Par 3 Tees - Do you Tee it up or hit off the grass?

[RussUK]

Tee it up every time. We all need a little help from time to time (me especially )

[bkuehn1952]

By my count, 8 generally do not use a tee and 15 generally use a tee or always use a tee.  A couple quoted what professionals suggest (use a tee) but did not indicate if they actually follow the advice.

There seems to be little professional advice to not use a tee.  It appears that most instructors suggest using a tee.  Obviously some pros do not use a tee so they might suggest following their example.

I recall reading an article in Golf Digest where the writer indicated that a teed iron did not go as far an iron struck from the turf, all other things being equal (i.e. angle of attack, swing speed, etc...).  His advice was to be aware of this and club up when appropriate.

[MacDutch]

Allways tee it up. If I need a high approach, there is space between the ball and the grass, if I hit an i7 or less  the tee sticks in the ground and the ball is touching the grass.

[No Mulligans]

Do the PGA tour players use a tee on par 3's?

I remember Angel Caberra not using a tee but he is the only one that comes to mind.  The announcers even pointed it out as being unusual.

[DaveP043]

35 minutes ago, No Mulligans said:

Do the PGA tour players use a tee on par 3's?

I remember Angel Caberra not using a tee but he is the only one that comes to mind.  The announcers even pointed it out as being unusual.

I also remember Laura Davies knocking up a little bit of turf to use as a tee pretty regularly, even when hitting a long iron off the teeing areas on a longer hole..

[Kalnoky]

Just now, DaveP043 said:

I also remember Laura Davies knocking up a little bit of turf to use as a tee pretty regularly, even when hitting a long iron off the teeing areas on a longer hole..

I met Laura Davies on Spring Break at a fried chicken restaurant in Palm Springs, CA 1997. True Story.

Anyhow, weren't the original "tees" just little mounds of sand?

I don't use a tee on Par-3's, it psychologically messes me up. I feel like hitting off the tees produces a very high shot. I'm not clear on whether teeing up affects ball position in my stance... maybe somebody can clarify.  

 

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, Kalnoky said:

Anyhow, weren't the original "tees" just little mounds of sand?

Originally, you were required to tee off within a club length of the hole you've just completed.  You'd take a bit of sand from the hole to use as a tee.  When the hole got too damaged, someone would establish a new hole position.  

[BristolGolf]

Tee it up - very low, with a red castle tee pushed in as far in as i can shove it, why make life harder? 

[Ernest Jones]

Tee. So low with irons that you can't tell its on a tee. About a 1/4" up with Hybrids.

I know lots of folks who tee their irons up as much as an inch. Never understood why you would want to have a completely different iron swing off the tee box...

[Patch]

I tee every ball up to start any hole. I find it hard enough as it is to find great lies in my game. Any time I can use a tee I do it. 

[RussUK]

17 minutes ago, Patch said:

I tee every ball up to start any hole. I find it hard enough as it is to find great lies in my game. Any time I can use a tee I do it. 

I play with a guy who hasnt been playing very long. He really struggles hitting off the deck with ANY club. When we play we tell him to just tee it up whenever and wherever he wants. keeps the speed up and gives him a chance to enjoy himself.

Its quite funny to see someone tee it up on the fairway and hit an approach with a driver!

[Fourputt]

I tee it low, no higher than the bottom of the ball just touching the tips of the grass, but always a tee.

[bkuehn1952]

A local course has a sign on the par 3 holes that says "Please Use a Tee on This Hole". Presumably, they think someone teeing up their ball will do less damage to the tee's turf.

I watched a group of players where English was not their first language hit their tee shots 100-120 yards on the 150 yard hole.  They teed up their 2nd shots, as well.  I suspect that may not have been the course's intent but it certainly followed the sign's advice.  I did not see what the did on the green.

[carpediem4300]

Used to tee it up but now i dont, its a mental thing for me, if its on a tee no matter how far pressed in it is I fail to hit down on it

[Groucho Valentine]

Rarely. I usually just drop the ball on the ground and push it around until i find a lie i like. If I'm using a hybrid i might tee it up slightly by fluffing some grass up. But if I'm hitting an iron, i want the ball on the ground. 

[RussUK]

Just now, Groucho Valentine said:

Rarely. I usually just drop the ball on the ground and push it around until i find a lie i like. If I'm using a hybrid i might tee it up slightly by fluffing some grass up. But if I'm hitting an iron, i want the ball on the ground. 

Do you just hit it as it is or do you thump your club into the ground to make a little mound?

[Zesty]

I do both. One time I tried teeing my ball up higher than normal and used my driver stance to sweep up into the ball at medium energy with my driver mechanics. I found that I could hit it straighter than my normal iron shot and there was less risk of hitting it fat. The "driver" shot has less spin than the full iron so I choose which style to use depending on what I want the ball to do at the green.

[shanksalot]

If you have the option to tee it up or not why would you not tee it up. Almost all the pros do and they are the best players in the world. I tee by ball very low off a tee, just the head sticking out. Tee it too high and you are liable to hit it high on the face and lose distance.