The small peg used to raise the ball for the first stroke on a hole is called a tee.
A golf tee supports the stationary ball slightly above the ground, giving the player a clean lie for the opening shot. Golfers normally use it within the designated teeing area, and the tee is especially useful when hitting a driver or another club designed for a long, elevated shot. A tee is generally not used for ordinary shots after the opening stroke.
Early golfers used simple natural supports, including small piles of sand. Manufactured tees later became common, and modern versions are usually made from wood or plastic. The word comes from the Old Scots term “teaz,” whose deeper origin is uncertain and may be Scandinavian.
“Tee” is often confused with “teeing ground” or “tee box.” The tee is the peg itself; the teeing area is the marked region from which the first stroke must be played. A divot, by contrast, is a piece of turf removed by a club, while a marker identifies a ball or position.