Tips for playing in the heat

[McMunch]

Played 18 with a morning tee time at a walking only course on a day with an high temp and higher index. Did the usual fluids thing but really struggled.

 

Wanted to know if anyone has any tips/ hacks for staying cool/ comfortable/ lucid including things like preparatory electrolyte loading the day before which one of my friends did and didn't struggle as much as I. 

Hoping that maybe some of the southern golfers have some useful advice. Thanks.

[MattM97]

Big brim hat, electrolyte packs, a wet towel you can wrap around your neck or just wipe off. 

 

I will say the biggest one is mineral sunscreen, a good one like SPF 50 with zinc oxide. Yeah you'll get some white film on your skin and can leave a residue feel but I find it does better than a chemical sun screen that absorbs more into the skin. Obviously chemical is better than nothing I like mineral for long days in the sun. 

 

A bonus one outside of really light clothes is a change of clothes, just toss on a new shirt at the turn can definitely make you feel better. I've heard stories of like Ernie Els changing shirts or pants during a tournament because of the heat in some places. 

[Kai Slater]

Lifelong southerner here; living in Florida and Tennessee/Georgia.  My advice would be to keep doing as you mentioned with the gatorade/electrolyte drinks and simply don't think about it; keep your mind on other things.  The heat discomfort is largely a mental game.  Learn how to subjugate the feelings of being hot and instead, just enjoy the golf and turn your attention to aspects of the game, golf course, etc...  The more you focus and dwell on being hot, the more it seems to wear you down.

[ae1985]

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

[Kai Slater]

1 minute ago, ae1985 said:

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

Try some weightlifting/rock climbing chalk.  That does pretty good in high humidity.  On the brighter side, one good thing about heat/humidity to look forward to is that the ball travels/carries much better.  You can really hit some bombs off the tee in hot/muggy air.

[gripandrip]

A change of shirt is nice, but I usually will just change socks if my feet are uncomfortable.

 

If you walk with a golf cart, use the umbrella attachment to keep the sun off. I also try to walk the edge of the fairways and take advantage of any shade from the trees if it is available. Sit when you are waiting if possible. I have a bench attachment for for Clic Gear cart so I always have a seat.

 

My old cycling coach used to say.. Never run when you can walk, never stand when you can sit.

[gripandrip]

4 minutes ago, ae1985 said:

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

I will typically go through 2-3 glove changes over the round.. just let them dry out and do it again. 

[caniac6]

7 minutes ago, ae1985 said:

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

Rain glove works well.

[Fuscinator]

I like playing in the heat. Adopting a similar delusion is likely the answer.

[Pepperturbo]

When I walk/pushcart or play using cart in desert high temps, I carry one container filled with ice water, another container for water and packets of LivPur Hydrate.  Also carry an ice backpack with ice and a towel to wipe down.  Amazing how much nicer golf is at 110'.  Since Covid-19, many courses no longer provide water stations or an ice container.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Pepperturbo

[darkhelmet]

Cooler or even a large thermos with ice, water, and a few small towels inside.  Between shots, partially wring out a towel and drape it across the back of your neck.

 

Literally (thermodynamics at work) pulls the heat from your body.

[Greenie]

1 hour ago, ae1985 said:

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

I scrub my grips the night before with Wesleys Bleach White or Dawn dish soap and dry them off with a towel.

 

I change gloves as needed during my round.

 

If it gets really bad gripping a club I will use my rain gloves. They work really well in humid situations.

[Greenie]

Clothing: I wear white shorts and white shirts. I wear a floppy type of hat. I have many styles. Aussie Chiller soaker hats are great hats in extreme heat. I have a Frog Togg chilly pad to wrap around my neck or to use as a towel. 

 

I drink a bottle of Gatorade Zero on the way to the course. I drink 8 oz of water or more per hole. Making the turn I'll start on another bottle of Gatorade Zero and switch back to water when done with the Gatorade. I usually drink another bottle of Gatorade Zero when done.

[Desert Golf]

I played today in Palm Springs and the high will be 117F. Saturday is forecast to have high of 121F and Sunday will be 120F.  At least it is usually a nice dry heat 🙂

 

We tee off no later than 7am (615am today) and usually finish by 10am but it’s still triple digits by then.  Although I like to walk it’s carts only during our summers with lots of hydration.  A wet towel around head/neck helps too.

 

I love playing in the summer because the courses usually have very few golfers except us desert rats who are acclimated to the extreme heat.
 

Be careful out there in the heat and avoid alcohol.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Desert Golf

[North Butte]

1 hour ago, ae1985 said:

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

Tee off after 10am so you will be playing in lower relative humidity. Not only is the free-air RH lower typically in the afternoon, on golf courses in the morning you’re walking on completely saturated, irrigated grass which makes the ground level humidity 100% until some of that excess moisture dissipates. Also, be sure you have a couple of dry towels or washcloths with you to wipe your hands and wrists immediately before every shot. 
 

As for dealing with the heat, overall, the biggest single thing you can do is keep an umbrella over your head as much as possible for the time you’re out there. I also second @MattM97‘s endorsement of mineral (aka white paint🤫) sunscreen. Walk a little slower, try not to get too excited or agitated, just focused on keeping yourself on an even keel and conserving energy. 
 

And if you can get a towel soaked in ice water on the back of your neck at a couple points during the round for five minutes, it will make a world of difference. 

[getitdaily]

I live in Orlando so you're in my world.

 

1. If you wait to hydrate the day of, it's too late. Lots of water the day before you play.

2. Make your own electrolyte drink. 3 solid shakes of salt. 2 tbl sp lime or lemon juice. Sugar free flavoring as needed. Fill with water.

3. Eat while you play. PB crackers, almonds, and banana.

4. Avoid coffee (it's a diuretic)

5. Drink plenty of water while u play...along with the electrolyte mix.

6. Cold, wet towels around your neck if you're a Northern pansy..I mean, notherner.

7. Bet me even up with auto presses at 1 down from holes 15-18.

[Jifmoli]

I live in the tropics (Vanuatu) and played most of my golf in the Solomon Islands. The Sollies are hot and humid: about 30 degrees Celsius year round.

 

Main thing to do is to drink regulalry, not just when you feel thirsty. I used to put 2 1.5liter water bottles in the bag and have 2 big gulps before every t-shot. It would last the 2 rounds though halfway I would have have a coke or so as well. On occasion I would get a bottle of cold water (or ice water from the eski at the far end of the Honiara Golf course) and poor it on my head and neck.

 

Don't preload on electrolytes. Those drinks work to replace what you have lost. Not good to stuff your kidneys with them. Bring it during the round or bring a salty snack. I often have some salted peanuts with me.

 

Do drink lots of water the day before a round to ensure your cells are saturated. Being hungover (= dehydration) won't help your case..!

 

Extra glove will help though i never did. I did what is considered by many to be very wrong...stuck a small towel through the belt loop of my shorts so i could wipe my hands at any time without going to the bag. I don't care much for appearances..

 

Over time you will get used to the heat.

[LeoLeo99]

The older I get, the harder it is to deal with the heat/humidity on the golf course.  I don't recall it ever being that hot when I was younger that I thought about not playing due to the heat.  One thing that I need to be cognizant about is my blood pressure.  It drops quite a bit if I get dehydrated on the golf course and it's tough to putt after replacing my ball and standing up and blacking out for a few seconds until the blood gets back to my brain.  After golf in the heat my BP can drop to 90/65.  I've stopped taking my BP meds the night before golf.  Another thing that I do try to drink a lot of fluids the day before.  Don't want to start out already dehydrated.    I wore a sunshirt and used an umbrella last week and felt a lot peppier than my golf buddies.  

[getitdaily]

3 minutes ago, Jifmoli said:

I live in the tropics (Vanuatu) and played most of my golf in the Solomon Islands. The Sollies are hot and humid: about 30 degrees Celsius year round.

 

Main thing to do is to drink regulalry, not just when you feel thirsty. I used to put 2 1.5liter water bottles in the bag and have 2 big gulps before every t-shot. It would last the 2 rounds though halfway I would have have a coke or so as well. On occasion I would get a bottle of cold water (or ice water from the eski at the far end of the Honiara Golf course) and poor it on my head and neck.

 

Don't preload on electrolytes. Those drinks work to replace what you have lost. Not good to stuff your kidneys with them. Bring it during the round or bring a salty snack. I often have some salted peanuts with me.

 

Do drink lots of water the day before a round to ensure your cells are saturated. Being hungover (= dehydration) won't help your case..!

 

Extra glove will help though i never did. I did what is considered by many to be very wrong...stuck a small towel through the belt loop of my shorts so i could wipe my hands at any time without going to the bag. I don't care much for appearances..

 

Over time you will get used to the heat.

Good post 

[getitdaily]

One thing I forgot...have a big towel or an extra towel. You'll want to constantly dry from your elbow to your fingers on your non-glove hand.

 

Use 2-3 gloves and rotate them

[McMunch]

All great advice. I have been on GolfWrx for years but as a stalker only never responding or posting. I'm so glad I do now.

 

and getitdaily: I never used to be a pansy but probably now I'm a huge one. So sad...Getting old sucks.

LL99- loved the blood pressure angle..63 years old and on BP meds so definitely something to look at. 

 

[OnTheBag]

A lot of it is acclimatization.  When I was caddying full time, we would run the AC in the hotel room immediately after the round to drop body temp, but turn it off for the night and open the windows (when possible).  Eventually you just get used to being hot and your body thinks it is the norm.  I mix gatorade 50/50 with water because I don't process sugary drinks well.  Pedialyte is another good one but taste like crap.

 

Born and raised in the Deep South without air conditioning....so I may just be immune to the heat.  

Edited July 14, 2023 by OnTheBag

[Mike_C]

Lots of good advice on this thread.

 

As a transplanted northerner to the south, it took me awhile to get acclimated.   I went from Michigan to New Mexico about 18 years ago, and that was easy as it was so dry.   Moved to Durham NC in September 2008 from Santa Fe, and thought I was going to die right away from the humidity.  I insisted on walking as much as possible, but eventually gave it up when the temps got over 95.  Moved to east Texas about 10 years ago, very similar to NC.   

 

The humidity is the worst for me, I didn't realized how humid it is in the south in the morning (I sweat a lot), an 8am tee time might be worse than teeing off at noon if you don't prepare yourself.  But I would say by the time I was here in Texas a couple of years I was really getting used to the heat.  I used to use  Dry Hands to help me hold the club all the time in the worst of the summer,  but haven't used it in years......

 

But I must say, this past month has been brutal down here....

[MFBach]

Pretty good coverage ITT. Being in the Southeast, heat is just something you deal with and get used to, I guess. The most important things to remember, which I’ve already seen mentioned for the most part. 
 

1. Sunscreen - put it on at home. Let it dry. Get ready to play. Spraying yourself in the parking lot as you get sweaty is too late to matter. It doesn’t just keep you from burning, it blocks UV rays, keeping your skin cooler.
 

2. Multiple Gloves - it’s not just hot, it’s humid down here. Like, 80-90% some days. In those cases, sweat doesn’t dry and you’re going to need more than one glove to make it through a round.
 

3. Towels - lots of towels. At least two, maybe three or four if you’re using club towels as well. Keep your skin/head dry to help dissipate heat… basically, let’s your sweat more, hence the towels.
 

4. Extra Shirt - this is my favorite. Nothing like a fresh, dry shirt at the turn to really make you feel better about the miserable heat. It’s going to be soaked in 3 holes anyway, but it helps me mentally. Like a refresher.  
 

5. Hydrate - Seems obvious, but here we are. Don’t just drink water. Someone mentioned Pedialyte, but I keep the mixable powder pouches in my bag. Dump one in an ice cold water, drink it fast, get it over with. The salt in it allows you to actually hydrate as opposed to urinating behind a tree every three holes as the water runs through you. 
 

There’s other things you can do… don’t wear cotton, obviously. Nobody likes walking around in a wet towel. Wait in the shade, when possible. Don’t book a 2:00 tee time when it’s 95+ outside. All things you learn pretty quickly living in a hot, humid climate. 

[Kai Slater]

21 minutes ago, MFBach said:

..........There’s other things you can do… don’t wear cotton, obviously. Nobody likes walking around in a wet towel. Wait in the shade, when possible. Don’t book a 2:00 tee time when it’s 95+ outside. All things you learn pretty quickly living in a hot, humid climate. 

 

I actually don't mind those afternoon tee-times in the heat because, 9 times out of 10, I have the course mostly to myself!!  I can play and hit as many mulligans as I want to practice.  As I mentioned before, the heat is mostly a mental game, you just have to mentally subjugate the discomfort and press on.  After a lifetime of being in Florida and Tennessee (very hot/humid also) .....Three good things about playing in the heat/humidity:

 

--Sweat out the toxins in your body!!

--Oftentimes have less crowds at the course!!

--The ball flies better in the heat; hit some bombs off the tee!!!

[MFBach]

16 minutes ago, Kai Slater said:

I actually don't mind those afternoon tee-times in the heat because, 9 times out of 10, I have the course mostly to myself!!  I can play and hit as many mulligans as I want to practice.  As I mentioned before, the heat is mostly a mental game, you just have to mentally subjugate the discomfort and press on.  After a lifetime of being in Florida and Tennessee (very hot/humid also)

I wasn’t knocking afternoon tee times at all. I regularly play between 1-2p on the weekends and endure the weather because I can get 18 played with a group in 3-4 hours. I’ve lived in FL, AL, and TN my entire life, so to say I’m used to it is an understatement. It’s a bit of a love/hate relationship, but I’d never trade it for freezing temps. 

[LeoLeo99]

1 hour ago, McMunch said:

All great advice. I have been on GolfWrx for years but as a stalker only never responding or posting. I'm so glad I do now.

 

and getitdaily: I never used to be a pansy but probably now I'm a huge one. So sad...Getting old sucks.

LL99- loved the blood pressure angle..63 years old and on BP meds so definitely something to look at. 

 

I accidentally took my BP meds last night and played this morning.  I just took my BP at the grocery machine.   90/67.  Lol.  My wife was her typical 97/70 so I think it's accurate. 

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

3 hours ago, Mike_C said:

But I must say, this past month has been brutal down here...

Absolutely agreed.  This is a once a decade heat wave for us.

 

Double-check that any medication you're taking doesn't have a side effect of making you susceptible to heat., through dumping your blood pressure, interfering with salt balance, etc... 

 

I used to think I was acclimated---playing Sharpstown (Houston) on an August afternoon, and being fine so long as I could have water.  I've had a few recent brushes with heat stroke despite drinking liter after liter.  Not great, and pretty much means no play for me until something gets fixed.  Limited practice seems tolerable, but not 4 hours in this.

 

Great tips in the thread.

 

[third-times-a-charm]

Drink water. Change your socks. Rub dirt in it.

 

[ANimz]

6 hours ago, ae1985 said:

How about dealing with high humidity? Clubs feel like they twist in my hands on impact even with a glove.

Rain gloves are my go to.  But I recently had a trip to Arkansas, and my buddy says everyone there uses a product called GripShield.  It is available on Amazon.  Another friend was with me from Nebraska, and when he got home he made the purchase.  He 100% loves the stuff.