I fly at two clubs in Houston. One club has obstacles near the runway . The airmass flowing over the runway is very trubulent at times depending on the direction of the wind and wether those obstacles have created turbulance affecting the runway . Flying there with winds near 15 mph can be very challenging.

The other club has no obstacles near its runway. The airmass flowing over the runway remains smooth, (or laminar). Flying in winds up to 30 mph are common at this field. Those winds seem to be only minor. In fact, they feel nice and refreshing.

When people say that the airplane doesn't know that it is in a moving airmass they are essentially correct. Once you climb above the height of the low level turbulance created by obstacles, the airmass is generally laminar, unless an immediate phenonenom such as a storm or front is creating turbulence.

Of the two clubs that I belong to, the one with the poorest characteristics and the worse obstacle generated turbulence is by far the larger club. It has over 100 members and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing land and building facilities. The other club has only 24 people in it. But it is far superior because of the topography. Surveying a possible flying site for obstacles and then testing the site prior to commiting to a land purchase or rental agreement is essential. Not all sites are created equal. Some are great for flying in the wind and some are not.