Our 11 favorite tee markers in golf, ranked

For a club just miles outside the nation’s capital that counts numerous Washington elites as members, Congressional’s Capitol dome markers are a fitting tribute to the soul of the club.

Mike Strantz’s eccentric design at Tobacco Road is hardly conventional, and the tee markers follow suit. No Reds, Yellows, Whites, and Blues here. Instead, choose which farming tool you’d like to play from: the Ripper, Disc, Plow, or Cultivator tees.

As if to not draw undue attention, Augusta National’s simple hickory-log markers are cut from a species of tree located on the grounds. As one panelist writes, “Everything here is understated, even if anything here is possible.”

Erin Hills’ three-leaved shamrock logo—also used as its tee markers—is rooted in the Irish heritage of its Wisconsin town and incorporates the design of an old bell still found on the property. The markers “tie in perfectly to the links-like adventure of every hole,” says one panelist.

From a strip-mine wall to an abandoned coal train, evidence of the former mine situated on the property is everywhere at Pete Dye G.C. The tee markers are no exception, as they are pieces of railroad track just like the ones used to transport the coal beneath your feet.

When you have a logo as elegant as the pin flag of Los Angeles C.C., why not use it wherever you can? The flag markers exude a simple sophistication—a term rarely associated with bordering Beverly Hills.

What makes a great tee marker? A good litmus test might include tying into the theme of the property in a creative and fun way. The shovels at The Sandbox, Sand Valley’s 17-hole par-3 course, accomplish both and “bring you back to the days of being a kid in the sandbox” says one panelist.

There are understated, elegant tee markers and then there are the in-your-face buffalo skulls at the Buffalo Ridge Springs course at Big Cedar Lodge. As one panelist writes, “There is nothing subtle about them, but they match the vibe of the property."

The exclusive South Florida club gets its name from McArthur Dairy Farms, whose land the courses are built on. Fittingly, the club uses milk jug markers on the original course and the milk trucks on the new Back Yard course.

Prior to Mike Strantz designing Caledonia in 1993 and 1994, the land was used primarily for hunting and fishing. Much of the hunting on the property was for ducks, so when the course was completed, they chose to use duck decoys as the markers to reflect this history. Today, four species signify the different sets of tees: Pintail, Mallard, Wood Duck and Redhead.

As one of our panelists writes, when you see the markers at Lexington Country Club, you know you’re in horse country. The jockey and racehorse markers resemble the club’s logo, which honors the horse racing history of Lexington and Kentucky. “I’ve never seen a tee marker like it,” one panelist said.