How to measure elevation change?

[glassila]

Get one of these. Remember to account for the height of your eyes above the tee box and the target above the playing surface. I also use Goole Earth for the general idea, but it can be very inaccurate in areas with lots of variation in elevation.

That's about 10 times what I'm willing to spend. It looks like a nice tool though.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

That's about 10 times what I'm willing to spend. It looks like a nice tool though.

Well, then there is always this one with the bonus that it actually has a "disc golf" mode that gives you the elevation AND its less than a third of the cost of the Nikon - so it's only less than three times what you are willing to spend. If you shop around enough you may find a golf rangefinder that includes the slope and actually tells you the angle. With a little trig, and knowing all the angles and the distance of the hypoteneuse, you could then calculate the elevation leg of the triangle.

I charged a course owner for sign graphics once and used the money to buy the Nikon so that I could put the elevation change on the signs.

 

[pmay5]

Uphill elevation is more important than downhill so you can better estimate the effective distance to reach the hole or landing area, which is roughly 3 times the elevation added to the lasered length.

Trying to do the math here ... on a 200 foot hole, 30 foot increase in elevation, so 3 X 30 = 90, that hole would play more like 290 feet?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Trying to do the math here ... on a 200 foot hole, 30 foot increase in elevation, so 3 X 30 = 90, that hole would play more like 290 feet?

The math is correct, but the elevation is greater than 10% of the length so it likely plays even longer than 290. It also matters whether it's a gradual slope upward or a 30 ft ledge after 200 feet. The gradual slope might be rollable unlike the ledge placement.

 

[pmay5]

Probably not the most accurate measurement, but the iPhone measures altitude on the Compass app. If it is off on actual altitude, it may be accurate for the change, from one spot to another.

FYI - if you are flying, and on the plane's Wifi, you can open that app and check your flight altitude. Pretty cool.

 

[DavidSauls]

Has anyone ever tested the elevation/distance ratio? It seems a reasonable ballpark figure, and it couldn't be tested precisely, but has anyone compared their level-ground throws with some elevation throws with the same discs, and measured the differences?

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

Has anyone ever tested the elevation/distance ratio? It seems a reasonable ballpark figure, and it couldn't be tested precisely, but has anyone compared their level-ground throws with some elevation throws with the same discs, and measured the differences?

This is going to be such a tricky thing to apply anywhere but on gradual slopes. Someone mentioned a gradual slope versus a sharper slope at the end of the throw. Of course, a sharper slope at the beginning of the throw could be much more problematic for an uphill throw but much more beneficial for a downhill throw. Overhill throws with no net elevation change from tee to basket will rob distance for those not utilizing a turnover.

Several holes on a course that I designed last year have these sorts of "non-conforming" elevation changes. Two have drops that begin around 200-300 feet from the tee box (robbing the player of the ability to throw downward off the tee). Two are uphill, but with the upslope only starting 200 feet or so from the tee box. Two have early upslopes and then flatten before reaching the basket. This latter type may as well be uphill all the way.

 

[DavidSauls]

We have a hilltop tee with a 60' elevation drop, and I'm not sure the formula works at extremes. We also have a net-level hole -- 700' long, uphill, then downhill. Not sure the elevation gains & losses zero each other out.

But I think it's a good rule-of-thumb, and I'm not asking about testing to dispute it. Just curious.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

I'm not sure the formula works at extremes.

My longest throw ever was 1,230 feet on Hole 18 at Solitude. According to Google Earth, the elevation change is -282 feet. I threw an Underworld slightly downward and it turned over and would have gone to the ground had it not been steeper than the disc's travel. I would have figured to be able to throw that disc about 300 ft over level ground, making the distance gain (my estimate) about 900 feet for 300 feet of elevation change FWTW.