Tips For Beating Heat On Golf Course

Don't look now but the dog days of summer are nearly upon us. Our last respite of cool weather has long since taken flight, leaving us with the heat and humidity of summer. If these past few weeks are any indication, this summer's dog is a big, panting Saint Bernard named Beast.

Of course this time of year also comes with its advantages. It can be the best time to play golf in the South. The courses are less crowded and greens fees are at their lowest. Everywhere across the continent, it's daylight until well after eight o'clock in the evening. No need to play hooky from work or put off mowing the grass on Saturday morning.

There is one very big problem though -- trying to beat the heat this time of year. Riding in a cart helps, but your body needs more than a taxi to stay cool and comfortable. The main concern for everyone playing any sport in the heat should be avoiding heat exhaustion, stroke and dehydration.

Cool Bodies

Sweating is the most significant way that the body cools itself to maintain a safe and stable temperature. Because summer weather is usually humid, our sweat doesn't evaporate easily and our bodies don't cool as efficiently as possible. As a result, we sweat more and need to consume more fluids to help our body stay cool and perform at its best.

When you go to the course for your round, bring a couple of bottles of water with you. Most courses have cups, ice and water available before you hit the first tee. Take advantage of this. Grab a couple of cups and fill them with as much ice as they will hold, then top them off with water. While some courses won't allow you to bring a cooler with you onto the course, you can stow canned drinks in your bag for consumption during your round. To keep them cold, toss then in the freezer for an hour or so and then wrap them in newspaper before hiding them in your bag. Some courses provide you with a cooler or give you a soft-sided cooler bag for your drinks. If they do, make sure that it's loaded with ice and store your drinks in it.

Drink Up

It's important that you drink before you're thirsty. Just watch the guys in a bicycle race. These guys drink all of the time, going through two or three big bottles of water in an hour. Of course, you're not riding a bike 120 miles in the sweltering heat, but you'll be surprised how much better you will play when you're not constantly searching for the next water cooler.

Many courses have a roving beverage and snack cart. These carts offer everything from water, to soda, to sports drinks, to beer along with crackers, candy, fruit and sandwiches.

Sports drinks such as Gatorade and the like help to replenish your body with the fluids and electrolytes that your body loses while perspiring. These drinks are also loaded with carbohydrates that provide the energy your body needs to play 18 holes of golf.

Fruits are probably best for giving you a boost of long-lasting energy. Candy bars provide quick energy, but their effects diminish just as quickly. For me, bananas, apples, peaches or pears are easy to carry and easy to eat. Bananas help to prevent the buildup of cramp-causing lactic acid in the muscles, which is a frequent occurrence during exercise.

Don't Lose Your Cool

The most important concern for yourself and your playing partners should be avoiding heat exhaustion or, even worse, heat stroke. There are a lot of ways to do that. Always wear shorts, and light colored shirts. It may sound crazy, but wearing an undershirt will also help. The undershirt helps get your perspiration away from your body where it can evaporate more quickly, helping the cooling process.

If you feel too warm at the turn, stop by the clubhouse, grab a cold drink and soak up the air conditioning. Sure you may miss your place on the 10th tee and find yourself a little stiff when you begin play again, but it's much better than passing out on the 12th green.

While hats are great for keeping the sun off of your head and face, they can make you warmer. Your body discharges most of its heat through your head. Medical experts state that as much as 70% of your blood is in your head at any given time. If your head is hot, so is the rest of your body. Therefore, if your head is cool, the rest of your body will be as well. I like to take my cap off when I'm riding along in the cart. The sun isn't beating down on me and the breeze created by driving the cart helps to cool my head.

Some of my playing partners like to take along an extra towel or two. They dampen these towels at every water cooler and lay them across the back of their necks or over their heads when not hitting a shot, or wipe their face and arms with them in an effort to keep cool. There is even a company, Shima, which makes a special towel that is specifically designed for cooling and drying. The towel holds water without dripping and remains cool and damp for several holes. There are even towels with an insert that can be frozen overnight and used like an ice pack during your round. Blu Bandoo is a company that makes scarves, visors and hats with a gel that, when soaked in water before and during your round, keep your head and neck cool for hours.

Call The Doctor

If you are currently taking medication, your body may need even more assistance to keep cool. Some medications interfere with sweating, putting you at a greater risk of having a life-threatening heat stroke. Blood pressure and heart medicines that slow the heart rate force the body to work harder to get rid of heat. Check with your doctor to see if your medication could be putting you at risk and what measures you should take to lesson your chances of heat-induced illness.

Know The Symptoms

If you begin to feel the effects of extreme thirst, nausea, dizziness, headaches, elevated temperature, if your skin looks pale, your pupils appear dilated or your muscles start to cramp, there is a good chance that you are suffering from heat exhaustion. The best thing to do is immediately get to a cool place and rest. Replenish your body by drinking large amounts of fluids and eating generously salted foods to help your body return to its normal balance.

Heat stroke is much more serious and can quickly become deadly. Symptoms of heat stroke include hot, dry skin with a grayish tint, dilated pupils and a body temperature that may rise to more than 104 degrees. Anyone suffering from heat stroke must be treated quickly. Immerse the victim in a cool water or ice bath and call 911 immediately.

Finally, a step many of us forget. If you've watched the Tour players warming up before their round, you will notice that all of them have added another step to their warm-up routine. The first thing they do is to put sunscreen on every exposed body part. The effects of sunlight on our skin can be deadly. Skin cancer is becoming more and more prevalent with the depletion of the Earth's protective ozone layer. A few minutes spent putting on sunscreen could save your life, or least keep you from looking like a beet.

We all want to enjoy our round and play our best. When temperatures rise, your golf game doesn't have to fall. If you're careful and follow a few of these tips, you can make sure that your next round isn't your last.

Take On Sergio On A Course You Design

Microsoft and Golf Digest recently launched a golf course design contest and the winner will get to play against Sergio Garcia on the greens and in cyber space.

The promotion is through Microsoft's computer golf game Links 2001 that has the Arnold Palmer Course Designer as part of its software. The contest is open until August 31 and you can log onto to www.thearmchairarchitect.com for more details.

The winner of the 18-hole course design contest will win an all expense paid trip for two to play head-to-head against PGA Tour professional and two-time 2001winner Sergio Garcia on nine holes of their designed course, followed by nine holes on an actual golf course.

So sharpen your game and your pencil and see if you can play as well as Sergio and design as well as Arnie.

Want more Stammer? Check out his archive of recent columns.

Editor's note: James Stammer is a freelance writer living in Florida. He has played golf for better than a quarter-century. To reach James, e-mail him at jstammer@yahoo.com.