A tee-time temperature misses the pauses
Golf includes periods of standing still as well as walking. A number that feels tolerable on the walk to the first tee may be less comfortable while waiting on exposed ground. The forecast’s feels-like value describes outdoor conditions at a model point, not how your clothing or pace changes your body temperature.
Look beyond the start of the round. An early frost, later rain or a colder return can matter more than the daily maximum. The explorer holds other factors fixed so you can see the exact cold branch; the real verdict combines them.
Frost and frozen surfaces need local information
A model cannot inspect frost on a green or the surface beneath a shaded path. The course can delay play even if the broader forecast appears benign. Do not infer a frost-free green from a GO or a slightly positive air temperature. Follow the grounds team’s restrictions.
Cold also changes the fallback plan. A shorter route with easy access to shelter can be a more useful choice than trying to complete a long round simply because the numerical score has not reached NO-GO. Stop and seek warmth if the conditions or your comfort are deteriorating.
Worked examples from the existing scorer
These complete hypothetical hours run through the same scoring functions used by the live tool. They are not observations or forecasts. The displayed effective score includes any cap.
| Example | Effective score | Verdict | Model reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like 6°C | 100/100 | GO | No model penalties |
| Feels-like 5°C | 64/100 | MAYBE | cold · MAYBE cap |
| Feels-like 0°C | 64/100 | MAYBE | freezing · MAYBE cap |
Exact example inputs and units
temp and feels: °C; wind and gust: km/h; precipitation: mm/h; visibility: m; rain probability, cloud and humidity: %. Weather code is WMO; UV is an index. Pressure, where shown, is context in hPa and does not affect this scorer.
[
{
"example": "Feels-like 6°C",
"inputs": {
"temp": 6,
"feels": 6,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 15,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
},
{
"example": "Feels-like 5°C",
"inputs": {
"temp": 5,
"feels": 5,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 15,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
},
{
"example": "Feels-like 0°C",
"inputs": {
"temp": 2,
"feels": 0,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 15,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
}
]Planning bands and the limits of the number
The existing model starts at 100, subtracts its condition penalties and applies critical caps. GO is 70–100, MAYBE 45–69 and NO-GO 0–44. A MAYBE cap limits the effective score to 64, and a NO-GO cap to 40. These are application suitability bands, not certified safe operating limits.
Rain branches are alternatives: matching probability, intensity and weather-code triggers do not mean adding the same rain penalty repeatedly. Separate factors can combine. A cap prevents benign temperature or dry weather from cancelling a critical flagged condition. Use the reasons beside the result to understand what changed.
The model requires complete numeric weather inputs. Missing visibility, rain probability or another required value returns Insufficient data; it is never filled with an invented favourable value. Local warnings, closures, equipment instructions and actual observations can change your decision even when the model returns GO.
Read the full golf methodology and thresholds. The model and these examples were cross-checked on 18 October 2026. No physical field-test or safety certification is claimed.
Equipment and an alternative plan
Use layers you can adjust, protect hands during waits and keep a dry spare layer available. Check footwear grip and the course’s frost policy before travelling. An indoor practice session or delayed start is an ordinary alternative, not a failure to meet the model’s threshold.
Questions about Too cold for golf? Feels-like temperature, frost and waits
Is feels-like the same as air temperature?
No. The model uses the supplied feels-like value for the golf temperature penalty.
Does 6°C certify a safe minimum?
No. The app’s boundary is not a medical or course standard.
Can the app confirm that greens are frost-free?
No. It has no surface inspection.
Sources and limits
The numeric application bands come from the existing GoNoGo scorer and methodology. External guidance is linked for its stated context; it is not presented as endorsement of this model.
Live forecast data is supplied by Open-Meteo. An illustrative model output is different from a live forecast, and a forecast is different from a local observation.