Pitching and chipping
Pitching and chipping from rough is an art for some, but I find it's a simple calculation of the same type as rough and fairway shots combined.
1. Figure out the distance of the shot in yards to the hole and add or subtract half the height in inches. This will be exact if you divide the height change in inches by 12 (12 inches in a foot) For instance, a pitch of 20 yards and an elevation of 12 inches adds 1/2 yard to the shot, which would be 20.5 yards
2. Multiply by 5% less than the minimum of the rough indicator and add that to the shot.
3. Subtract the "flier" factor...(yes, even for a short chip or pitch, there will be a flier factor)
4. Then divide by the distance of the club selected.
5. Then multiply by the green speed factor.
a. FAST...87%
b. VERY FAST...84%
c. TOURNAMENT 11...80.5%
d. TOURNAMENT 12...77%
e. STANDARD …. 90%
f. SLOW.... 93%
6. Then factor in the ratio of elevation to drop by seeing what the height is at the hole and the height at 4 yards or so from your ball and do a ratio calculation to figure how much to add or subtract in percentage to the shot. For instance, a 20-yard shot with a 30-40% lie to a fast green with a drop of 12 inches from 4 to 20 yards would calculate as follows: 20 minus 6 inches (19.5 feet) plus 25% (5% less than 30% for rough) now you have 24.375 yards times 87% (green speed factor) ...now you have 21.2062...then divide by your club selection distance (mine would be 22 yards) which gives 96.3%...then the ratio of 12 inches to 16 yards (the distance to height ratio) which is 75% or a 7.5% reduction, so take off 7.5 percentage points from the 96.3% and you get 88.8% for the final shot calculation with your 22-yard club, and the ball goes in or next to the hole depending on your aim. Trust me, it works every time. There is a rough factor of 1 yard for every 12.5 yards you would subtract from the shot BEFORE you do the final touch factor, but sometimes the angle you hit the ball at to pop it out of the rough and over the fringe which will come into play, but on longer shots, I don't pay much attention to it unless I really need to get super-close to the hole. It's your choice, and every situation is different, since you may be pitching uphill or downhill and where you are on the course next to the green. Always see how far your ball flies before it hits the green on a chip, pitch, or flop so you can use that information very quickly later for reference.
7. Ding the meter.