Oh No! Heatstroke!

photo from insider.com

Have you ever succumbed to the heat on a golf course?  I have suffered heat exhaustion twice and it’s one of the most unpleasant experiences I can remember.  Both times I had to quit my game.  It also hit me more recently a few years back on a beach in Florida.  Here are the warning signs:  First you get a low-grade headache.  Then when you lean over to pick up a ball or tee one up, the pain gets worse and you feel the pounding and throbbing as blood flows to your head.  Next, you start to feel lethargic as energy is drained from your body, and finally, you become nauseated.  If you’re lucky enough, you’re back in an air conditioned clubhouse before these conditions worsen into heatstroke.  Through some trial and error, I’ve learned to play in the hot weather and if you live in the mid-Atlantic region, you’ll need to work through some significant heat or relinquish a good portion of your golf season.  Here’s a must do list for heat.

Anytime the forecast is above 90, pay attention.  Generally, I’ll only walk a course if it’s going to max out at 90.  Anything hotter requires a riding cart.  You’re better off playing earlier before the mid-day heat hits, but my club membership requires me to play after 1:00 p.m. on weekends, and this past Sunday it was 97 degrees and I had a 1:00 p.m. tee time.  Your sunscreen, hat, and light-colored clothing are the obvious accoutrements but what’s most important is to thoroughly hydrate BEFORE you go outside.  I learned this from a study done by the Israeli army and their performance in the Saini desert during the 1967 Six-Day War.  Essentially, if you satiate yourself before physical activity in the heat, you’ll be much more comfortable during the engagement.  Check out this quick video:

I will typically drink three 16oz bottles of water over an hour duration before arriving at the course.  During COVID, one of the dangerous side effects is that all drinking water has been removed from golf courses.  As the summer months advance, this has become an issue; you must have water!  To adjust, I’ll load up a cooler with ice, a 32 oz Gatoraid, and five bottles of water before leaving home.  I’ll bring the Gatoraid and one water with me for the front nine and replenish at the turn.  The cold reload is very welcome for the inward half.  Hopefully, you can get to your car and back to the 10^th tee without holding up play.  This has been critical on days when the drink cart is nowhere to be found.  Don’t leave your hydration and your health to chance!  Finally, I’ll take 600 mg of Advil before leaving the house and another 600 at the turn.  I find it works great to fight off any vestiges of a headache and keeps me on a nice even keel all day.

How a guy like Phil Mickelson wears black shirts and black slacks in the dead of summer is beyond me.  I suppose he makes a lot of money to dress that way.  Have you ever been sidelined by the heat?  Got any strategies to compensate?  Please share.

Play well!

Brian

Reduce COVID Restrictions!

Is it time to relax COVID-19 restrictions on the golf course?  Most definitely.  We have learned that the disease primarily spreads through sustained physical contact with an infected person and not through contact with hard surfaces.  Many golf courses have instituted guidelines designed to protect players against contacting the disease from objects we touch.  These are over-protective and can be recinded.  Since the game is played outside, social distancing is an easy way to protect players from real transmission and keep the sport one of the safest activities around.  Let’s review what restrictions should be maintained and what we can dispense with.

HARD SURFACES:

Chances of contacting the virus through the handling of bunker rakes and flagsticks are quite remote and can be rescinded.  Most courses have also implemented modifications to the hole to prevent the ball from falling to the bottom.  These usually consist of a restraint that allows the ball to rest just below the surface.  Either way, the player still needs to retrieve their ball from within the circumference of the cup and the virus isn’t living in golf holes.  Let’s resume smoothing footprints in sand traps and putting into regular cups.

GOLF CARTS:

Most courses have restrictions on riding in carts.  You are prevented from riding with individuals other than those you have been sheltering with.  It makes sense to maintain these protections.  Riding side-by-side for four hours with someone who may be infected is asking for trouble.  A side benefit of maintaining current cart policies:  I think a foursome with four carts can play faster than the same group with two carts because some aspects of joint passenger cart etiquette don’t apply when everyone  drives to their own ball.  At least that’s been my observation.  Issues with rationing and cart shortages are being managed well by most courses.

DRINKING WATER:

This one is a big concern.  As we hit the hot summer months, removal of cold drinking water from everywhere on the course is not a good idea.  In a round last week I was walking, and it was hot and humid.  My cold Gatoraid was finished by the 9^th hole and I was left with two additional bottles of drinking water.  By the 12^th hole it felt like I was drinking hot tea.  The only benefit was that it was wet.  I have a vested interest because of an unpleasant heat exhaustion episode I suffered through a few years back.  There was no cold drinking water on a course I was playing in Myrtle Beach, and I had to quit after seven holes after falling quite ill.  I think it’s fine to bring back the coolers and keep them filled.  Maybe store a dispenser of Clorox wipes next to the paper cups for those concerned.

I know there is a concerning uptick in the infection rate in many of the southern United States.  It may not seem like an opportune time to reduce COVID protections, but this outbreak is being observed because of unwise behavior in bars and gathering spots, not on golf courses.  Golf is one of the safest social distancing outdoor activities you can play.  It’s time to return to a sense of normalcy.

Play well!

 

Golf’s Do’s and Don’ts – Waiting Out COVID-19

I’m just as frustrated as you about the impact the virus is having on golf.  But let’s heed the great advice from Stephen Covey in his 7-Habits of Highly Effective People.  “Focus on what you can influence (your game preparation), and not your circle of concern (the virus).”  Work on your game and do not get consumed with all the bad news circulating.  Assuming your course is closed and you have tons of time on your hands, there’s a few Do’s and Don’ts to prepare for a great re-opening.  Let’s take a look.

DO:

CREATE A PRACTICE STATION

Mine is in my back yard.  I have a driving range mat, a bunch of golf balls, and three soccer cones.  I set the mat on my patio and the cones at 5, 10, and 15 yards out.

COVID-19 Backyard chipping station

I chip balls with different wedges at each cone trying to hit the cone on the fly.  I use a high, medium, and low trajectory chip.  This provides hours of fun and is great for rhythm and timing.  Don’t have a driving range mat?  Try an old piece of carpet.  Take care though not to create divots in your back yard.  It doesn’t show well for your July 4^th barbeque.  I also have one of those portable driving nets in the garage that I haven’t taken out for years but am ready if I need full swing contact.  Lately, I’ve been hitting magnolia cones with a driver.  Makes for a perfect bio-degradable projectile that doesn’t fall apart.  Here’s an original how-to video:

I love what Jim at The Grateful Golfer has done in constructing a home hitting station in his garage.  His build out was pre-Corona, but works great as well, check it out!

INVENT A GAME

Fortunately, I live close to a school field.  Go find one.  With school closed, it’s always empty and perfect for an afternoon of practice with a bag shag and a pitching wedge.  For that matter, try all your wedges.  Last time at mine, I invented a new game.  The baseball diamond cages are roughly 150 yards apart.  I start at home plate on one end and use one club and one ball, hitting full and partial shots until I can clank a ball off one of the cage poles at the other diamond.  Each attempt is a par-4.  Improve your lie within six inches in any direction on all shots.  Great fun!

GET FIT- CROSS TRAIN

If you have a home gym or free weights, now is the time to start using them.  There’s a plethora of workouts you can even do without weights.  Here’s a great one from Sirkisfitness that is fast and protects your back.  Before COVID, I had been lifting in the gym.  Now I lift at home for an hour every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after work.  On the weekends, I’ve started playing tennis and taking non-playing walks on the golf course behind my home.  The variety of activity is great for fitness and for keeping the mind clear.

PLAY-PRACTICE RESPONSIBLY

In Maryland, our courses are closed for play and practice.  In Virginia, they are open.  Both states have stay at home directives, but exercise is permitted.  I make the short trip to the Old Dominion and have conducted full-game practices under carefully controlled social distancing guidelines.  After watching this video from Dr. David Price (New York physician on the front line of treating COVID patients), I have confidence I can protect myself in any social setting, including golf courses and practice facilities.  The video is educational and empowering and is definitely worth a watch.

DON’T

OBSESS WITH COVID COVERAGE

Protect yourself and others with reasonable precautions but don’t devolve into consuming the 24-hour COVID news cycle.  Watching the daily death count is bad for your mental outlook and saps your energy.  Focus on positive news, work your game fundamentals and fitness.  You’ll be in great shape when courses are re-opened.

ISOLATE YOURSELF

I’ve begun to see this with several friends who play and some that don’t.  They are trying to social distance alone.  The isolation is taking it’s toll mentally which is translating into physical difficulties.  The mind and body are connected.  We need social interaction even in this difficult time.  If you can, get out and walk, talk to your neighbors and friends face-to-face while keeping your necessary distance.  Have a dialog with front line workers like health care providers and grocery clerks.  Tell them how much you appreciate them.  I know we need to keep our distance but remember that full isolation can start to feel like solitary confinement.  Don’t forget to call on friends and family who are isolating by themselves.

FINAL THOUGHT

This is Masters week which signifies the traditional start of the golf season.  One of my favorite activities is to play golf on Masters Sunday and plunk down for an afternoon of delight with my favorite major.  Not happening this Spring.  The Masters has been moved to November.  No worries, because rather than concerning myself with the schedule, or if the participants are going to be affected by frost or falling leaves, or how closely the tournament will be played in proximity to football, I’ll focus on my game, my health, and my mental outlook.  How about you?  Hope you find these thoughts are helpful.

Play well, stay well!

 

Crushing Corona Or Getting Crushed

As I monitor events from the GVOHQ (Golf Virus Organization Headquarters) in the 3^rd floor bedroom/office of my home overlooking the golf course at Lakewood Country Club) I am deeply pondering the thought:  Can I crush this virus or is it crushing me?  I’m an IT jockey and am trying to concentrate for work, and of course am very thankful to be employed, but am stuck in the isolating world of work from home (WFH).  Yesterday was day seven in our business continuity plan, and I was starting to get antsy on Thursday.  I had the same feeling back in the blizzard of 2010 when I worked six straight from the house.  You know, you get cooped up, gotta get some outside air and are tired of looking at the inside walls.  But this is different.  Every TV channel you turn to provides ample anxiety building virus coverage –  “Practice safe this, don’t go here, don’t go there, close businesses, and socially distance yourself from everyone.”  I am one of those guys who distrusts the media and understands they thrive on this stuff and will run it as long as people consume.   “If it bleeds it leads, ” so why am I consuming?  Remember how long the news cycle lasted for OJ and Malaysia Air Flight 370?  They just couldn’t let it go and this is 50 times worse, plus there are no sports to distract us.

 

From a human physiology and psychological aspect, isolation can be damaging.  Taken to the extreme, it can be viewed as cruel and unusual punishment (solitary confinement).  The mental and physical damage of isolation is real and everyone has different limits.  We as humans isolate ourselves more and more every day with our text messaging, internet connectivity, and on-line social networks.  Let’s be clear, connecting over devices may feel like connecting but it’s not the same as connecting face to face.  We are social beings and need direct interaction with our fellow man.  Not saying it cannot be done in this climate, just that I am struggling with it.  What to do?

 

Thursday, I had enough, and after work, went out to my home club for some practice.  Wow how refreshing!  The parking lot was ¾ full as was the range and there was a steady stream of groups going out to play.  In short, it seemed like business as usual, if you ignored the closed snack bar and lack of rakes in the bunkers.   I asked the guy behind the desk how the tee sheet looked, with all this virus stuff, and he replied in one word, “packed.”  I have to admit, that the glimpse of normalcy filled me with optimism and I thoroughly enjoyed the couple hours spent working on my game.

 

My concern:  Every day restrictions on the area courses are getting tighter.  Our local group of nine municipal courses had removed bunker rakes, coolers, and closed food service – all good.  Yesterday, they notified that no carts would be used for the foreseeable future – still okay with that.  They also notified that cups would be set to prevent balls from going in the hole (raised) and that flagsticks could not be removed.  I viewed this as excessive and sent them a note detailing my concerns.  Another course on the eastern shore (Baywood Greens) had sent an email detailing their restrictions which included removing flags.  I sent them an email complaining that without flags, we wouldn’t be playing golf, and they relented, but are playing with raised holes.  Where to draw the line?  You need to let common sense take over.  Unless the state shuts all the courses down, you still gotta let people play golf at their own discretion and keep the game recognizable.

 

I realize the situation is fluid and is only getting worse.  If they close all our courses and mandate a shut in strategy with marshal law (hopefully it doesn’t come to that), my strategy is to walk to the adjacent school field, and pound pitching wedges at my bag shag.  I’m sure we’ll be allowed outside for trips to the grocery store, to walk the dog, and exercise.

 

In the meantime, try and cut our leaders some slack and know that they’re trying to balance the tough dichotomy of protecting the public health and maintaining our economic well-being.  We’re all going through this for the first time, including our leaders, and the blame first mentality helps nobody.

 

Stay well, and play well!