Mixed Tees

Mixed Tees Handicap
Calculator.

When men and women play from different tees, the WHS handles it by calculating each player's Course Handicap from their own tee's Slope Rating and Course Rating. The playing handicap and shot difference then work exactly as normal.

The WHS approach

Under the WHS, each player calculates their own Course Handicap using the Slope Rating, Course Rating, and Par specific to the tees they are playing. Because these values differ between tee sets, the Course Handicap formula already accounts for the relative difficulty of each player's tees — no additional adjustment is needed.

Why the WHS handles this automatically

The Course Handicap formula — HI × (Slope ÷ 113) + (CR − Par) — is self-correcting for different tee difficulty. A tee set with a higher Slope Rating and a Course Rating above Par produces a higher Course Handicap for the same Handicap Index. A shorter, easier tee set produces a lower Course Handicap.

This means a male golfer playing the white tees and a female golfer playing the red tees both receive Course Handicaps that reflect the challenge of their respective tees relative to a scratch golfer. When you then take the difference between those Course Handicaps, the shot allowance is fair.

The formula

For each player, using their own tee data

Course Handicap = HI × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par)

Shot difference = difference between the two Course Handicaps

Get the course data for each tee set

You need Slope Rating, Course Rating, and Par separately for the men's tees and the women's tees. Both sets are printed on the scorecard or available from the pro shop.

Calculate each player's Course Handicap from their own tees

Use the Slope, CR, and Par for the tees that player is actually playing. Don't use the other tee set's data for either player.

Apply the format allowance and take the difference

For singles matchplay (100%), the shot difference is the difference in Course Handicaps. For Stableford (95%), apply the allowance first, then compare net scores individually.

Worked example — Singles matchplay

Male player (white tees) vs Female player (red tees)

Player A — White Tees

Handicap Index12.4

Slope Rating121

Course Rating71.8

Par71

12.4 × (121÷113) + (71.8−71)= 14.08 + 0.8

Course Handicap15

Player B — Red Tees

Handicap Index24.0

Slope Rating116

Course Rating72.2

Par72

24.0 × (116÷113) + (72.2−72)= 24.64 + 0.2

Course Handicap25

Result: Player B (CH 25) receives 10 shots from Player A (CH 15). Those 10 shots are distributed by Stroke Index on the player's own card — which may use a different SI order for the women's tees. The match then plays on a hole-by-hole basis in the usual way.

Common questions

Does it matter which Stroke Index list is used when tees differ?

Each player uses the Stroke Index printed on their own tee's scorecard. These can differ between tee sets — the order of hardest to easiest holes may not be the same from the whites and the reds. Each player receives their shots on the holes ranked 1–N on their respective scorecard, which is both the WHS-correct approach and the fairest.

What if different tees have different Par values?

This is handled by the Course Handicap formula. The "(Course Rating − Par)" component adjusts for the difference. If the red tees have Par 72 and the white tees have Par 71 but similar course difficulty, the formula automatically gives the player on the lower-par tees a slightly higher Course Handicap to compensate.

Can we run a mixed-tees four-ball matchplay?

Yes. Calculate each player's Course Handicap from their own tees, apply 85% to each to get Playing Handicaps, then use the lowest Playing Handicap as the baseline — all four players may be on different tees without any issue. The WHS method handles all of this through the Course Handicap formula. Use the four-ball calculator for each player separately with their own tee data.

Should the women's tees always be the red tees?

Not necessarily. Modern courses use a range of tee colours and many clubs have moved away from colour-coded gender designations. What matters is choosing the tee set appropriate for each player's ability and the yardage they'd enjoy — then using that tee's specific Slope Rating, Course Rating, and Par for the handicap calculation. The WHS is tee-agnostic.