Plays-like distance calculator
The yardage with the slope, wind, air and rain added. The same rules of thumb the Chalk Golf app shows under the yardage during a round.
Plays like
167150 yards · +15 wind · +2 air
10 mph into you
The rules of thumb
| Factor | Rule | At 150 yards |
|---|---|---|
| Slope | 1 yard per yard of rise or fall | 8 yards uphill: +8 |
| Wind into you | +1% per mph | 14 mph: +21 |
| Wind behind | −0.5% per mph | 14 mph: −10 |
| Crosswind | Aim 0.5% per mph across | 10 mph from the right: aim 8 yards right |
| Air | About 0.55% per 1% change in air density | 5 °C instead of 21 °C: +5 |
| Altitude | About 2% shorter per 1,000 ft | Denver, 5,280 ft: −15 |
| Rain | +3% in steady rain | +5 |
Every number is an estimate. A high, spinning ball is hurt more by wind than a low one, and your own flight decides the rest. The guide to calculating plays-like distance works through an example.
On the course
In the Chalk Golf app the round screen shows the plays-like number and a club under the yardage, with a breakdown a tap away and a one-line tip over the map. The Apple Watch shows the same number from its own GPS. It needs Pro, and Competition mode hides it for rounds under the Rules.
Plays-like distance in Chalk →Common questions
- What is plays-like distance?
- The yardage a shot behaves as, once the slope, the wind and the air are counted. A 150-yard shot 8 yards uphill into a 14 mph wind on a cold day plays nearer 180, so you club for 180, not 150.
- How do I calculate plays-like distance?
- Start with the yardage. Add a yard for every yard of rise, or take one off for every yard of fall. Add 1% of the yardage for every mph of wind into you, or take off 0.5% for every mph behind. Cold, dense air and rain add a little; altitude takes some off. This calculator does those sums with the same rules of thumb the Chalk Golf app uses on the course.
- Can I use plays-like distances in a competition?
- Not during a round played under the Rules of Golf. Rule 4.3a allows a device that measures distance, but not one that measures elevation changes or recommends a club. Weather information from a forecast, including wind speed, is allowed. Chalk's Competition mode hides the plays-like number, the club pick and the tip, and it is on by default for tournament rounds.
- Does temperature really change the distance?
- A little. Cold air is denser, so the ball flies a few yards shorter at 5 °C than at 21 °C, and a few yards longer on a hot day. Altitude matters more: thin air at 5,000 ft takes about 10% off. The rule of thumb here is 0.55% of carry per 1% change in air density.
- Why does the wind count double into you compared with behind?
- A ball flying into the wind climbs and spins more, which costs it carry, while a helping wind flattens the flight and gives back less than it took. The common rule is 1% per mph into and 0.5% per mph behind, and that is what this calculator uses.
- Where does Chalk get these numbers on the course?
- Wind, temperature and rain come from Apple Weather for where you are standing, the rise or fall comes from a terrain grid of the course, and the club comes from your own bag. The breakdown shows what moved the number.