The history of the golf tee can be traced back to the 1500s. For centuries golfers relied on a simple but messy solution wetting sand with a towel and moulding a small mound of earth to lift the ball slightly off the ground. This practice continued for nearly 300 years until innovation finally caught up with the game in the late 1800s.
The original Rules of Golf written in 1744 stated that a ball must be “teed” from the ground. Players were permitted to tee their ball within one club length of the hole using whatever natural materials were available underfoot. As golf grew in popularity courses began to formalise their layouts, separating putting greens from designated teeing areas. The first course to introduce this separation was St Andrews Links following a redesign by Old Tom Morris.
Unsurprisingly the sand mound method caused problems. One tee meant dirty hands wet towels and inconsistency from shot to shot. Golfers began looking for something cleaner and reusable. Early solutions experimented with paper, cork and rubber, laying the groundwork for the first true golf tee designs.
The world’s first patented golf tee arrived in 1889 created by two Scots William Bloxsom and Arthur Douglas. Their design consisted of a small rubber plate with raised prongs or a hollow cylinder to support the ball. While revolutionary it sat on top of the ground making it unstable especially in windy conditions. Clearly the tee needed anchoring.
That breakthrough came in 1892 with the invention of the Perfectum patented by Percy Ellis of Surrey England. The Perfectum featured an iron spike that fixed the tee into the ground paired with a rubber top to cradle the ball. For the first time the tee stayed put. A few years later in 1897 Scottish inventor P.M. Matthews refined the idea further with the Vector tee introducing a metal spike and rubber cup that improved both stability and consistency.
From sand mounds to spiked rubber cups the golf tee has always existed to bring consistency, confidence and a better strike from the very first shot.
And today that legacy lives on in the way every golfer tees up.
But not all tees are created equal.
That’s where Pink Tip Golf Tees from No Return Club come in. Designed for golfers with a bold attitude our 70mm bamboo tees feature a perfect height pink tip so you know exactly where the ball sits for clean consistent contact and confidence at address every time. Made from durable eco-friendly bamboo they look great on the tee box and feel premium in hand and they come in a branded bag that keeps them organised in your kit.
Where other tees are an afterthought our Pink Tip tees are a statement of intention before every drive.
Clean setup
Steady strike
No excuses
Play recklessly with tees that match your mindset.
No distractions. No shortcuts. Just the best tee for every round.