5 Essential Tips for Staying Cool While Playing Golf During the Summer

You can beat the heat and enjoy a round of golf during the hot months of summer.

It is important to be prepared when embarking on your round of golf during the hot and sweaty dog days of summer. You are at a higher risk of dehydration, sunburn and potentially even heat stroke. Thankfully, you don’t have to be uncomfortable on the course. There are several ways to keep cool while enjoying your next round of golf this summer. We have gathered our 5 top tips for staying cool and beating the heat.

Hydrate…Hydrate…Hydrate

This may be the most obvious, but it is also the most important. When the temperatures rise, your body is going to sweat more which makes staying hydrated imperative to prevent dehydration. Sweating is good for the body – it keeps you cool so you may not want to towel off the next time you are feeling a bit ‘drippy.’ The U.S. National Research Council recommends eight to ten eight-ounce glasses of water a day. You are going to need more when you are outside playing golf in the heat. How much more? Well, that depends on several factors so pay attention to the signs of dehydration and increase your water consumption as needed. If you have a headache, muscle cramps, experience fatigue or have darker yellow urine or are urinating less, then grab some water and drink up! Learn more here.

Wear Breathable Tech Fabrics

Focus on fabrics that will wick away moisture. This means you should stay away from cotton which tends to get heavy as it soaks up your sweat and will not help you stay cool. Which fabrics wick moisture away from the body? Nylon and polyester are good choices. And don’t panic when you hear the word ‘polyester.’ This fabric is not what we all remember it to be from the 70’s. It has made technological leaps and bounds through the years and it is trendier and more stylish than ever before. Many companies have proprietary names for their tech fabrics that feature one of these synthetic materials.

The benefits for these fabrics are that they are breathable, lightweight, dry quickly, resist pilling and most importantly, they wick away moisture. When shopping in your local pro shop, look for the terms Dri-FIT when shopping Nike, ClimaCool for adidas, PLAY DRY for Greg Norman or ProDry for FootJoy.

Pay Attention to the Heat Index

Many of us consider the temperature when we book our tee time, but you are better served checking the heat index. The heat index measures how hot it really FEELS when factoring in relative humidity. For example, if the outside temperature is 92 degrees and the relative humidity is 70%, then the heat index tells us that it FEELS like it is 112 degrees. What does this mean for your summer golf? In this case, stay away from the heat of the day. Play either very early in the morning or only play 9-holes of golf to reduce the time spent outside. Click HERE to see the National Weather Service’s Heat Index Chart.

Use a Personal Water Mister

If you know you are going to spend 4-6 hours in the summer sun, then a personal mister is a must! Put ice water in the bottle and the cool mist will make it feel 10-30 degrees cooler. I never spend a day on the course without one!

Bag Boy even makes one that can attach to your golf cart. Click HERE to learn more.

Wear Protective Sun Sleeves

Few people consider wearing long sleeves during the summer, but there are numerous benefits to doing so. Most sun protective sleeves are UV protective and will protect your skin from sunburns. They are also moisture-wicking. Our customers tell us that they feel cooler with them on than when they are not wearing anything! Many companies make them, including Nike, Ice Rays , and iconic del Sol, but not many people have heard of them.

Follow these five tips to stay cool and safe this summer while still enjoying the outdoors during your next round of golf.