Quaich Tip of the Day: Into Thin Air

Ask any major league baseball player who has played at Coors Field in Denver: Balls fly farther in the mountain air; they also don’t curve or break as much. The same holds true for golf. The lighter air reduces lift and drag, enabling the ball to maintain speed better and fly longer and straighter. At a mile high, the same shot will travel 7 percent farther than it would at sea level. So a 250-yard drive at Pebble Beach will fly about 268 yards at Ironbridge Golf Club in Glenwood Springs. At the Cordillera Mountain Course, which sits above 9,000 feet, that drive will go 280 yards. To take advantage of these conditions, consider playing a higher-spinning ball than usual. The extra spin will give you more lift, increasing your carry.