Tee Up
Tee up means placing the ball on a tee to play the tee shot.
Teeing up is only allowed on the teeing ground, and even there only within the marked tee box. You push the small peg tee into the ground and place the ball on top so that it hovers slightly above the grass. This makes a clean strike easier because you do not have to hit the ball out of the turf. Outside the teeing ground, teeing up is forbidden — there the rule is “play the ball as it lies”. The term is also used figuratively: anyone starting from a new situation has “teed up”, so to speak.
In practice the tee height decides the ball flight. For example: with the Driver you tee it high, roughly so that half the top of the ball sits above the crown of the club — this promotes an ascending strike and more distance. With the iron on a par 3, by contrast, you tee it only minimally, almost at ground level, because you want to strike the ball downwards as in a normal iron shot. Teed too high with the iron leads to thin shots, too low with the driver to balls that climb too steeply and come up short.
A typical mistake is letting care slip because the ball is “given” to you anyway. Even teed up, address, alignment and rhythm count just as much as with any other shot. Another fallacy: many believe the tee is compulsory. It is allowed but not required — some players hit directly off the ground of the tee box. You can find more about the tee-shot ritual under the term Teeing Up and under the Tee as equipment.
FAQ
How high should I tee the ball with the driver?
A good rule of thumb: half of the ball peeks above the top edge of your clubhead when the driver stands on the ground. This way you strike the ball slightly ascending and gain more distance. Teed too low the ball climbs too steeply and comes up short; teed too high the risk of a pop-up increases.
Am I allowed to tee the ball up on the fairway too?
No, teeing up is only allowed on the teeing ground within the marked tee markers. Everywhere else on the course the basic rule applies: play the ball as it lies. You can find details on the correct procedure under the term Teeing Up.
Is the tee actually compulsory on the tee shot?
No, the tee is allowed but not required — you may also play the ball directly from the ground of the teeing area. Some players use this in wind to keep the ball down, or when they play an iron off the tee. In practice, however, the small peg tee is taken almost always because it makes the strike easier.