Tee it up right.

The only time you get to place the ball where you want it in a normal round of golf is on the tee box. It's easy to forget that you have a heap of choices, all completely within the rules, of how you tee it up, and you may as we'll make the most of them. 

The first and most simple is to tee the ball so that you are hitting away from the trouble. If there is out of bounds down the left for example, teeing the ball up on the right means you are aiming straight at the place you really don't want to go, putting more mental pressure on an already tough shot. 

As soon as you arrive on the tee, picture the shot you want to play and the safe landing area before choosing the best place to put your ball. It might mean that you have to ask your partners to move themselves or their bags, but do it, they will respect you for it. 

Be certain also to choose a flat spot to tee the ball up. It sounds stupid but I've lost count of the times I've seen people standing below or above the ball, or with their feet near to a sprinkler or other obstacle. You are allowed within the rules of golf to tee the ball up anywhere behind the markers up to two full club lengths. You can stand outside the markers if you wish as long as your ball is within them and not less than two clubs length behind so make the most of what you have.

If you still can't find a flat spot, maybe it's time to join another club!

The most important tee box tip is also the most obvious and simple. Many years ago, I was paying in an Australian PGA event and my playing partner Justin Cooper pointed out to myself and the other amateurs on his team how he used the green keepers cutting lines to help him line up. The tournament was held at Royal Queensland and the course was in majestic condition in peroration for the Queensland Open, with the fairways symmetrically mowed with clear lines pointing straight down the fairway. Following the pro's tip. We each teed the ball up with one of the lines directly in line with our ball and took aim. 

It's a key secret of golf that if you have a very clearly defined target like that, especially on a long hole, you can usually miss by quite a large margin and still find the fairway. The secret is to have a clear target in your minds eye and there's no easier target to visualise than one that the green keeper has marked out for you. 

Similarly, when choosing your spot for teeing it up, it does no harm to pick a spot, divot mark or something similar on the line to the hole that you can use to check your alignment. Again, as you have the choice to tee it up anywhere, the opportunity to use an existing mark to check your alignment is just too good to miss. And it's in the rules!