Golf Talk With Greg Holman – #84

Click play to listen to Greg’s blog, or, read below.

We talked about etiquette before and preparing for the elements, but it’s time for a refresher course. This past weekend was a beautiful weekend for golf, but we’ve already seen some really steamy weather and you know there’s more on the way. July and particularly August are the hottest months of the year in Missouri. So how do you combat the heat on the golf course?

I was playing my second nine three weeks ago on a day that was in the upper 80s to low 90s but the humidity was terrible and I wasn’t ready for it. I had water but I needed to take more precautions. On the 14th hole I felt light headed like I was going to black out. I was he start of heat stress coming on. I sat down in the shade and continued to drink water. Where was my wet towel?

Here are some tips for playing in the heat.

It starts with a light breakfast or lunch. Now comes the preparation. Plenty of water… and bless those courses that have ice cold water at the tees on each hole. A cold beer might seem to hit the spot on a hot day but it will actually dry you out, especially several. You could dehydrate easily. So stock up on water, sunscreen, wear a hat.

Stay in the shade as much as possible. Bring wet towels for your neck, face and arms and dry towels to keep your grips dry. I mentioned to stay in the shade as much as possible, but you may be in a situation on the course where there are no trees providing shade. In that case you should be prepared to hit and don’t dwell over your shot in the hot sun.

Consider playing just nine holes when the temperature climbs over 90 or play in the early morning or early evening. Take care of yourself and your clubs.

One other thing: Bring several Gloves because just like your grips they will accumulate moisture. I will try to rotate maybe three gloves for the round.

I hope these tips help your golfing experience. Hit ’em straight!