Of all the variables in a golf swing, tee height is the one that is entirely under the player’s control and almost never controlled. Most golfers push the tee in until it feels about right, which means it is different on every hole.

What tee height actually changes

With a driver, the goal is to strike the ball slightly above the club’s centre on the way up, which produces higher launch and lower spin — distance, in other words. Too low and you hit down on it; too high and you slide under.

The rule of thumb for a modern large-head driver is that roughly half the ball sits above the crown at address. That is a lot higher than most amateurs tee it, and it is why 83mm tees exist.

Irons want the opposite

With an iron the strike is descending, so the ball should sit barely above the turf — just enough to guarantee a clean lie. A 54mm tee pushed most of the way in is right, and a long tee is actively unhelpful.

This is why carrying one tee length for the whole bag is a compromise, and why splitting an order makes sense.

Where castle tees come in

A castle tee has a collar that stops it entering the ground past a fixed point. Push it in as hard as you like and the height is identical every time.

For a coach that is a teaching aid: it removes one variable so the swing can be worked on. For a player it is repeatability, which is most of what practice is trying to build.

Colour-coding the set

Four collar heights, four colours, and a player picks the right one at a glance rather than reading a moulded number. Low for irons and hybrids, high for the driver, two in between.

That glanceability is the entire reason to colour code, and it is why we do not sell them single-height.

Ground conditions change everything

A tee pushed into soft winter turf goes deeper than the same tee in baked summer ground, so even a consistent player gets inconsistent height across a season.

This is the argument for castle tees that nobody makes and the one most likely to land with a member: it is not about your technique, it is about the ground.

What to hand out

For a general club or corporate order: 70mm hardwood or bamboo, because it suits most of the bag. For an academy or a range: a colour-coded castle set, because the point is repeatability. For a driver-focused promotion: 83mm, and say why on the pack.