Battle With Nature: How Environment Affects Distance

Golf is a dialogue with the environment. The same swing can produce very different distance depending on temperature, altitude, and wind.

How Environment Affects Distance

We built an interactive web tool so you can see how these factors affect distance.

You can simulate in real time:

• Temperature: Cold air is denser, so resistance increases
• Altitude: Higher altitude means lower air density and less drag
• Wind speed and direction: Headwind has a larger effect than tailwind (asymmetric)

How to Use It

Use the Golf Physics tool on the LAB page.

Adjust temperature, altitude, wind speed, and direction in the simulator to see predicted distance update in real time. You can also check each factor’s impact in the charts.

Data Basis

The tool uses golf ball trajectory physics. The baseline is 250 yards carry (no wind, 20°C, sea level).

See the LAB charts for more detail.

What’s Next

Understanding environment helps you plan strategy with data. The ANSWER project emphasizes this kind of approach.

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Related: LAB – Golf Physics