Research Desk · Golf

    Golf Wind Calculator

    By OverUnderWeather Research Desk

    Two free tools: a plays-like yardage calculator for wind, temperature and elevation, and a PGA Tour wave gap calculator built on our reviewed study.

    Plays-like yardage calculator

    150 yd plays like 166.7 yd

    About 2 clubs more

    • Wind: +16.7 yd
    • Temperature & elevation: +0 yd

    Rules of thumb, not a launch-monitor model: headwind about 1% of carry per mph and tailwind about 0.5% (Andrew Rice / TrackMan), temperature and altitude from Titleist, about 10 yards per club. Crosswind sideways drift is not estimated because it depends on ball flight and spin. Best for moderate winds.

    PGA Tour wave gap calculator

    The afternoon wave averages about 1.2 strokes more per player

    95% range: 0.92–1.47 strokes

    Applies the Tour-wide average from our reviewed PGA Tour wind wave study (0.933 strokes per 10 km/h, 456 event-rounds). It describes past events, was not tested as a forecast, and says nothing about a single player. Forecast wind is uncertain, and tee-time waves differ from fixed clock periods.

    Related golf weather guides

    OverUnderWeather Research Desk

    Independent data analysis on public sports and weather records. Studies match historical game outcomes to archived game-window weather, apply pre-set sample and significance rules, and publish null results when that is what the data show. Editorial policy and corrections log.

    Frequently asked

    How much does a 10 mph headwind affect a golf shot?

    A common rule of thumb from Andrew Rice's TrackMan work is about 1% of carry per mph of headwind, so a 10 mph headwind makes a 150-yard shot play roughly 165–167 yards.

    Does a tailwind help as much as a headwind hurts?

    No. The same rule of thumb puts a tailwind at about 0.5% per mph, roughly half the headwind effect.

    How big is the PGA Tour wave advantage?

    Our reviewed study of 456 PGA Tour event-rounds found about 0.93 more strokes per player for each 10 km/h of extra wind between tee-time waves (95% CI 0.72–1.14). It is a Tour-wide average, not a forecast for a single event or player.