Your Arizona Summer Golf Survival Guide

By Tom Mackin

Seven Canyons Golf Club, Sedona

Summer means three things for golfers in Arizona: substantially lower green fees, more available tee times, and hot conditions. Really, really hot. In 2018 there were 129 days above 100 degrees, and 22 days above 110 degrees in the state. Just check out the average temperatures last year for June (104), July (106) and August (105). And because of a dry climate, sweat evaporates much more quickly here than in other parts of the country. So you’re probably losing more water through your skin (which should be loaded up with sunscreen) and breath than you know. Dealing with the higher temperatures is serious business, and knowing how to survive the heat is critical to your health, not to mention your scores. Here are some factors to be aware of if you plan on teeing it up this summer.

Whirlwind Golf Club

COOL COURSES

Take advantage of what the course gives you. At the Westin Kierland Golf Club you can warm up under two 83-foot-long CoverShot canopies. Whirlwind Golf Club offers ice cold, mango-scented towels, which this summer will be offered to golfers post-round underneath two massive Tucci umbrellas in the staging/ finishing area. Book a tee time at The Boulders this summer and mention a “Truly Golf Round” (or when you sign up on line) and you will receive a complimentary Truly Hard Seltzer after the round. Grayhawk Golf Club created a UV protection station stocked with sun protection shirts. A UV Index alert sits prominently in the display pointing out the strength of the damaging UV rays for any given day. Sun screen lotion, sprays, lip balm, sun glasses and other protective gear are also on display. Golfers are paying attention — the UV Index meter and accompanying products led to a 20 percent increase in the sales of sun-protection-related goods.

WATER WORLD

Drinking fluids is a must to stay hydrated. But when you do that, and exactly what you drink is as important as how much you drink. “Definitely think about hydrating the night before or the morning of your round,” said Dr. Denise Millstine, Director of Integrated Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. “Also think about what you are doing that might be causing dehydration. What are you putting in your body that might be taking fluid out? Things like alcohol and coffee, or caffeine in general, contribute to that.” Warning signs of dehydration can include feeling unwell in general, headaches, nausea, sweating profusely, lower than normal urine output (and/or dark/cloudy urine), and an increased heart rate. “You should be drinking water all day anyway just to flush out your system, but if you’re going to be active outside during extreme heat, you really need water with salt,” said Dr. Millstine. “I would say lean toward sports drinks with the lowest sugar level and avoid sweeteners. Diet drinks are not really better. Keep your fluids as natural as possible — if the drink is blue or purple or red, there’s junk in that. An electrolyte drink, or an electrolyte powder (without added colors or additional chemicals), added to water is the best way to go. It might not taste as good as the sugary drinks, but it’s what you’re after when you need to hydrate.” How much fluid you should be taking in depends on your size and weight.

“A 200-pound man needs more fluid than a woman who weighs 100 pounds. But does that make the heavier person more prone to dehydration?” said Dr. Millstine. “Maybe if they didn’t keep up with hydration on the front end. Being in better physical condition can help somewhat, because a fitter body will be a bit more tolerant to a drop in hydration levels.”

Grayhawk Golf Club

FUNCTIONAL FASHION

What you wear is another safeguard against the heat. A hat is a must of course, and sun sleeves can provide another layer of protection. The latest golf shirts not only help keep you cooler, but they also protect against harmful rays.

“The wicking and moisture management fabrics became real dominant in the 2003 time frame,” said Ron McPherson, president of Antigua, the Peoriabased sports apparel company celebrating its 40 th anniversary this year. “Nike introduced ‘Dry Antigua Fit,’ Adidas introduced ‘Clima Cool’, Antigua introduced ‘Desert Dry,’ and other companies introduced their versions. All the wicking fabrics are of primarily synthetic materials and synthetic blends like polyester and spandex. The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) on these shirts will relate directly to the gram weight of the fabric.”

WEATHER REPORT

Paul Horton, chief meteorologist at CBS 5, saves most of his vacation time to get out of town for a chunk of each summer. But he’s also a golfer, and knows that not much will stop the diehards from heading to the fairways, no matter the temperatures. “Sunrise is the best time to start your round,” he said. “Normal lows during the summer are in the lower 80s. The worst part of the day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.”

He advises keeping an eye on the weather radar during the monsoon season, which runs from June 15 to September 30. “When those storms pass, it brings cool temps from way up in the atmosphere to the surface. We can see temperatures drop up to 30 degrees in some cases (although the humidity does rise). Check the radar closely and if the monsoon didn’t bring a significant amount of rain, and there’s not storms behind it, you might be able to enjoy a cooler round.”

Then there’s the “urban heat island,” a term Horton uses to describe the evergrowing city landscape in the Valley. “As Phoenix and the surrounding areas continue to grow, all of that asphalt and the concrete stores heat longer, and they’re also slower to release heat at night,” he said. “If I were to head out to play golf in the summer months, I’d consider finding courses on the outskirts of the city where you don’t have as much of the concrete. It makes a huge difference in how hot it can feel. I wouldn’t want to schedule a morning round in August at a course near downtown, for instance.”

Yoga for Golfers

MUSCLE MOVEMENT

Think the heat means your muscles are naturally looser, and warming up or cooling down isn’t necessary? Think again. Katherine Roberts, founder and president of Yoga For Golfers, says a proper warm-up is still important to prepare the body for the explosive nature of the golf swing. “It would be a false sense of preparation to think because the temperature is higher that your body is ready,” she said. “And when it’s really hot and the body is taxed, it’s even more important to incorporate a post-round routine like a series of exercises to reduce the lactic acid in the body and offset fatigue.”

An easy post-round activity when you get home can be important for recovery purposes. “It could be as simple as lying down with your legs upright against a wall or up on an ottoman,” said Roberts. “What you’re trying to do is reduce the lactic acid in the lower extremities and reduce inflammation by putting your legs higher than your heart. You have likely been riding in a cart, so doing that is also a passive stretch for hamstrings, which enables you to go from a more kyphotic position (where your upper back becomes rounded) to a proper posture.”

GET HIGHER

A favorite way to escape from the Valley’s summer heat? Head to higher ground. While moving up in elevation does bring down the temperature, it also raises its own issues.

“The sun is a bit more intense up here, meaning you’re more susceptible to sunburn, and the air tends to be drier, so hydration is still equally important,” says Dave Bisbee, general manager of Seven Canyons Golf Club, located 4,600 feet above sea level in Sedona. “Warning signs of trouble at elevation can start with hint of a headache, shortness of breath, dizziness. Pay attention to yourself and your playing partners, and save the adult beverages for after the round.”

HOT BALLS

It’s not just you that needs to beat the heat — it’s your equipment, too. Take the golf ball.

According to Steve Aoyama, principal scientist for Titleist Golf Ball Research & Development, there are two separate issues to consider in regard to temperature and golf ball performance: the temperature of the air, and the temperature of the golf ball.

“When a golf ball flies through warmer air, it gains distance because warm air is less dense (“lighter”) than cold air,” he said. “Warmer air decreases both the lift and drag forces acting on the ball, which results in a slightly flatter and longer trajectory. There is nothing a golfer can do about the effect of air temperature, besides taking it into account when planning the next shot.”

Using warm golf balls won’t mean hitting it much farther, unfortunately. “As a ball gets warmer, its materials gain some resiliency, resulting in an increase of initial velocity off the club face,” said Aoyama. “It is, however, a case of diminishing returns. Above 100°F (when the ball feels warm to the touch) there is relatively little to be gained, and the ball may start to feel too soft.”

Aoyoma recommends playing with near room temperature golf balls, and storing them indoors at room temperature throughout the year. “Avoid leaving your golf balls in extremely cold or hot conditions, i.e., in your car, during the winter or summer. If your golf balls are exposed to these conditions, as long as you let them return to a normal temperature gradually, they will perform as designed.”

GRASS IS GREENER (AND COOLER)

Need another reason to find more fairways and stay out of bunkers? You’ll be slightly cooler. “All grass areas are significantly cooler than non-grass areas,” said Jeff Spangler, senior vice president of Science and Agronomy at Troon. “On an anecodotal basis, desert areas are the hottest, followed by bunkers, and then grass.” Even slightly higher ground can help as well.

“We have found over the years that elevation change affects temperature significantly more than all the other factors,” said Spangler, who recalls experiencing just six days over 100 degrees in the summer of 1989 during the construction of Troon North Golf Club. “If you played at Papago versus Troon North in June, Troon North can be anywhere from six to 10 degrees cooler because of the difference in elevation.”