Golf Altitude & Elevation Calculator
This golf altitude calculator tells you what a shot plays like. Enter the yardage, the course's altitude, whether the green sits above or below you, the temperature and the wind, and it gives the distance to play for, so you pick the club you'd hit that far at home. It also shows how far each of your shots carries at elevation. Not sure how far you hit each club at home? Start with the golf club distance chart.
How much does altitude affect golf distance?
Thinner air means less drag, so the ball holds its speed and carries farther: about 1% per 1,000 feet. Carry at 70°F in still air:
| Altitude | 100 yd shot | 150 yd shot | 250 yd drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 100 yd | 150 yd | 250 yd |
| 1,000 ft | 101 yd | 152 yd | 253 yd |
| 2,000 ft | 102 yd | 153 yd | 255 yd |
| 3,000 ft | 103 yd | 155 yd | 258 yd |
| 4,000 ft | 104 yd | 156 yd | 260 yd |
| 5,280 ft (Denver) | 105 yd | 158 yd | 263 yd |
| 6,000 ft | 106 yd | 159 yd | 265 yd |
| 7,000 ft | 107 yd | 161 yd | 268 yd |
| 8,000 ft | 108 yd | 162 yd | 270 yd |
You'll still see the older rule of 2% per 1,000 feet quoted. Launch monitor testing puts it at about half that: TrackMan measured 2.5 extra yards per 1,000 feet on a 250-yard drive, and Titleist's figure is about 1.16%. Plan on 2% and you'll fly greens in the mountains.
Temperature and golf ball distance
Warm air is thinner too. A drive gains or loses about 2 yards for every 10°F: 250 yards at 70°F carries about 254 at 90°F and 246 at 50°F. A 150-yard iron moves a little over a yard per 10°F, so a cold morning round at 40°F costs it about 4 yards.
Uphill and downhill shots
The one-for-one rule: every yard (3 feet) the green sits above you adds a yard, and every yard below takes one off. A green 15 feet up plays 5 yards longer; 30 feet down plays 10 yards shorter. It's a close fit for an approach landing at around 45°. Long clubs come in flatter and feel the slope a little more, steep wedges a little less.
Wind
Add about 1% per mph into the wind and take off about 0.5% per mph with it. A headwind hurts more than a tailwind helps: the ball meets the air faster, so it gets more drag and more lift, climbs and stalls. Crosswinds move the ball sideways more than they change its length, so the calculator leaves them out.
Example: an approach in Denver
150 yards to a green 15 feet above you, at 5,280 feet, on an 85°F day, into a 10 mph wind:
| Yardage | 150 yd |
| Green 15 ft above | +5.0 yd |
| 10 mph headwind | +15.5 yd |
| 5,280 ft altitude | −8.6 yd |
| 85°F | −1.8 yd |
| Plays like | 160 yd |
The altitude and the warm air more than cancel the climb to the green; the wind is what adds a club. Hit your 160-yard club.
Frequently asked questions
How much does 1,000 feet of altitude affect golf shot distance?
About 1% more carry per 1,000 feet. In a TrackMan study, a 250-yard drive gained 2.5 yards for every 1,000 feet of altitude; Titleist puts the figure at about 1.16%. A 150-yard 7-iron gains around a yard and a half per 1,000 feet.
How much farther does a golf ball fly at 2,000 feet?
About 2% farther than at sea level: a 250-yard drive carries roughly 255 yards and a 150-yard iron about 153. The difference is small enough at 2,000 feet that most golfers don't change clubs for it.
Does a golf ball go farther at high altitude?
Yes. Thinner air creates less drag, so the ball holds its speed longer. In Denver, at 5,280 feet, a 250-yard drive carries about 263 yards and a 150-yard 7-iron about 158, close to a club less for an approach shot.
How much does temperature affect golf ball distance?
About 2 yards of carry for every 10°F with a driver, a little less with shorter clubs. A 250-yard drive at 70°F carries about 254 yards at 90°F and 246 at 50°F. Warm air is thinner, and a warm ball is a little livelier off the face.
How much does elevation change affect distance on uphill and downhill shots?
A simple rule is one yard for every 3 feet (one yard) of elevation change: a green 15 feet above you plays about 5 yards longer, one 15 feet below about 5 yards shorter. Long clubs, which land at a flatter angle, feel the change a little more than wedges.
How does wind affect golf distance?
A common rule is to add 1% of the distance for every mph of headwind and take off about 0.5% per mph of tailwind. TrackMan data shows why the two differ: a 20 mph headwind cost a 6-iron 39 yards of carry, while the same tailwind added only 23.
How do you calculate plays-like distance in golf?
Start from the yardage to the target, add or subtract the elevation change, adjust for the wind, then take off what the altitude and temperature add to your carry. The result is the distance you'd need to hit at home, so you choose the club for that number.
Plays-like distance calculator
Altitude, uphill or downhill, temperature and wind
This golf altitude calculator from Moor Golf uses rules of thumb drawn from launch monitor studies: about 1% more carry per 1,000 feet of altitude and 0.8% per 10°F (TrackMan), the one-for-one rule for elevation change, and 1% per mph of headwind against 0.5% per mph of tailwind. Ball, spin and launch all change the real numbers, so treat the result as a starting point and trust your own data where you have it.
Moor Golf accepts no responsibility for decisions made with this tool.