Iowa Women’s Golfer Kaitlyn Hanna Turns Golf Tees Into Custom Art
Photo Submitted by Kaitlyn Hanna
Kaitlyn Hanna (right) poses with her tee art creation and the piece of artwork, from a St. Jude patient, that served as her inspiration. Hanna's artwork was auctioned off for $14,000.
It was one of the longest drives that Kaitlyn Hanna has endured.
While a trek from her home in Omaha, Nebraska, to southwestern Florida took nearly 30 hours, it was what was in the back of her dad’s SUV that caused extra stress.
“I usually ship my artwork, so driving this one across the country was different,” says Hanna, a UI sport and recreation management major. “I just wanted to get it there safely.”
Hanna, who founded TeeArt Creations, produces personalized golf art using tees and had been asked by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to replicate a piece created by a pediatric patient. There was just one catch—the organization wanted attendees at a fundraiser to help complete the project.
“They had a patient who created this really beautiful fish using water colors, and they wanted me to recreate it using golf tees,” says Hanna. “They also wanted it to be a live experience—and then auction the piece off afterwards. I didn’t want to give away too many of my secrets, but I brought along 500 tees so that attendees could help finish it.”
The 4-foot-wide commission—which is filled with 6,745 tees of varying heights—was auctioned off for $14,000 in late 2025. Hanna was thrilled to produce something special that also went to a good cause.
“This was one my favorites, because it really shows that you can make anything out of golf tees,” says Hanna. “I was able to add my creative spirit to the project, but more importantly, it was very cool to be part of a fundraiser like this. It puts everything into perspective.”
In 2021, Hanna first put her creative work to the test when her high school was building an indoor golf facility. A blank wall in the facility got her thinking about displaying something unique.
“I talked to my parents, and we put our heads together and came up with the concept of building custom golf tee art using different colored golf tees,” says Hanna. “We thought it would be cool to create a big W for Westside High that covers the whole wall, and we’ll fill it with golf tees. It took thousands of golf tees and a lot of trial and error. After 30 hours of work, it turned out great.”
Since then, Hanna—whose work has been featured in Golfweek—has produced personalized golf art for a number of clients and organizations, including:
- The Indianapolis Colts
- The United States Golf Association (USGA)
- PGA West, a 9-course resort in La Quinta, California
- Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska
- The University of Iowa
She also created trophies for the 2024 and 2025 Diane Thomason Invitational, the home tournament for Iowa women’s golf. Hanna and the Hawkeyes have won the tournament the past two seasons.
Now with more than a dozen projects under her belt, she’s looking forward to her next project with a golf course in South Dakota.
“I’m proof that you can take anything you love to do and turn it into something that’s bigger than yourself,” says Hanna. “I love golf, and I love being creative, so merging the two and creating something I’m really passionate about has been very rewarding.”
PHOTOS: Kaitlyn Hanna
