Playing tips  

Stay cool in the heat

Here is a general checklist of preparations and guidelines for golf in the hot weather. These are necessary not only to assure you’ll have the strength to sustain the physical and mental endurance requirements of playing your best golf on a particular day but also for sustaining general health for the next day and so on. Some items you may think you can get away with skipping, and you can on occasion, but you’ll find leaving some out will come back to haunt you in tomorrow’s round, for example, forgetting to wear sunscreen, it may not directly affect your play today but that night you won’t sleep well because that sunburn on your neck is real irritating, so tomorrow you’ll not only feel sunburned but tired on the first tee.

Control your energy level. The hot sun zaps energy quickly and you should be conscious of conserving energy whenever possible i.e., stay in the shade as much as possible, keep practice swings to a minimum, wear light colored, light weight cotton shirts and shorts, and move about slowly. Before you head to the course eat a well-balanced meal 30 to 60 minutes prior to teeing off. Maintain calorie and water intake frequently during the time you’re outside in the sun. Keep drinking water well after the round as your body is recovering and replenishing lost fluid.

Checklist

1. Hat- keep it lightweight and with a brim

2. Sunscreen- SPF 15 or higher

3. Wet towel - cool down your exposed skin and head often

4. Water bottle and Gatorade -take a drink every couple holes or more often when really hot, keep in a small cooler with ice if riding in a cart

5. Food items such as a peanut butter sandwich, nut- raisen and chex mix, endurance sports bars such as Clif Bar or MetrX Bar that offer sustained energy release as well as a candy bar or fruit for quick energy if you suddenly feel weak.

6. Umbrella- use for shade on open courses with no shady trees, etc.

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