Rule of thumb: a headwind costs about 1% of carry distance per 1 mph. A tailwind gives back roughly half that. A crosswind drifts a driver about 1 yard per 1 mph. So a 250-yard drive into a 20 mph headwind carries roughly 200 yards, while the same drive downwind picks up only 12–16 yards.
| Wind | Into the Wind | Downwind | Crosswind Drift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mph | −5 to 8 yards | +3 to 5 yards | ~5 yards |
| 10 mph | −10 to 15 yards | +6 to 9 yards | ~10 yards |
| 15 mph | −18 to 25 yards | +9 to 13 yards | ~15 yards |
| 20 mph | −25 to 35 yards | +12 to 16 yards | ~20 yards |
| 25 mph | −35 to 45 yards | +14 to 18 yards | ~25 yards |
| 30 mph | −45+ yards | +15 to 20 yards | 30+ yards |
Wind doesn't just push the ball — it changes the aerodynamics of the flight. Into the wind, the ball's effective airspeed rises, which increases lift and spin effects: the ball balloons, peaks early, and falls steeply with little roll. Downwind, effective airspeed drops, the flight flattens, and the ball can't "ride" the wind as much as intuition suggests. That asymmetry is why the give-back is only ~50%.
Shorter clubs fly lower, spend less time in the air, and launch with more spin already, so the percentage effect is smaller — but the higher peak of a modern 7-iron still loses a full club (10–12 yards) in a 15 mph headwind. The practical adjustment: one club per 10 mph of headwind, half a club per 10 mph of tailwind.
High-spin shots get punished disproportionately into the wind. A hard-swung wedge into 15 mph can balloon and fall 20 yards short, while a controlled three-quarter swing with the same club flies almost normally. This is the physics behind "swing easy in the breeze": less clubhead speed means less spin, which means less ballooning.
Our playability score folds sustained wind and gust delta into a single 0–100 number for your city, and flags the calmest tee time window of the day.