Tee

wiktionary

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From Middle English[Term?], from Old English te, from Latin te(the name of the letter T).

First attested in the 17th century as teaz, later reanalyzed as a plural. [1]

tee (plural tees)

etymonline

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tee (n.)

in golf, 1721, back-formation from teaz (1673), taken as a plural; a Scottish word of uncertain origin. The original form was a little heap of sand. The verb meaning "place a ball on a golf tee" is recorded from 1670s; figurative sense of "to make ready" (usually with up) is recorded from 1938. Teed off in the figurative sense of "angry, annoyed" is first recorded 1953, probably as a euphemism for p(iss)ed off.