What Golf Tees Do PGA Players Use?

Ever peeked into a PGA Tour player's bag, past the gleaming irons and high-tech driver, and wondered about the humble tee? The truth is, most pros don’t have a multi-million dollar tee endorsement deal. Their choice is less about brand and more about precision and pure consistency. This article will break down exactly what types of tees populate the tour, from wood and plastic to specialty options, and explain the thought process behind their selections so you can apply the same logic to your own game.

The Surprising Reality of Tee Brands on Tour

Walk the range at any PGA Tour event, and you won’t find most players obsessing over a particular brand of tee. The primary reason is accessibility. The Tour provides large bags of standard wooden tees on the driving range and first tee for players to use, free of charge. The most common you'll see are from Pride Golf Tee, a company that has been a dominant supplier for decades. They manufacture the simple, standardized wooden tees that have become synonymous with the game.

So, if they're not focused on the brand stamped on the side, what are they focused on? The answer is consistency. When a pro finds a tee model they like, they stick with it. They don’t want to be switching between different materials or lengths from week to week. They buy them in bulk, not because of a sponsorship, but to eliminate one more variable in a game full of them. Their choice comes down to three main factors: material, length, and shape.

Wood vs. Plastic: The Enduring Debate

The "wood vs. plastic" argument is as old as time in the golf world, and pros fall on both sides. However, the vast majority lean towards the traditional choice.

The Case for Traditional Wood Tees

Most PGA Tour players stick with simple, painted wood tees. Here's why:

• Feel and Predictability: wood tees provide a consistent, clean break upon impact. A pro's swing is so fine-tuned that they can feel the difference in strike quality. A "soft" feel as the tee snaps is something they are completely used to.
• No Equipment Damage: Wood tees pose zero risk to the multi-thousand dollar mowers that manicure tour-level courses. While a durable plastic tee may not bother a standard mower, crews maintaining elite courses want to avoid any potential for blade damage.
• It's What They've Always Used: Like many of us, golfers are creatures of habit. They grew up playing with wood tees, and there’s no compelling performance reason to switch. Why change what isn't broken?

The Argument for Plastic and Alternative Tees

While less common, some pros do opt for plastic or composite tees. Bubba Watson has been known to use plastic tees, and you'll spot others with them from time to time.

• Durability: The main advantage is that one tee can last an entire round, or even several. This is more of a convenience for amateurs, as pros get free tees and a caddie to handle their supply.
• Consistency in Height: Many plastic tees feature "steps" or collars that set the tee to the same depth every time. For players who are hyper-focused on teeing the ball at an identical height, this can be an advantage.
• Claimed Performance Gains: some plastic models claim to reduce friction at impact for more ball speed, but we'll get into that a little later.

Ultimately, a pro's choice of material comes down to personal feel. The performance difference at their swing speeds is negligible. They simply want something reliable and repeatable.

Tee Length: The Most Important Variable on the Tee Box

Here’s the part that really matters. Far more important than the brand or material is the length of the tee, especially for the driver. Modern drivers have massive, 460cc heads, and to optimize their performance, the ball must be teed high. Striking the ball on the upswing with the top half of the clubface produces the ideal high-launch, low-spin formula for maximum distance.

Standard tee lengths usually fall into these categories:

• 2 ¾ inches: a traditional length, often too short for modern large-headed drivers.
• 3 ¼ inches: one of the most popular lengths on Tour and among avid golfers. It provides enough length to tee the ball high for a driver without being excessive.
• 4 inches: The longest legal length, used by players who want to tee the ball to the maximum height to encourage a launch angle that carries the ball a long way.

How to Find Your Perfect driver Tee Height (Like a Pro)

Tour players have their desired tee height dialed in to a fraction of an inch. You can do the same. This one drill will help you find more fairways and add distance.

1. Get Your Supplies: You’ll need a can of foot spray powder and a bucket of range balls. Lightly spray the face of your driver with the powder, this will act as a cheap and effective impact tracker.
2. Establish a Baseline: start by teeing up your ball so that half of it sits above the crown of your driver when you address it. This is a common starting point.
3. Hit 5-10 Shots: Swing a way! After each shot, look at the face of your driver. The ball will leave a clear circular mark in the powder, showing exactly where you made contact. Wipe the face clean between swings.
4. Analyze Your Impact: The ideal impact location for maximum distance is in the upper half of the face, leaning slightly toward the toe. Where are your marks??
   • If marks are low or in the center: Your tee is too low. Gradually tee it higher and repeat the process until your impacts are consistently in that upper-third sweet spot.
   • If marks are too high on the face or off the crown: Your tee is too high. This is called a "sky mark" and results in a weak pop-up. Lower the tee slightly and continue testing.
5. Mark Your Tee: Once you find a height that consistently produces high-center impacts, take a permanent marker and draw a line on your tees at the point where they meet the ground. Now you have a customized, repeatable system for perfect tee height every time.

Specialty, Friction-Reducing Tees: Hype or Help?

You’ve probably seen tees with bristles like a brush (Brush-T) or those with just a few prongs holding the ball (like the popular 4 Yards More tees). The theory is that by reducing the surface area contact between the tee and the a ball, you reduce friction at impact, leading to a small bump in ball speed and less sidespin.

Do pros use them?? Not frequently. At tour-level clubhead speeds (115+ mph), the tee's influence on the ball is almost nonexistent. The sheer force players generate overwhelms any minuscule friction the tee might provide. They don’t see a measurable benefit that would convince them to switch from their simple wooden pegs.

For amateur golfers with slower swing speeds, the benefit is also debatable but might be slightly more prounounced.. for some people,. the psychological confidence that comes from using a "high performance" tee can be as valuable as any real physical advantage. If you believe it helps, it probably will!

The Par 3 Decision: To Tee or Not to Tee?

When it comes to iron shots on par 3s, the answer is an overwhelming yes, pros use a tee. Tour players are obsessed with controlling variables, and using a tee guarantees a perfect lie. It elevates the ball just enough to ensure a pure strike without any grass or dirt interfering between the clubface and the ball.

You'll often see them push a standard tee almost all the way into the ground, or use the broken half of a tee from a previous hole. The goal isn't to get height, but simply to create perfection. It allows for precise control of the trajectory and the a spin. For the average golfer, this is one of the easiest habits to adopt from the pros. Always give yourself a perfect lie on a par 3 tee box, there's no good reason not to.

Final Thoughts

The tees PGA Tour players use are chosen not for fancy brands or miracle claims, but for uncompromising consistency. They find a simple wood or plastic tee in a length that optimizes their driver's performance, and they stick with it. It’s a masterclass in removing unnecessary variables from the game.

Just like finding the right tee height takes the guesswork out of your setup, having a clear strategy for every hole eliminates doubt when you’re standing over the ball. That's precisely why we built Caddie AI - to give you that same professional-level guidance right in your pocket. With Caddie AI, you can get instant advice on club selection, shot strategy, and how to handle any tough lie the course throws at you, letting you play with more confidence and make smarter decisions on every shot.