Zoomtech chief executive Richard Cathro said the tee, which features a flattened blade, slotted cup and "ripple keel", had originally been designed in late 2006 and early 2007.
The motivation came when Chisholm Park golf professional Andrew Whiley, now a shareholder in the company, visited Cathro's engineering workshop, and asked him if he was interested in designing a tee.
Cathro had worked with a Christchurch golf company after the tee was developed, but that partnership had not borne fruit.
He said he did his homework, decided United States company Callaway Golf would be the one with which to work, and waited five days for the chance to meet a representative at a golf show in Brisbane.
"He wanted something that excited the golfer," Cathro said, after finally tracking him down.
After a period of sending the product back and forth to Melbourne to refine its design, "now we've got a purchase contract with them", and Callaway had bought 150,000 tees to test on the market.
It went on the marketplace this month in New Zealand and Australia, and golfers in Australia had already had success using it in competition.
Callaway had to be convinced the tee would not damage clubs, and Cathro said it had the added advantage it would not damage mower blades as greens were mowed.
It had been tested in a computer-generated wind tunnel, which showed improved flight from the tee.
Apart from its look, Whiley said the ridged design allowed golfers to work out exactly how far to push it into the turf, to ensure the "sweet spot" on the club hit the ball.
And while the tee may be more popular with the average hack due to its "sexy" design, Whiley said the difference was noticeable to him, and it had proved a popular product at Chisholm Park.
As the golf season progressed, the tee would be tested in markets in Europe, Canada, and then the United States.
The entire process of design, and the manufacture of the tee, was completed in Dunedin, and Cathro said if the contract went ahead, there could be up to five jobs created.
"I've got my fingers crossed it will take off in the market," Cathro said.
"There's already a good feeling from golfers coming back to us."
