With fine weather returning to the Suffolk Coast and mid-Summer approaching, it’s a good time to share some top tips on playing golf in the sunshine. Hot weather brings a completely different challenge on the golf course, from sweaty hands to dehydration and sunburn, so it’s absolutely vital you prepare properly and dress right when the temperature rises. Thorpeness is a championship heathland course on Suffolk’s Heritage Coast and is blessed with a wonderfully warm micro-climate. Suffolk also has one of the lowest average rainfall rates in the UK and up to two hours more sunshine per day than other British coastal regions. How to handle the heat on the golf course
1) Drink Little and Often
We all know it’s important to stay hydrated while on the course but in the heat, it’s even more vital. Aim to drink around one litre of fluids during a round and take a drink on every single hole, swigging little and often. Water is best, as it keeps you level and doesn’t introduce the same “sugar spikes” or “caffeine hits” that sports and energy drinks bring. They promise to pep you up but can leave you feeling jittery or worse hungry once the initial burst wears off.
2) Cream Up
Any golfer should wear sun cream even when it seems overcast or cloudy. The sun is the #1 cause of skin cancer and layering up with sun cream and a lip balm can protect against windburn, chapped lips and heat rash.
3) Soak that Towel
Wetting your golf towel is a great way to keep yourself cool on a hot day. Use one end of the towel to mop your brow, wipe away sweat and the other end to keep your clubs clean.
4) Cap it off
A cap is the best way of keeping bright sunshine out of your eyes and soaking up the sweat that your head creates, plus it protects your face from sunburn.
5) Beat the glare with sunglasses
Thorpeness’ fast running heathland fairways can sometimes reflect the sun’s rays in the height of Summer. To avoid the glare of the sun and focus on striking the ball crisply make sure you’ve got a quality pair of golf sunglasses to hand.
6) Stay fuelled up
The more you sweat the more your body loses essential salts and sugars and of course energy. Make sure you continue to eat while playing in the sunshine, bananas are good for a slow release of energy but they only have around 100 calories in them – so won’t keep you going for that long - a bag of mixed nuts and raisins or a trail mix is high in calories, fat and useful energy. Chocolate, like energy drinks, tastes great but has a short term effect rather than a long-term energy release. If you have to go sweet, Jaffa Cakes and Jelly Babies (eating one each hole) are the best of the worst for golfers.
7) Take a Trolley
Carrying your golf bag can seriously increase the physical effort needed to play 18 holes of golf in the Summer. As well as walking around 5 miles, you’ll be carrying 14 clubs, water, food, spare balls and extra clothing. Taking an electric trolley, push trolley or renting a golf trolley from the Thorpeness pro-shop is one of the best ways to save energy and make sure you’re fresh for the challenge of playing our James Braid designed championship course. There you have it, our 7 top tips for playing golf in the sunshine and making the most of your Thorpeness golf break. Most of the equipment, food and drink mentioned in this blog can be bought from the Thorpeness Pro-Shop, run by Christine Langford, one of only a handful of honorary members of the PGA and a former winner on the Ladies European Tour. To find out more about playing golf at Thorpeness in the Summer, visit our golf breaks page and our offers page.