from the archive
4 tips from major champs on how to survive the heat
It’s too hot to think of a creative lede for this story.
Although a mere 94 degrees, it feels like 100 (at least on the East Coast), and the temperatures in this heat wave are only going up for the rest of the day. It’s too warm to think, let alone play 18 holes. But we’re sure some of you obsessives are out there teeing it up, chugging water and searching for a sliver of shade.
Although every time the temps rise, it feels like the first time it’s ever been hot, you’re far from the only “athlete” trying to make it work in the sun. Everyone—major champs, low handicappers and the rest—will have to play in scorching weather at one point … which brings us to this very helpful archive piece from June 1977.
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This instruction checklist is appropriately titled “How to Play in Heat and Humidity,” and there are four valuable pointers to keep in mind. Let’s break them all down before it’s too late.
And yes, the story is from 1977—so that take these tips with a grain of salt—but these main ideas are still relevant today. Heat is heat, no matter what century you're in.
Don’t forget salt tablets
Kevin C. Cox
Three-time major champ (and two-time U.S. Open winner) Cary Middlecoff had a list of golf-in-the-heat remedies, which is numbered as follows: (1) wearing light-colored, lightweight cotton apparel; (2) changing your golf shirt between the practice period and the starting time; (3) placing a towel soaked in ice water around your neck; (4) making sure you have dry gloves in your bag; (5) keeping dry towels in your bag; (6) wearing a golf hat or cap to protect your head from the sun.
And yet, one of his most critical pointers, and something we rarely plan ahead for, is to bring some salt tablets to restore electrolytes and help with dehydration.
“Salt tablets are very helpful,” said Middlecoff, who died in 1998 at age 77. “But they don’t do much good if you start taking them the day you play. Your system needs nearly 24 hours to assimilate them. If you’re playing on a Saturday and you know it’s going to be hot, take a couple of salt pills on Thursday and build up the intake the next day to three every four hours. And it never hurts to drink water when you’re thirsty.”
Healthline notes that taking these allows you to “retain more fluids during high-intensity exertion and physical work.” They can also relieve heat cramps. As our own Sam Weinman notes, extra sodium (and electrolyte packets) are the 21st-century example of what you might need. Extra sodium is critical, especially for all the golfers living in Florida ... or anywhere else during a heat wave.
This may sound counterintuitive, but two-time major champ Paul Runyan doesn’t want you to overhydrate, even calling out a fellow PGA Tour winner.
“Jimmy Thomson ruined more potential tour victories than anybody because he didn’t know how to take care of himself in hot weather,” Runyan declared. “He’d shoot 32 or so on the front nine, then rush into the clubhouse and gulp down a lot of cold liquids before running on to the 10th tee. Then he’d go around the back nine in 40 or 41.”
Tips on eating
ANDREW YATES
Every golfer has their own quirks, and quite a few have takes on what and how to eat from Runyan’s frequent doses of honey to PGA champ Al Geiberger’s peanut butter sandwiches. Everyone agrees that you shouldn’t go too hard while eating lunch. Keep things simple and light, especially if you know temps will rise.
Middlecoff added that you should be planning the night before, as well. “A doctor friend of mine told me that,” Middlecoff said. “He advised against eating steak the night before, especially if you’re middle-aged. Maybe a serving of chopped beef, something that’s easier to digest.”
Please let the food digest. We’re not going to tell you not to get a hot dog at the turn—that’d be sacrilegious—but don’t expect your best round with a hunk of beef sitting at the bottom of your stomach.
Keeping your hands dry
Bettmann
OK, we’ve gone through what you should put into your body. However, it ultimately comes down to how you swing the golf club. Maybe try to have a good grip and clasp, which is easier said than done with incessant sweat.
“Tennis wristbands soaked in cold water help to reduce perspiration,” teaching pro Peter Kostis liked to say. “I also like to spray a sticky solution called Firm-Grip, which some pro football receivers use, on my left hand, then put the golf glove on right away. I find that my glove hand doesn’t perspire nearly as much.”
If you’re not a golf glove guy or girl, you might want to spray your hands with an antiperspirant just before teeing off. Major champ Davis Love also liked to use a wet towel to wet his hands as he walked to his next shot.
Every time the club stays in your hands is a small victory, whether you’re teeing off at Augusta National or your local muni.
Seek shade when possible
Stephen Munday
We mentioned this before, but don’t stand in the sun for four-plus hours straight. Find every bit of shade you can. It adds up.
“Little Pro” Eddie Merrins noted that we should all be walking “under the trees whenever you can, and use your umbrella. An umbrella keeps out the sun as well as it keeps out the rain.”
If you’re using a golf cart, something that never riles people up on Golf Twitter, get as much shade as you can in between shots. It’ll lead to better golf, less exhaustion and (simply) more fun rounds.
We might not all be teeing up in big-money events over the summer, but there’s no reason we can’t be playing our best and surviving the sweltering weather. This age-old advice is just as relevant now as it was in 1977. If it worked for these major-winning fellas, who are we to say that it won’t work for us? See you on the course, and please lay off the steak.