Keep it fun in the sun
Practical advice for sun safety.
Catching rays: The risks of sun exposure can be reduced with proper precautions.—Photo courtesy of Mieke Dusseldorp
A golfer can spend their entire day trying to avoid hazards; however the single biggest hazard of all is one that nobody is truly able to escape from. I am not talking about bunkers, water hazards, deep rough or trees; I am specifically taking aim at the sun. As golfers we are unable to eliminate the risks associated with long-term exposure to the sun’s harmful rays—but that does not mean we are powerless when it comes to reducing them. Virtually every golf bag today will contain sunscreen, and players are far more diligent in their efforts to apply it today than they have ever been. However, is it enough to carry it in your bag and apply it before you play? h3. Reapply frequently After much research on the Internet, I was surprised that I still make two key errors—and from experience I can tell you that the vast majority of players do as well. Consider the fact that a round of golf will take anywhere from four to six hours to play and the most highly sought after weekend tee times are in the mid-morning. This places many players out for extended periods during the peak sun and heat of the day. During these times the sun is at its hottest, and players are most vulnerable to its potentially damaging effects. It is not uncommon to see golfers applying sunscreen prior to play, but how many of those players will be reapplying later in their round? The simple answer is almost none. People often forget that the effectiveness of sunscreen diminishes the longer they are out in the sun, especially if they are sweating. When spending multiple hours in the sun, reapplying is almost as important as applying in the first place. The general rule of thumb would be to reapply every two hours, but that does not mean you need to be a clock watcher. Try to get yourself into the simple habit of applying on the first tee box and reapplying on the tenth tee box, as this will cover approximately a two hour time window. h3. Replace your sunscreen Be sure to replace the sunscreen in your bag on a regular basis, because it will typically lose its effectiveness over time. After thinking about this further, I began to realize, I can’t even remember when I bought the bottle that is currently in my bag; chances are it was far too long ago. If you apply an old product, you may be giving yourself a false sense of security. You can still get burnt quite badly if you apply something that is no longer providing you with the protection you believe it does. Occasionally you will hear of someone that is surprised at how badly they got burnt, even though they conscientiously applied the sunscreen as recommended. Utilizing sunscreen effectively may not stop you from burning the edge of the cup all day long but it certainly may stop you from burning your skin. Trevor Moore is a CPGA professional based in Medicine Hat. He runs the Advantage Golf Academy at Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course, and teaches golf at Notre Dame Academy as well. For comments or questions, you can contact him via "his website.( http://www.advantagegolf.ca)":http:// http://www.advantagegolf.ca