In golfing times past, players would often use sand to tee up their golf ball. In fact, caddies would sometimes carry sand for their players and there would often be small piles of sand to use for teeing.
In more recent times, most golfers now use a specially designed tee peg to place their ball on. The first patent for a golf tee (a rubber plate that sat on the ground with prongs to hold the ball) dates from 1889. The first tee that went into the ground was patented in 1892 by a chap from Surrey called Percy Ellis.
Today, some people prefer a wooden tee, others favour bamboo or plastic, some favour the castle tee that makes sure the ball is a specific height above the ground.
Using a properly designed, conforming golf tee is surely the most appropriate way to peg up your ball but what’s the scenario if you don’t have any? Could you use some mud, sand or perhaps sawdust to create a tee for your golf ball?
For a start, you’re not allowed to tee up your ball anywhere but within the teeing area for a hole. You can’t create a little mound of earth on the fairway and balance your ball on it. That would be breaking Rule 8.1 – You would be improving the conditions affecting the stroke by altering the surface of the ground.
If you are teeing off, Rule 6.2b(2) says that the ball may be either played from the ground or from a tee placed within the teeing ground.
You don’t have to tee your ball up when it’s in the teeing ground. You can also, under 6.2b(3) – alter the surface of the ground in the teeing area, such as by making an indentation with a club or foot.
So, yes, you can create a little mud tee that raises the ball off the ground in the teeing area.
Rule 6.2b(2) also says that if you’re playing the ball from the ground (which is fine), that includes sand or other natural materials put in place to put the ball on.
You can then, tee your ball on sand, mud or sawdust if you happened to have some. All of those are natural materials and would be permitted for use by Rule 6.2b(2).
There are some regulations if you are using a proper tee. Equipment Rule 6.2 on tees says a tee must not: be longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm), be designed or manufactured in such a way that it could indicate line of play, unduly influence the movement of the ball or otherwise assist the player in making a stroke or in his play.
So you do have to be a little careful. If you stick with good old sand or mud, you’ll be fine!
