Golf Glossary
Tee Bay (Hitting Bay)
In short
On a driving range, a tee bay is the area from which you hit your balls. It is usually a mat or a patch of turf, often separated and covered. In English it is called a bay or hitting bay. On the golf course the German word Abschlagplatz instead means the teeing area of a hole, where you play your first stroke.
Tee bay on the driving range: what is a bay?
A driving range is a practice facility where you hit balls into an open area. The spot where you stand while doing so is called a tee bay. English-speaking golfers say bay or hitting bay. The name comes from the fact that the bays often lie side by side in a row and are separated by dividers or gaps.
A bay usually consists of an artificial turf mat. You place your balls on it or hit them from a tee. There are also facilities with real grass where the bays are used in rotation. The area in use is then moved regularly so the turf can recover.
In many modern facilities a bay is covered and heated. That allows practice all year round, even in rain or cold.
Tee area on the course: the teeing ground
On the golf course the German word has a second meaning. The Abschlagplatz is the area where you play your first stroke on a hole. In English it is the teeing area, or tee box. The player plays the first stroke here at the start of each hole, usually from a tee peg.
Under the Rules of Golf this area is defined precisely. It is a rectangle two club-lengths deep. The front edge runs between the front points of the two tee-markers, and the sides start at their outside points. When you tee off, the ball must be within this rectangle, either teed up or on the ground, while the player’s feet may stand outside. The colour of the markers shows which tee you are playing from. The assignment can differ from club to club. The topic has its own entry in the glossary, the tee shot.
If someone talks about the Abschlagplatz, context helps: in practice the range is meant, in play the hole.
How a modern bay is built
A bay differs from facility to facility. Often found are:
- Hitting mat: an artificial turf surface that imitates the ground and lets the club glide cleanly.
- Ball supply: a ball dispenser nearby or a ball box right at the bay.
- Separation: distance or dividers to the neighbour so nobody is hit by a swing.
- Target aids: flags, target greens or distance markers in the landing area.
- Roof: protection from rain and sun.
- Technology: launch monitors or screens that show ball flight and distance.
- Extras: drink holder, bench or shelf for bag and phone.
How many bays a facility has says a lot about its size. Larger ranges often have several levels. If you want to compare distances, it is best to always hit from the same bay and with the same ball model, because mat, wind and ball all influence distance.
Practical example: a practice hour in the bay
You have booked a bay for 60 minutes and want to prepare for a round. A sensible sequence could look like this:
- 10 minutes warm-up: start with a wedge and very short shots. After a few swings take the 9-iron, then the 7-iron.
- 25 minutes target shots: pick a target on the range and choose club, target and shot shape for every stroke. Play in series of five shots with one club each.
- 15 minutes driver and woods: here you watch tempo and strike point.
- 10 minutes cool-down: finish with a few short shots to relax and think of the first tee of the round.
As a rough guide, that time is enough for about 50 to 70 balls. What matters is not quantity but a clear aim on every shot.
Behaviour in the bay: safety and etiquette
A few simple rules apply to the bay and they ensure safety and consideration:
- Hit only from your own bay and only in the direction of the range.
- Never stand behind or beside a player who is swinging. The distance is the radius of the club plus a safety margin.
- Look left and right before your swing to see whether anybody is in your radius.
- Do not leave your clubs lying in the walkway so nobody trips over them.
- Do not pull balls from neighbouring bays with your club.
- Do not collect your balls while others are hitting.
- Look after the mat: after several shots change the spot where you place the ball so the mat wears evenly.
If children are nearby, tell them clearly before the shot.
Practising properly in the bay
For many players the bay is the main practice area. To get something out of it, these principles help:
- Always have a target: never hit without a target and line. Fix the alignment before every shot.
- Routine as on the course: practise the pre-shot routine on every shot so it becomes natural in play.
- Change clubs: do not hit 50 balls in a row with the driver. On the course the club changes with every shot.
- Check the strike point: on a mat the club slides over the surface even on a slight fat shot. The strike feels better than it is. So watch the strike point and the data.
- Plan breaks: after a longer series concentration often drops. A short break helps.
Even without a monitor the ball flight helps: if the balls always start left or right, that says a lot about clubface and alignment.
Differences: tee bay, mat bay, hitting bay and simulator room
Around the tee bay there are several terms that are often used similarly:
- Abschlagplatz: general term for the place from which you hit the ball, on the range and on the course.
- Bay or hitting bay: the English name for the individual bay on the range.
- Mat bay: a bay with an artificial turf mat.
- Grass tee: a bay with real turf.
- Tee box or teeing area: the starting area of a hole on the course.
- Simulator room: a room where you hit real balls into a screen and software calculates the ball flight.
The differences matter for beginners because they affect the facility and the booking. A bay on the range is paid for by time or per basket of balls depending on the facility, while a tee on the course is part of the round. A simulator is a booking of its own and needs no clear view of the range.
Try it at Golf Lounge
At Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg you will find 32 tee bays on two levels. You reach the second level by stairs, and it starts with mat number 17. The bays are covered and heatable, so you can practise all year round. Every bay has a TrackMan monitor. Each mat comes with three irons, a ball box and room for up to four people. You book online, and there is no check-in at the counter.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Abschlagplatz in golf?
On the driving range the Abschlagplatz is the area from which you hit your practice balls, usually a mat. On the golf course the word means the teeing area of a hole, also called the tee box. A bay on the range is called a bay or hitting bay in English.
What does bay mean in golf?
Bay is the word for the individual hitting position on a driving range, literally a recess or box. A bay is usually a separated area with a mat where you hit your balls. Larger facilities have many bays side by side, sometimes on several levels.
How big is a teeing area on the golf course?
Under the Rules of Golf the teeing area is a rectangle two club-lengths deep. The front edge runs between the front points of the two tee-markers, and the sides start at their outside points. The ball must be within this rectangle, while the feet may stand outside it. If you tee off from outside the area in stroke play, you get two penalty strokes and must correct the mistake. In match play the opponent may have the stroke cancelled.
What should I watch for in the bay on the range?
Safety and target. Hit only from your own bay, look left and right before the swing and never stand behind a player who is swinging. Practise with a target and routine, change clubs and check the strike point because the mat forgives mistakes.
What is the difference between Abschlagplatz and Abschlag?
In everyday use the two terms overlap. Abschlag usually means the first stroke of a hole or the area for it, the teeing area on the course. Abschlagplatz or bay also describes the individual mat on the range. Which one is meant depends on the context, whether you are practising or playing.
As of: October 2026