PGLS

Played Castle Pines for the first time today and noticed that all of my wood and iron shots were traveling much longer than normal...I have read that designers can incorporate longer ball flights into high altitude courses....my question: Is there a guide/formula/algorithm to determine how one should adjust club distances as a function of elevation? Thanks...Harve

There probably is, but I have little idea what it is. To me, using a known formula or a chart would take away the fun of using trial and error and learning how to play that specific course on my own. I'm sure someone will come along with some help for those that want to skip that learning curve.

I'm not sure the designer has any control over ball flights.

Certainly they set the elevation for the course but I have a suspicion the actual PG software handles the ball flight based on that elevation.

Trial and error.

Always takes me a few holes to remember and then make adjustments as I feel necessary. Don't always get it right though with balls sailing over the green or falling way short. Adds to the fun of the round though :)

I have a model to simulate this.

at 15C, Driver is +5 yds per 1000 meters of elevation; PW is +2.3 yds per 1000 meters.
at 0 meters elevation, Driver is +3 yds per 5C; PW is 1.5 yds per 5C. PG doesn't model temperature, though.

Wind is another matter, not modeled correctly in PG (per conversation with Andrew). I've given him the correct formulation in the hopes that it finds its way to PG2.

Just my own calculations as a rough start I use 2% per 1000 feet in elevation. If a course is at 6000 ASL I use 12% so a normal sea level drive of 300 yds would travel 336+/- yards which is just over the 330 yds that JMK59 above suggests. Using that in reverse if I'm 200 yards from the green I would use a club that is 1/12% or 89% so 89% times 200 is 178 yards or roughly a 7 iron. As you get into the higher lofts such as 9i or PW these percentages are not as accurate and then becomes trial and error. Results can vary wildly depending on wind and fairway/green conditions.

And isn't the elevation used by Unity for the course is in meters? Hopefully, the reported elevation is in meters or has been converted properly to feet or yards.