HOT DAY OF GOLF - HOW TO STAY COOL

Well the height of Golf Season is underway.  The temperatures are rising and the days are getting hotter and hotter.  With the normal slow play at golf courses today you can expect to be out in the heat for five to six hours on a busy weekend, it is a recipe for heat exhaustion or worse.  Heat related illnesses are responsible for thousands of hospital trips when temperatures and humidity are high.  If you leave untreated, severe heat exhaustion could lead to heat stroke or death.  Before you play your next round in the extreme heat and humidity take a few precautions that will keep you comfortable, let you play to your maximum potential and keep you from possibly losing your life.

The key to avoid heat exhaustion is to stay properly hydrated.  In order to prepare to maintain proper hydration starts the day before.  You know the day before that it will be extremely hot, start drinking plenty of water the night before so when you start your round your body has adequate amount of water.  You can loose up to 2 liters of water an hour during the course of a round if you are sweating a lot.    In order to replenish the water in your body you will need to drink 2 to 3 cups of water an hour, that translates into about one 8 ounce bottle of water per hour of play.  Most courses will have water coolers on the course, not always cold.  So if you want cold water, you can refrigerate some bottles the night before and pack them in an ice cooler before your start your round, or you can buy cold water at the golf courses and they will provide you an ice cooler.

Another easy thing you can do is wet a towel before and during the round or place damp towels around the iced bottles of water which you can used to put over your face and neck to keep you cool.

By dressing for the summer you can also beat the heat.  You should wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing which reflect the heat of the sun.    Many golf apparel manufacturers have clothing lines that use fabrics that have moisture wicking properties.  These shirts and blouses will soak up the sweat leaving you dry and keep them from sticking to your body allowing you to swing freely.  There are even some fabrics that have UV protection to keep you from getting sunburn.   You should also wear a hat to keep your scalp from burning.  If you can wear a wide brimmed hat,  that would be best, it will offer you the most protection to your neck and ears.  You should also wear sun screen of at least 20spf.  Put the sunscreen on before you start your warm-up and more at the 9 hole turn.

Of course, the best way to beat the heat is to avoid it all together.  If you are going to play around during extreme heat try and get tee time before 10am and after 5pm.  This will keep you out of the hottest times of the day between noon and 4pm.

In case you do decide it is to hot to play golf, below is an alternative.....


Feel free to leave comments of your hot golf days......