This article will focus on scenarios that involve more than one set of tees – be they mixed gender competitions and/or events where a single gender plays from different sets of tees (the term ‘mixed/multi-tee’ is used to encompass both scenarios).

Commonly, in a competition where competitors are competing from different tees, the players will be playing from a set of tees with different Course Rating figures, as a result, competitors will be playing from a set of tees with different playing difficulties. This can also be the case where male and female golfers are competing from the same tee set, typically the Course Rating figure for Men will differ to the Course Rating figure assigned for Women. Added to this, competitors will be playing from a set of tees which hold a different Par figure. As a result, the difference in the Course Rating and Par figures means certain competitors may need to be compensated, in the form of "equalisation strokes". 

It is important to note, "equalisation strokes" apply solely to the competition.

Take Stableford and Par/Bogey as an example, the "play to handicap" (P2H) score from any tee is 36 points (or level Par/Bogey) which means that no additional strokes are required; both players have the same target score and the difference in Course Rating figures is accounted for in the Course Handicap Calculation and subsequently the number of strokes the player receives to achieve the target score of 36 points. Accordingly no further equalisation is required.