3 COMMON SCENARIOS
THE SUMMER APPROACH SHOT
141 METRES TO PIN, 30°C, DRY, 5MPH TAILWIND It’s a beautiful summer’s day with light breeze and your driver splits the fairway. You’ve only got 141 metres to the flag and you know it’s playing shorter. It’s a midiron for most handicap golfers and let’s assume it would be a perfect 7-iron in 15°C with no wind. The extra 15°C at mid-iron is around five metres carry, a 5mph tailwind is roughly four metres and you should also allow for a couple of metres extra release in the firmer summer conditions and downwind. You need to select your club that carries around 129 metres.
Actual yardage: 141 metres Playing yardage: 129 metres
THE WINTER DRIVE
5°C, LIGHT RAIN, 10MPH HEADWIND There’s a daunting cross bunker in the fairway that requires a carry of 210 metres to clear it. You’d normally get over it without even thinking in the summer, but it’s the middle of July and conditions are far from ideal. Go for it or lay-up short? Let’s assume you carry your driver 224 metres in 15°C with no wind. That 10°C drop in temperature will cost you at least five metres, the rain another three metres and a 10mph headwind reduces carry distance by up to seven metres, so 15 metres in all. Knowing that, take a hybrid and lay-up.
Actual yardage: 224 metres Playing yardage: 209 metres
THE LINKS ADJUSTMENT
165 METRES TO PIN, 20°C, DRY, 15MPH TAILWIND, SEA LEVEL You play most of your golf on a parkland course at 1,000 feet above sea level but you’re on a links course, the sun shining and the sea breeze just starting to get up. It’s 165 metres, a perfect 5-iron for you in 15°C and no wind at your club. You drop to a 6-iron for the wind, but is that the right choice? Sadly, no. The extra 5°C increases carry by around three metres and the wind adds about 18 metres. The drop to sea level loses you two to three metres, but you can probably negate that with the extra release on the firmer links turf. Your shot is actually playing 17 metres shorter, which equates to about three clubs or just under.
Actual yardage: 165 metres Playing yardage: 148 metres