You've probably been using wooden and plastic tees as long as you've played golf as these are typically the standard when it comes to playing on a golf course. People usually have a big stash of them in their golf bag and pull whichever one out when teeing off. It's often an underestimated part of the game that can hugely impact shot trajectory and how clean your club hits the ball. Maybe you've thought about whether your golf tee really makes that much difference. Now might be the time to try our 100% bamboo tees and throw those unsustainable plastic tees in the recycling bin. This article will explore why bamboo is the future and why we think you'll never go back to plastic or wooden golf tees again.
The Variety Of Golf Tees
With a massive variety of tee types and sizes, it's tempting to grab whatever they stock at your golf club and tee off with them. There are many options which affect how your shot connects to the ball, your play, and the environmental impacts each one has. So what are the main golf tee options?
Plastic Tees
A popular option is plastic tees. Plastic golf tees are often strong and bright coloured, making them easy to find in the turf and long-lasting. The colours in golf tees have a meaning and are related to the height of the tee, from 25mm to 70mm. In theory, longer tees allow the golfer to hit the ball in a more upward trajectory to achieve a longer distance, but each player decides which tee high is best for each shot.
However, plastic tees are prone to bending and take thousands of years to break down in the environment. When you're constantly losing tees and leaving them on golf courses, this can cause a significant environmental impact. Plastic tees are the least sustainable option out there, which is why here at The Bigger Ball, we recommend staying away from plastic tees.
Wooden Tees
Wooden tees, not to be confused with bamboo tees, are typically made from cedar wood. Wooden tees are often the choice of most professional golfers, as they're strong and easy to get into the ground in the colder seasons. However, when the club hits the wooden tee, the impact usually snaps it forcing you to leave it there as a one-time-use product, so you'll go through them faster than with other tees which doesn’t make them very durable. Wooden tees are biodegradable but an estimated 270,000 trees are cut down per year to produce them.
Bamboo Tees
A new emerging option is bamboo tees. More and more people are switching to bamboo tees for various reasons. They are robust, flexible and can take a lot of shots before breaking. This means you'll often find that the tee lasts the whole round of golf or two, which is very rare with wooden and plastic tees. This will save you from spending more money, and you'll find that a 20 tee box will last a very long time, and they are colour coded too. Most importantly, the bamboo tees are biodegradable which means you’re not ruining the environment when golf tees get lost.
Why Are Bamboo Tees The Best Option?
Bamboo is quickly becoming the golfer's favourite, and the more people that try it don't look back. Playing a round of golf with a bamboo tee over a wooden or plastic tee will show you all the reasons why it's the best option.
Firstly, bamboo is exceptionally sturdy but also has the required flexibility for a long game. This combination means the tee won't snap if the club catches it, which often happens with wooden tees.
Another reason is that bamboo grows quickly. Unlike trees, which take years to achieve maturity, bamboo needs three to six months. Wood is biodegradable; however, it cannot be harvested sustainably. Bamboo may be cultivated primarily for use in manufacturing everyday products, collected ethically, and harvested without inflicting harm to the surrounding ecology.
Did you know that every single plastic tee that has ever been made is still in existence? A bamboo golf tee will biodegrade shortly after being tossed within 3-4 months. Although the bamboo won't completely disintegrate for a few years, it's still vastly better than wooden and plastic tees. This is a massive way that golf can become more green. Through being more sustainable, we can preserve the beautiful courses we play on and continue to play great golf without destroying the planet.
At The Bigger Ball, we focus on supplying quality 100% bamboo tees from sustainable sources. Your one-stop shop for a more sustainable golf game. We offer all our tees in various sizes, so depending on your golf swing and favourite size, we've got you covered.