[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "What is the difference between tee up and tee off?"

Tee-up is the act of placing the ball on the tee, and tee-off is the start time of the round.

"Tee up and tee off."

Many golfers still do not know the difference. Tee up means to place a ball on a tee in order to take a tee shot. You tee up 18 times in one round. In the U.S., caddies say, "It’s time to tee up. Please tee up your ball." ‘Tee up time’ is an incorrect term. The correct term is ‘tee off time.’

One thing to note is that the vowel ‘o’ in off should not be pronounced as ‘uh’ to become ‘up.’ Due to pronunciation inconvenience, it is shortened to tee time. When making or confirming golf reservations abroad, you must say tee time to be understood. Tee off is the moment the ball leaves the tee (I’ll tee off with my 3-wood), in other words, the moment the player starts the game.

The tee off is scheduled at nine (Tee-off is scheduled at nine). Tee off time is shortened to tee time, and further abbreviated as teeing. The pronunciation of tee time is the same as ‘tea time’ in the UK, when people enjoy tea, snacks, and sandwiches while chatting. A simple example is the start time of a soccer game called ‘kick off time,’ and in the U.S., to avoid confusion recently, the term start time is used.

A: What time are we going tee off? (What time do we start?)

B: We’ll tee off at 11 (11 o’clock).

A: It’s time to tee up. Please tee up your ball.

B: Yes.

Written and photographed by Kim Maengnyeong, golf columnist