Golf can be a dangerous sport, but it’s often the less obvious threats that cause medical emergencies on the course. Heat is a major killer. Fortunately, if you’re prepared, you can easily avoid heat exhaustion, which brings on dizziness, nausea, and muscle cramps, and the even more severe threat of heat stroke, where worst-case scenarios include unconsciousness and death.
Here are my 5 survival tips for playing golf when the temperature skyrockets…
Consider Your Tee Time
Golfers are creatures of habit. If they always play on a Monday at midday, they’re going to damn well play on a Monday at midday. But listen to the warnings on the weather forecast. If the weather man is saying the temperature and UV levels are off the charts, perhaps rethink your usual Monday routine.
Can you adapt? Are you choosing the best time of day to play golf? Can you manage an early or late tee time? The type of golf you play can also be adapted in extreme heat and there is no need to say yes to playing in everything.
The hottest day on record may not be the time for the monthly medal and I believe golf clubs have a responsibility to cancel some competition golf so members don’t even have the option.
Keep It Cool
Now you’d think common sense should prevail, but it’s incredible how many golfers do very little pre-game prep at any time, let alone in a heatwave. Preparation is everything if you want to stay hydrated and keep your core temperature down during your round.
Get set the night before, freeze some bottles of hydrating drinks In the morning, fill insulated water bottles with cold water, add a few ice cubes, and if you have decent bottles, they’ll stay icy.
Talking of staying hydrated, remember that preparation for playing golf, or in fact any activity in hot weather, begins way before you step out into the sun.
Pre-hydrate the day before and the morning of the round using electrolytes, and ensure that you continue to hydrate long into the evening after you’ve played. Try to keep alcohol consumption down, as the main goal is to stay hydrated and not have a hangover!
Lower your body temperature before you head out with a cold shower, ice plunge if your club has a spa, or simply eat a crushed ice drink. Your core will be cooler to begin with and this will help massively.
A cooling towel is an essential bit of kit in my golf bag for hot days. The material keeps you cool and you can constantly re-wet it with cold water from your water bottle. Look at cyclists or people in the building trade, they often have tricks to keep them cool when they’re outside in the sun with nowhere to hide. A roofer friend of mine swears by a wet towel round the back of his neck to keep him from overheating. This is proven to cool the body temperature and prevent melting.
A handheld fan is also a game changer, or even a fan that loops around your neck and blows air at you whilst you are putting or walking to and from a buggy.
Do Not Carry
Please don’t carry in hot weather… the less you exert yourself the better. Go for efficiency and use an electric or push trolley, or even better, book a cart. This will be your sanctuary when it is roasting. The roof will act as a sun shade and also enable you to carry an ice box full of cool hydrating goodies on board.
Flipping the windscreen down to half open will allow what breeze there is to flow into your face. You can attach fans to the sides and keep sun cream and water facial spritz at hand. Trust me, if you’re able to hire a cart then do it. You’ll then rejoice about your golf afterwards rather than moan about how much you melted.
Cover Up
The temptation to slap the sunscreen on and bare as much flesh as possible on the course is high when temperatures are on the up, but covering up with long sleeve UV protective clothing can keep you cooler.
The fabrics these days are extremely intelligent and will wick moisture away from your body, keep you at an optimum temperature and bounce the sun’s rays off. The heat of the sun can quite literally cook you, especially as it heats the ground you walk on, so the heat gets you from above and below.
Wear breathable golf shoes, light colours and a wide brim hat. Sunglasses will prevent headaches and eye strain. It goes without saying that a high factor sunscreen on any skin that is exposed is non-negotiable. Remember that golfers carry a much higher risk of developing skin cancers. According to Skincancer.org, on average it has been estimated that professional golfers receive 217 times the amount of ultraviolet
(UV) radiation needed to cause a sunburn over the course of the year. So cover up as much as you can, there is no such thing as a safe tan.
With this in mind, seek the shade. If you’re playing a tree-lined course, walk in the shade as much as possible and park your buggy or trolley in the shade. Utilise a sunshade umbrella when playing, there are some great lightweight brollies on the market. If you haven’t got one of those, then use a good old-fashioned giant golf umbrella to create a protective canopy over your head while you trundle your trolley along.
Be Efficient
Cut down the amount of your pre-game warm-up. Reduce the usual bucket of balls before playing to some stretching, chipping and putting. Artificial grass is one of the biggest causes of hotspots in towns and cities, and guess what is covering your practice area? The heat bounces off the fake grass and will literally bake you from below.
I’d advise against the range and instead find a shady spot to chip. The less you exert yourself, the longer you’ll survive out there. So conserve energy and be sensible about how you move about on the course.
No running back to get your putter from the bag after that bunker shot, take your putter with you. Be prepared and think ahead. Play Ready Golf. Leave your bag at the back of the green on the way to the next tee, all the usual stuff that helps play move along at a decent pace.
We all love playing golf, but there will be days where it will quite simply be too hot. When this happens, think about booking an air conditioned simulator or finding a cool shaded range that has full cover. Setting up a fan in a bay is ideal, this can still be great for your game. Nobody enjoys heatstroke, but follow these rules and here’s hoping you’ll avoid it.
