John LaFoy, ASGCA

We begin every round of golf from the teeing ground or tee. Evolving from a square box containing sand, tees have become a golf feature and can have a dramatic impact on a round of golf-whether good or bad.

One of the biggest complaints heard at country clubs and public courses alike is poor alignment of the tees. Certainly misalignment can be a distraction, even if golfers are capable enough of lining up a shot without the aid of the tee alignment.

Courses also frequently run into problems with their teeing surfaces due to excessive shade caused by overhanging or nearby trees. All varieties of grasses require ample sun, and so to have viable turf on tees, club members may have to consider some tree removal and pruning of the offending trees. My vote is usually for removal!

In addition to shade problems, many older tees are too small as well, offering practically no flexibility in moving the tees markers. They are susceptible to excessive wear and often are poorly built, with the top crowned, so as to shed water quickly, but often resulting in an otherwise adequate platform being reduced to a much smaller area in which golfers are comfortable teeing their ball.

In terms of tee locations, ladies may find them to be particularly lacking, as the ladies' tees are all too often located on the wrong side of the fairway. As a general rule, the ladies' tee should actually be located on the outside of the dogleg, so as not to over-exaggerate the dogleg and to allow ladies to get their balls to the corner.

Another common complaint from golfers about tees is that they can hardly press their tees into the turf. This is more prevalent on courses built in locales with clay soils. To rectify this problem, many architects specify using a four inch layer of sand/peat/soil topmix much like the growing medium used in green construction. This decision depends on the composition of the topsoil and should be considered on a course-by-course basis.

To further address the tee problems I have mentioned, I suggest courses with these maladies consider a comprehensive tee renovation. This renovation can include laser leveling, which has become a standard construction practice, building a slope of .5 to 1.5 percent into the platform and allowing the top to shed quite nicely without rounding it off. A slope of this nature is undetectable to the eye.

A tee renovation can also include building multiple tee complexes. If feasible, multiple tees can add to the enjoyment of the course for golfers of all levels, will allow wear on the tees to be spread out, and can create a much more aesthetically pleasing facility. On some older, traditional courses where a more sprawling multi-tee complex would be out of scale, I suggest expanding the teeing platforms as much as feasible, while still keeping it at a proper scale.

Renovating tees involves consideration of their size, location, flexibility, alignment, drainage, and the amount of shade they are in. An experienced, skilled designer can really help to transform dysfunctional tees into golf features that have a positive impact on a course.

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