How annoying are uneven tees on golf courses?

Given how often you hear other golfers complain about things, you can be left wondering whether they actually love the game.

Slow play, fast play, slow greens, fast greens, you are never going to fully please everyone, but there are some annoyances that are universal on the course, such as unraked bunkers, bumpy putting surfaces, and other players who never replace their divots.

You also have understandable frustrations regarding the inflation of green fees and membership subscriptions, alongside the poor customer service that some of us may have encountered when visiting a new venue for the first time.

Are Golfers Right to Complain About This?

The Golfshake Community is always keen to engage and share their thoughts on the sport, and one email we received earlier this year presented an issue that could easily be overlooked but, when you think about it, should probably on the list of every golfer.

"Referencing the top complaints article, I would suggest adding uneven or poorly maintained tee boxes to the list. We should be able to drive the ball from a level surface to start a hole. Too many courses have tee boxes that have slopes, humps, dips and divots and this is my personal pet peeve! Golf is hard enough as it is so at least give us a chance to drive off a level surface please! Clubs should use the winter months to work on tee boxes, even if it means imposing the use of mats while the work is going on and while the surface recovers."

Well, you can't really argue with any of that, can you?

Randomness is part of golf and most of us can be accepting that you won't always receive an optimal lie on the fairway, no matter how well you've struck the previous shot to get there, although greens that are blotched by pitchmarks and other inconsistencies undeniably detract from the overall experience and enjoyment of your round.

How Annoying Are Uneven Tee Boxes?

But we likely don't give enough thought to the standard of tees (or tee boxes) themselves. That's where a degree of uniformed quality should arguably be expected, giving everyone the same chance of hitting a good shot from the one location, but tees that are badly constructed or shabbily maintained are something that can diminish your appreciation of a course, even if the rest of it remains admirably conditioned.

If you are struggling to find an even stance on the tee or discover that no matter where you place the ball, it will be resting significantly above or below your feet, then that is an unsatisfying outcome, especially when you have paid good money for the privilege of being there.

Like any ground for complaint, there will be contention and counterpoints, but perhaps, in this one instance, we have found something that all golfers can agree that you can be justified to feel really annoyed about on the course.