There is no single plays-like rule. Every source says thin air, warm air and a tailwind add distance, and thick air, cold air and a headwind take it away. How much is where they split. Altitude runs from 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet to 4.5 for the same driver study, and from 1.2 percent to 2 percent per 1,000 feet elsewhere. Read the tables below as a range, not an answer.
The ChartWhat each source says
Altitude
| Source | Figure as printed | Example it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Golf.com, Dec 2018 Andrew Rice, TrackMan, 155 mph ball speed | Driver: an extra 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet | 250 yards at sea level in 70-degree weather flies about 270 yards at about 7,000 feet in 90-degree heat |
| Golf.com, June 2019 Andrew Rice, TrackMan study, 155 mph, optimal launch | An extra 4.5 yards per 1,000 feet of elevation change | Same 250 to 270 yard example |
| Golf.com, playing at elevation cites a Titleist study | Roughly 1.2 percent farther per 1,000 feet | At 5,000 feet, about 6 percent farther: a 200-yard carry becomes 212 |
| Golf News Net, 2025 | Approximately 2 percent farther per 1,000 feet above sea level | A mile up, approximately 10 percent farther. At 7,500 feet (LIV Golf Mexico City), 12.5 to 15 percent farther |
| Australian Golf Digest Trackman | A 6 percent boost at 1,500 metres (5,000 feet). Faster swings closer to 10 percent, slower swings closer to 5 percent | A 150 metre shot goes about 159 metres |
| Australian Golf Digest Mexico City event, no source named | The ball is expected to fly 10 to 15 percent farther | Clubhouse at about 2,370 metres |
| Golf Alcanada reporting a Trackman University study | Amateurs: the gain never reached 7 percent. PGA Tour pros: up to 9 percent | Measured at 1,500 metres |
Source: Golf.com, "How hot weather and elevation change affect golf shots" (2018), "Weather conditions effect on golf ball" (2019) and the playing-at-elevation page; Golf News Net, "How do temperature, humidity, elevation affect how far the golf ball flies?"; Australian Golf Digest, pro yardage article and Mexico City event article; Golf Alcanada, "How altitude affects your golf distance".
Temperature
| Source | Figure as printed | Example it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Golf.com, Dec 2018 Andrew Rice, TrackMan | The effect caps at about 2 yards per 10 degrees. Humidity has almost no effect on carry | Driver, calm day: 246 yards at 50 degrees, 250 at 70, 254 at 90 |
| Golf.com, June 2019 Andrew Rice, TrackMan study | A driver carries 2.5 yards shorter or longer per 10-degree swing on the thermometer | 155 mph ball speed, optimal launch |
| Golf News Net, 2025 citing TrackMan | For every 10 degrees of increase, the ball flies approximately 1.33 to 1.66 yards farther, depending on the club | Playing at 40 degrees versus 90 degrees: upwards of 7 to 10 yards per shot |
| Golf.com, Oct 2024 Trackman data | The same club's carry shifted by up to 7 yards between morning and afternoon rounds, which the article calls about half a club | 9-iron, carry measured at 55, 70 and 95 degrees |
| Arccos | Expect to lose about 1 to 2 yards for every 5-degree drop below 70°F | A 100-yard shot on a 50°F day may fall to 97 to 98 yards |
| Australian Golf Digest Trackman, in Celsius and metres | About 1 metre gained or lost for every few degrees away from about 21 degrees Celsius | 160 metres at 21°C becomes about 155 at 15°C, or about 165 at 32°C |
Source: Golf.com, 2018 and 2019 articles above and "How cooler weather impacts golf carry distance" (2024); Golf News Net, temperature, humidity and elevation article; Arccos, "Swing Smarter, Not Harder: Navigating Windy Golf Rounds"; Australian Golf Digest, pro yardage article.
Humidity is the quiet one. Golf.com's 2018 article says it has almost no effect on carry. Golf News Net puts the swing from no humidity to full humidity at a single yard, and says humid air lets the ball fly farther.
Wind
| Source | Figure as printed | Example it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Golf.com, June 2019 Tour players, TrackMan study | Golfers tend to swing up to 2 mph slower into a headwind than with a tailwind | A 300-yard drive in calm air carries 259 yards into a 20 mph headwind and 333 with a 20 mph tailwind, a 74-yard swing |
| Golf News Net, Aug 2024 | 10 mph: tailwind a 5 percent gain, headwind a 7.5 percent loss. 20 mph: headwind 15 percent off, tailwind 10 percent on | A 150-yard shot plays like 161 yards into a 10 mph headwind and 142 with a 10 mph tailwind |
| Arccos | Add 1 percent for every 1 mph of headwind. Reduce distance by 0.5 percent for every 1 mph of tailwind | A 100-yard shot: headwind 5 mph plays 105, 10 mph plays 110, 20 mph plays 120. Tailwind 5 mph plays 98, 10 mph plays 95, 20 mph plays around 90 |
| Galvin Green Bill Sullivan, Apr 2024 | Headwind: the miles per hour should equal the yards you add. Tailwind: take half the miles per hour and subtract it. Alternate: 1 percent per mph into the wind, 0.5 percent per mph with it | - |
| Australian Golf Digest Trackman | Headwinds hurt almost twice as much as tailwinds help. Unnamed broadcast technology: each mph into the wind added about 1.5 yards | A 140-yard shot into a 15 mph wind travels about 20 yards shorter. Downwind it goes about 10 yards farther, roughly 150 |
Source: Golf.com, 2019 article above; Golf News Net, "How to calculate distances in golf with the wind and into the wind"; Arccos, "Windy Golf Made Simple" and "Swing Smarter, Not Harder"; Galvin Green, "Windy Golf Guide: How to Play Golf in the Wind"; Australian Golf Digest, pro yardage article.
Why They DifferWhere the sources split
Same outlet, two altitude numbers. Golf.com printed 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet in 2018 and 4.5 yards per 1,000 feet in 2019, both from the same TrackMan study by the same teacher, both with the same 250 to 270 yard example. Both are in the first table.
Yards versus percent. Golf.com counts yards for a driver at 155 mph. Titleist's number, as Golf.com reports it, and Golf News Net count percent of whatever distance you hit. A percent rule scales to a wedge. A driver-yards rule does not.
Wind rules are in the same family but not the same. At 10 mph into the wind, Arccos's printed example turns 100 yards into 110, which is 10 percent. Golf News Net prints 7.5 percent for the same wind. Both agree that a headwind costs more than a tailwind returns.
Temperature runs from 1.33 yards per 10 degrees (the low end of Golf News Net's range) to 2.5 yards (Golf.com, 2019). The club, the ball speed and the source all change the figure.
The RulesPlays-like devices and the Rules of Golf
A rangefinder, watch or phone that shows a plays-like distance cannot be used in a round played under the Rules of Golf. Rule 4.3a(1) allows getting distance information from a distance-measuring device, but it does not allow measuring elevation changes, and it does not allow interpreting distance information to pick a club. Rule 4.3a(2) does not allow measuring wind speed at the course. The first breach is the general penalty, two strokes in stroke play, and a second breach is disqualification. Local Rules can go further and ban distance devices altogether.
That makes this page a planning tool: something to learn on the range and to build your own numbers from before you tee off. Our rangefinder rules chart lists what a device may and may not show in a round, and the slope vs non-slope guide covers models that let you switch plays-like off.
Using itHow to use this chart
Pick the factor, look at every row, and treat the spread as your margin. If the sources run from 1.2 percent to 2 percent per 1,000 feet, your real number sits somewhere in that neighbourhood, and your own swing speed moves it. Australian Golf Digest says faster swings gain closer to 10 percent at altitude and slower swings closer to 5 percent.
Check the unit before you use a row. Some figures are yards for one club, some are percent of the shot, and Australian Golf Digest uses metres and Celsius. A percent figure is multiplied by your own carry for that club.
The most reliable number is the one you measure. Hit the same club on the range on a cold morning and a warm afternoon, or at home and on a trip to higher ground, and write down the carry. Golf.com's 2024 piece on Trackman data found the same 9-iron moving by up to 7 yards across a day, so your own log will show it too. Our club distance chart and yardage card give you a place to put the baseline.
Watch forCommon mistakes
Stacking every effect without checking. The only combined example in the sources is Golf.com's, which puts altitude and heat together for a driver and gets about 270 from 250. Adding three separate rules from three separate sources is how a number drifts.
Using driver yards on a wedge. Golf.com's altitude and temperature figures are for a driver at 155 mph. Australian Golf Digest says faster swings gain a bigger percent, and Golf Alcanada's report has pros gaining more than amateurs.
Treating 10 percent as a law. Golf News Net has about 10 percent at a mile up. Australian Golf Digest has 6 percent at 5,000 feet. Golf Alcanada's report says the Trackman University study found less than 7 percent for amateurs.
Mixing units. Degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius, yards and metres, and percent and yards all show up across these pages. Convert before you compare.
Leaving the device on. A device that shows plays-like distance cannot be used in a round under the Rules. See the rules chart before you play an event.
FAQQuick answers
How much farther does a golf ball go at altitude?
It depends on who you ask. Golf.com printed 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet for a driver in 2018 and 4.5 in 2019. Golf.com also reports a Titleist study at roughly 1.2 percent per 1,000 feet. Golf News Net says approximately 2 percent. Australian Golf Digest, citing Trackman, says 6 percent at 1,500 metres (5,000 feet).
Is the 10 percent altitude rule right?
For about a mile up, Golf News Net says approximately 10 percent. Australian Golf Digest's Trackman figure is 6 percent at 5,000 feet, and the Trackman University study reported by Golf Alcanada found under 7 percent for amateurs and up to 9 percent for PGA Tour pros at 1,500 metres.
How many yards do I lose when it is cold?
Golf.com's 2018 article says about 2 yards per 10 degrees for a driver, and its 2019 article says 2.5. Golf News Net, citing TrackMan, says 1.33 to 1.66 yards per 10 degrees depending on the club. Arccos says about 1 to 2 yards per 5-degree drop below 70°F.
How much does wind change the distance?
Arccos says add 1 percent per mph of headwind and take off 0.5 percent per mph of tailwind. Golf News Net prints 7.5 percent into a 10 mph wind and 5 percent with it. Golf.com's Tour example has a 300-yard drive carrying 259 into a 20 mph headwind and 333 with a 20 mph tailwind.
Does humidity change how far the ball goes?
Very little, in the sources that mention it. Golf.com's 2018 article says almost no effect on carry. Golf News Net says the move from no humidity to full humidity is about a single yard.
Can I use a plays-like rangefinder in a round?
Not in a round played under the Rules of Golf. Rule 4.3a(1) does not allow measuring elevation changes or using a device to interpret distance for club choice, and the first breach is the general penalty. See the rangefinder rules chart for what a device may show.