for middle tees, which means playing the course at its mid-length.

Today some clubs even label their tees on the theme of trees, such as oak, birch, maple, pine, etc. Some golf courses have even added more tees and changed colors to encourage golfers to play tees appropriate to their skill level. There are additional tees for seniors who do not hit the ball as far as they used to, regardless of their gender. In addition, there are more advanced tees for beginners. Thus, there are no fixed sets of tees in today’s modern golf courses.

Conclusion

Regardless of your age and gender, you are encouraged to play tees according to your level of play and club. A tee at the right height helps to hit the ball on the way up, guaranteeing a nice length. Therefore, the best is to spend some time at the driving range to test different tee heights with your driver, woods and irons to find the tee length that suits you best.