It’s easy to get swept up in the atmosphere on the golf course – fun with your friends, a few drinks, and a great game. But the golf course can be a killer, with many people unintentionally coming to grief. So how can you stay safe on the course?
Firstly, never stand in front of someone hitting a golf ball! It sounds silly, but every weekend I see people standing in dangerous positions that could potentially be fatal. If you are on the tee box facing your competitor, never stand right of the ball even if you are right in front of them. If the person swinging their driver catches the ball on the tip of the toe of the club, the ball will shoot out perpendicular to them and clean up anyone in it’s path. Not to mention rebounds off trees! Check this out….
Funny, but seriously – watch out!!
Secondly, the sun is a killer. Skin cancer kills hundreds of golfers each year around the world. Never step onto the course without sunscreen (including SPF 30 lip balm), sunglasses and a hat. Try to minimize your time in the sun by resting under trees whilst waiting for your playing partners or the next tee to clear. Even if you’re in a motorized buggy, unless the sun is directly overhead, you’re going to cop some rays. A 28yo at our golf club died 3 months ago from skin cancer, so it is no joke.
You see Tiger eating and drinking plenty during a round of golf, and there’s a good reason. Walking about 5 miles over four hours during the middle of the day is both energy draining and dehydrating. The best approach is to avoid both of these by drinking at least two litres of water during the round, and consuming some low GI fruit or nuts during the round. Do this, and you’ll find you have more energy coming up the 18th, rather than dragging yourself along the last few holes.
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of stretching and warm up before a round, especially as you get older. The golf swing can be very damaging to your body if performed incorrectly or without proper warm up. A common technique is to practice gently swinging two golf clubs held together to stretch those muscles out
And a reminder to all those dads with young children out there. You owe it to them to take care of yourself – no game of golf is worth your life. If you want some help with those babies, why not grab some baby tips from Mom’s Baby Tips, and make up for those long days at the course with some help for the wife.