A headwind is not the same problem as a gust
A steady breeze gives you a relatively consistent problem to plan around. A gust can arrive between choosing a club and striking the ball. Keep the forecast mean wind and gust value separate: neither tells you the exact wind at a sheltered tee or elevated green. Trees moving beside the clubhouse do not describe every hole.
Think about your route through the course. A sheltered opening can hide the conditions on a later ridge or beside a lake. Returning directly to the clubhouse may be awkward once the round is under way. Choose a format that gives you an earlier exit if the forecast is uncertain.
Why comfort and playability can disagree
You may feel warm enough while finding that controlling a shot is frustrating. The scorer combines that wind penalty with rain, visibility and temperature; it does not model ball flight or club choice. A lower score is a reason to inspect those inputs, not a prediction of your handicap or a guarantee that a particular shot is playable.
Do not invent a new maximum wind limit for every golfer. A beginner, a competitive player and someone using a trolley face different practical difficulties. Local rules, damage, closures and official warnings take priority over an illustrated GO score.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusts 35 km/h | 85/100 | GO | windy — affects your shots |
| Gusts 48 km/h | 64/100 | MAYBE | windy — affects your shots · MAYBE cap |
| Gusts 50 plus rain | 45/100 | MAYBE | rain likely; strong wind · 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": "Gusts 35 km/h",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 35,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
},
{
"example": "Gusts 48 km/h",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 48,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
},
{
"example": "Gusts 50 plus rain",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0.3,
"pop": 60,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 50,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 61,
"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
Secure loose covers and avoid leaving equipment where it can roll or blow away. Keep extra layers accessible during waits. If the most exposed holes look unsuitable, choose sheltered practice or postpone; buying a windproof layer does not remove the gust penalty.
Questions about Too windy to play golf? Gusts, shots and course decisions
Is 35 km/h an automatic NO-GO?
No. In otherwise benign complete example inputs, 35 km/h gusts lose 15 points. Other conditions and caps can change the final verdict.
Does this calculate how far my ball will travel?
No. Wind direction, trajectory, spin and course geometry are not model inputs.
Does a GO mean the course is open?
No. Check directly with the course.
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.