Coloured Tee Versus Numbered Tee systems
By Jean-Luc Lacroix on 08 Dec 2025 17:59
1. Tee Colour System (traditional)
| Tee Colour | Typical Use | Typical Distance |
| White | Men – Back tees / competition | Long |
| Yellow | Men – Club tees | Medium |
| Blue | Women – Back tees / strong women | Medium-short |
| Red | Women – Forward tees | Short |
| (Sometimes Black, Green, Orange) |
Most countries historically used colours to define tees:
The idea:
- Tees are chosen based on gender and skill level
- Colour → fixed Course Rating and Slope
- Very traditional, but can feel outdated and gender-based
2. Tee Number System (modern WHS-compliant)
Many clubs (like Knokke / Royal Zoute, The Netherlands, Scandinavia…) now replace colours with numbers, often written on plates like:
- 50
- 54
- 57
- 60
What do the numbers mean?
They represent the course length in hundreds of meters or a relative difficulty bracket.
Example:
- Tee 57 ≈ 5700 m total
- Tee 50 ≈ 5000 m
Purpose
- Gender-neutral
- Players choose tees based on:
- Driving distance
- Playing ability
- Pace of play
- WHS Course Rating & Slope are still used, but per number instead of per colour.
Why many clubs are moving to numbered tees
✔ More inclusive
Women can play from “57” if they are strong hitters, and men can play from “50” if they prefer a relaxed length.
✔ Better for mixed competitions
Everyone chooses the tee that reflects their ability, not gender.
✔ Fairer handicap calculation
Each tee has its own CR/Slope under WHS, so scoring remains accurate.
What stays the same in both systems
Whether the tee is red/blue/yellow or 54/57/60, the WHS still uses:
- Course Rating
- Slope Rating
- Par
So, the playing handicap formula is identical.
| System | Based On | Typical Use | Pros | Cons |
| Colour Tees | Gender + difficulty | Traditional courses | Simple, familiar | Gender-based, less flexible |
| Number Tees | Course length & difficulty | Modern WHS clubs | Inclusive, flexible, better for mixed play | Less intuitive at first |
Quick Summary
If you encounter a Numbered System, do not guess. Use the “Driver Formula” to pick your number:
Your Driver Distance × 28 = Total Course Yardage
Example: If you drive the ball 210 meters: 210×28=5880 m. You should play the Tee 59 (or closest to it).
| DRIVE | 150 m | 160 m | 170 m | 180 m | 190 m | 200 m |
| x 28 | 4200 m | 4480 m | 4760 m | 5040 m | 5320 m | 5600 m |