I found this:
Q: I am a golfer and a frequent topic of discussion is whether the golf ball flight is affected by the humidity. One school of thought is that the air is " heavy " on a humid day while another is that the air is lighter since the water vapor displaces the heavier nitrogen. The question is: How is a golf ball flight affected by humidity ?
Q: I’ve been told that dry air (no moisture) weighs more than moisture-laden air. Is that possible?
A: It's not only possible, it's the way things are. As mentioned in the first question, it is because water vapor replaces the heavier nitrogen gas. To see how this works, go to our Understanding air density page and scroll down to the "Humidity and air density" heading.
As for the golf ball, in theory it would go farther if hit by the same force on the humid day then on the dry day because the lower air density would decrease the aerodynamic drag on the ball.
But, it wouldn't be by much. Just for kicks I calculated the difference between air density on a 90-degree day with a dew point of 75 degrees - a very humid day in New Orleans in August, and a 90-degree day with a dew point of 20 degrees - a nice, dry, spring day in Phoenix.
The air density was only 0.97% less on the very humid than on the very dry day. Considering all of the factors that go into how far a golf ball travels, I suspect you'd never notice the difference.
Besides, you know how hot, humid weather saps your strength. I suspect you wouldn't hit the ball as hard on the hot, humid day after a couple of holes than you would on the dry day.
I did the calculations using the Engine Tuner's Calculator on the Web. For altimeter setting in the calculator, you can use 29.92 inches of mercury. For altitude, use the elevation of the golf course.
To find the latest temperature and dew point observations, type in the location of the golf course in the "Enter ZIP or city" box under the "More weather" heading on the right side of this page.
If you are wondering what dew point is and whether it's related to relative humidity, go to our Getting a handle on humidity page.
(Answered by Jack Williams, USATODAY.com weather editor, March 10, 2005)
Q: I am a golfer and a frequent topic of discussion is whether the golf ball flight is affected by the humidity. One school of thought is that the air is " heavy " on a humid day while another is that the air is lighter since the water vapor displaces the heavier nitrogen. The question is: How is a golf ball flight affected by humidity ?
Q: I’ve been told that dry air (no moisture) weighs more than moisture-laden air. Is that possible?
A: It's not only possible, it's the way things are. As mentioned in the first question, it is because water vapor replaces the heavier nitrogen gas. To see how this works, go to our Understanding air density page and scroll down to the "Humidity and air density" heading.
As for the golf ball, in theory it would go farther if hit by the same force on the humid day then on the dry day because the lower air density would decrease the aerodynamic drag on the ball.
But, it wouldn't be by much. Just for kicks I calculated the difference between air density on a 90-degree day with a dew point of 75 degrees - a very humid day in New Orleans in August, and a 90-degree day with a dew point of 20 degrees - a nice, dry, spring day in Phoenix.
The air density was only 0.97% less on the very humid than on the very dry day. Considering all of the factors that go into how far a golf ball travels, I suspect you'd never notice the difference.
Besides, you know how hot, humid weather saps your strength. I suspect you wouldn't hit the ball as hard on the hot, humid day after a couple of holes than you would on the dry day.
I did the calculations using the Engine Tuner's Calculator on the Web. For altimeter setting in the calculator, you can use 29.92 inches of mercury. For altitude, use the elevation of the golf course.
To find the latest temperature and dew point observations, type in the location of the golf course in the "Enter ZIP or city" box under the "More weather" heading on the right side of this page.
If you are wondering what dew point is and whether it's related to relative humidity, go to our Getting a handle on humidity page.
(Answered by Jack Williams, USATODAY.com weather editor, March 10, 2005)
