When might a golfer choose an iron instead of a driver from the tee?

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Tiger Woods follows through on his golf swing after teeing off, standing in tall grass with spectators watching in the background at St Andrews Golf Links. — golf American golfer Tiger Woods competing at the British Open (Open Championship) at St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, 2005.

A golfer may choose an iron instead of a driver from the tee primarily to prioritize accuracy and control over distance. While a driver is designed to maximize the distance of a shot, its lower loft and longer shaft can make it more difficult to keep the ball in play on narrow fairways or holes with significant hazards.

Using an iron, such as a driving iron (also known as a number one iron), provides more loft and a shorter shaft, which generally results in a more predictable ball flight and increased accuracy. Golfers often make this strategic trade-off when:

The hole is short enough that maximum distance is not required to reach the green in regulation.
The fairway is narrow, and the risk of hitting the ball into the rough or out-of-bounds with a driver is too high.
There are hazards, such as water or bunkers, positioned at the typical landing distance of a driver.
Wind conditions make it difficult to control the high-launching ball flight of a driver.