Keeping Cool on the Golf Course

cool playing golf

There has been some hot temperatures in the United Kingdom recently and as we enter the summer months, things will continue to heat up.

While that’s good news for golfers and makes playing the sport a pleasure, you should always remain vigilant when playing golf in the heat.  Today we have some great tips to keeping cool on the golf course.

Some of these may seem obvious but it’s good to check through them before you head out for 18 holes on a warm day.

Drinking plenty of fluid when playing golf in warm conditions is very important.  If you become dehydrated on the course, it can be very dangerous, especially if you are playing alone.  Try and drink at least three litres of water to keep yourself hydrated.  Having one can of fizzy drink is not enough and your body and golf will suffer as a result.

Wearing a cap will help to keep the sun off your head and sunglasses will keep it out of your eyes.  If the sun is beating down on your head, you will soon become very hot and bothered and it’s easy to get burned.  Wearing a simple cap will keep you cool on the golf course and prevent headaches which can come from long exposure to the sun.

Its always a good idea to have a few additional golf gloves with you in warm conditions.  Gloves can quickly become sweaty and the feeling of sliding your hand into a warm, sweaty glove before playing a shot is unappealing.

If it is a very hot day, soaks some towels in cold water and take them with you in your bag.  Dip in between holes or while you are waiting for other players to tee off and hang the towel around your head for a few seconds to cool off.

If there are water hazards on the course you could even use these to wet your towels and keep cool.  Just be careful when going close to the edge of a hazard as despite the warm conditions, we don’t want a full dunking.

Always wear appropriate clothing to keep cool on the golf course.  Light weight fabrics will aid breathability and wearing light colours also helps.  White reflects heat so if you have white polo shirts and trousers, this is the best combination for keeping cool when playing golf.  If you would like to add a bit of colour, light blue is a good one.

Finally, if you were heading to the beach on a warm and sunny day, you would use sun lotion and the same applies when playing golf.  If you are on a links course, with little in the way of tree coverage, you will be exposed to the sun and possibly wind for between four or five hours, which is dangerous.

Always apply sun block before a round of golf and keep it in your bag so you can reapply when required.