How many wooden tees do golfers lose per year?
An estimate based on US range visits, average tee fragility, and how often we actually pick them up.
The number
If 119 million range visits happen in the US each year (NGF estimate), and the average visit involves teeing up the driver 20 times, and roughly half of those teeings result in a snapped or lost wooden tee, you get over 1 billion wooden tees discarded per year in the US alone. That is a directional estimate, not a precise count, but it lines up with industry tee-sale volumes.
Two perspectives on the number
From a habit standpoint: a billion tees per year means roughly 3 wooden tees per round played, on top of range usage. Most are lost in the grass, not actively discarded.
From a waste standpoint: wooden tees biodegrade, but slowly (months to years depending on the lacquer). Plastic and bamboo composite tees do not biodegrade meaningfully at all.
Better Golf Tee swap math
One Better Golf Tee 4-pack, used for an average range golfer's calendar year, replaces roughly 200 wooden tees. The TPU is recyclable. The cord is replaceable. The caddy is cardboard. Net waste reduction per customer: meaningful.
Common questions
Are wooden tees biodegradable?
Yes, but slowly. Painted and lacquered wooden tees take 1 to 3 years in soil; bamboo composites can take longer.
Are plastic tees recyclable?
Most are technically recyclable, but at the volumes generated by golf practice they almost never enter a recycling stream.