Thoughts on using the earth/ground as a tee (à la Laura Davies)?

[KopiteKing13]

Afternoon all,

I'm sitting here at my desk having my lunch and browsing random YouTube golf videos when I came across a course vlog from Golf Sidekick where the bloke he's playing with says that he always digs his club into the ground to create a clump of turf to use as a tee on par 3s, in the same way Laura Davies does with many (all?) of her tee shots.

I know it's not specifically against the rules, but I've never felt the need or desire to try it. Does anyone here tee up their ball this way? How do you believe it compares to tee shots off regular tee pegs? I'd be too conscious of the fact I'm adding to the state of the teeboxes, as it's difficult enough to find a flat area of ground on which to stand and address the ball on most teeboxes anyway, especially at this time of year (we're still clinging onto our regular teeboxes for the time being).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Why bother. Just use a tee. They are consistent and clean.

 

[KopiteKing13]

Why bother. Just use a tee. They are consistent and clean.

That's exactly my thought as well, to be honest. Was asking purely out of curiosity as I seem to be hearing about more and more people (friends of friends, etc, I've never seen it myself) who do it that way.

 

[Boabie]

Afternoon all,

I'm sitting here at my desk having my lunch and browsing random YouTube golf videos when I came across a course vlog from Golf Sidekick where the bloke he's playing with says that he always digs his club into the ground to create a clump of turf to use as a tee on par 3s, in the same way Laura Davies does with many (all?) of her tee shots.

I know it's not specifically against the rules, but I've never felt the need or desire to try it. Does anyone here tee up their ball this way? How do you believe it compares to tee shots off regular tee pegs? I'd be too conscious of the fact I'm adding to the state of the teeboxes, as it's difficult enough to find a flat area of ground on which to stand and address the ball on most teeboxes anyway, especially at this time of year (we're still clinging onto our regular teeboxes for the time being).

Where permitted a tee should always be used this will help a good connection with the ball and reduce damage to the course.
For someone of the status of Dame Laura Davis to act in a poor manor that may encourage others to copy and potentially damage the course should demand action from the course manager. However!!! I'd not fancy a right hander from someone the size of Big LD

 

[srixon 1]

There is just no good reason why Laura Davies needs to hack up the tee box with her driver to make a teeing mound. Surely she can afford to buy a bag of pink castle tees to use instead. Does she repair the area after her shot, if she does TV never show it.

 

[D-S]

They'll be letting pros take divots on par 3 tee boxes next.

 

[jim8flog]

They'll be letting pros take divots on par 3 tee boxes next.

I am reminded of when I first joined this club. They had a local rule sating that tee must be used on Par 3s .

When I enquired why I was told it to avoid players causing divots. I then pointed out that a good ball striker will create a divot even if the ball is on a tee. The rule was removed shortly afterwards.

As to OPs question - Laura Does not repair the damage so caused as she expects the greenstaff to do it. However to me it is no different to someone taking a divot but I also question why she does it?

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Should be made illegal in my view. No problem if people don't want to use pegs on a par 3, you expect those tees to get chewed up but creating unnecessary damage on holes where you are hitting driver is just pointless.

 

[rulefan]

Should be made illegal in my view. No problem if people don't want to use pegs on a par 3, you expect those tees to get chewed up but creating unnecessary damage on holes where you are hitting driver is just pointless.

So if you inadvertently run out of short/long tee pegs and members of your group only had long towers/short pegs, would you get a penalty?

Having refereed at elite level for many years I can't say I've seen any players use a driver without a tee.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

So if you inadvertently run out of short/long tee pegs and members of your group only had long towers/short pegs, would you get a penalty?

Having refereed at elite level for many years I can't say I've seen any players use a driver without a tee.

I don't get your point. How often have you seen a group that can't rustle up the right length tee peg between them? Deliberately smashing up the turf is unacceptable.

 

[Orikoru]

When Laura Davies does it I figure it's more out of superstition than anything else, whether she would admit that or not. It can't be better than using a tee on any technical level. She says it enabled her to hit a sort of low, squeezed cut and stops her missing left. I figured she just tried it after a bad driving spell initially, hit the ball well and figured 'it works!'. Just like a pre-shot routine it's more mental than technical.

 

[rulefan]

I don't get your point. How often have you seen a group that can't rustle up the right length tee peg between them? Deliberately smashing up the turf is unacceptable.

That is the point. I have never seen a player not use a tee when using a driver.
But I have seen players with a long iron playing off the ground. What penalty would you award?

 

[Backache]

There was a very good golfer at our club (club champion and plus handicap) for many years used to make a dent with his driver and tee the ball on that . I believe he's stopped now. He did repair it afterwards and you wouldn't notice.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

That is the point. I have never seen a player not use a tee when using a driver.
But I have seen players with a long iron playing off the ground. What penalty would you award?

I said in my previous post that par 3 tees get chewed up and that is part of the game. If someone wants to hit an iron off a par 4 or 5 tee then fair enough, that has always been accepted. It's the deliberate unnecessary damage that is the issue.

 

[rulefan]

I said in my previous post that par 3 tees get chewed up and that is part of the game. If someone wants to hit an iron off a par 4 or 5 tee then fair enough, that has always been accepted. It's the deliberate unnecessary damage that is the issue.

You said "Should be made illegal in my view". What penalty would you apply and what would be the criteria?

 

[Deleted member 23270]

You said "Should be made illegal in my view". What penalty would you apply and what would be the criteria?

You're the rules guru, you decide. Simple rule, no movement of turf to tee the ball on.

 

[garyinderry]

So few people do it that it'd not really an issue.

A bit mad but hardly the crime of the century. I wonder what she does on a baked links.

 

[Yorkhacker]

I do it on par 3s for psychological reasons! For some reason I struggle to hit an iron off a tee leading to me often shanking it. I have no idea why.
As for damaging the tee box, I disagree. All you have to do is push the mound down with your foot and you wouldn't even know. It certainly does less damage than people who don't tee it up on par 3s and/or take a massive divot.

 

[rulefan]

You're the rules guru, you decide. Simple rule, no movement of turf to tee the ball on.

I'm not proposing a rule change.
No rule, no penalty.

 

[Dando]

I am reminded of when I first joined this club. They had a local rule sating that tee must be used on Par 3s .

When I enquired why I was told it to avoid players causing divots. I then pointed out that a good ball striker will create a divot even if the ball is on a tee. The rule was removed shortly afterwards.

As to OPs question - Laura Does not repair the damage so caused as she expects the greenstaff to do it. However to me it is no different to someone taking a divot but I also question why she does it?

she's admitted that she prefers to hit driver off of the raised turf