The golfer sticks the metal spike into the ground and places the ball on the far end of the orange plastic arm.  When the ball is struck, the arm will revolve around the metal spike.  Spinner tees were durable, inexpensive (in the long run), and would never become lost.  However, as Irv Valenta explains in his book, The Singular History of the Golf Tee. Spinner tees never caught on. They could be a real pain in the pocket for the golfer to carry around—plus the pros did not like them.