July 2007 - Golf Tips for July

OK so I am not a pro, but I do have some tips for all of you playing in Los Angeles in July. First off let me point out that it is HOT! I am sure you already know this but I have a few tips to help you keep your cool out on the green.

Tip #1 - Stay hydrated. Make sure to bring plenty of water with you. Yes a few cold beers will help, but lets be real. Beer dehydrates, so make sure to carry plenty of bottled water. Case in point; I played Vista Valencia with a 8:38am tee time, got on the first tee by 9am. PS - In a cart and by the second hole I had depleted my "one" bottle of water by half. I was already looking for the ambassador by hole 3 to bring me some much needed water.

Tip #2 - Sunscreen. I don't care how dark you are, you can still blister. Carry sunscreen in your bag and make sure you spread it across you neck and arms. Make sure to spread it on the top of your hands. Most people forget this part and guess what, your blisters will form on the back of your hands. I know this from experiences. The draw back with sunscreen is the dripping into your eyes from sweat. This burns like a b....! Just keep some paper towels in your bag to wash the sunscreen from your eyes. Pour some water (carry extra water) onto the paper towel and wipe. Still worth it to wipe sunscreen across your face, you will thank me later.

Tip #3 - Carry extra balls. You may be a pro, but in the heat you can "flub" a ball just as easily as the rest of us. The heat draws energy and can make it so you hit differently then you normally do. Let's face it we are not Tiger Woods and do not have a caddy to powder our ass and wash our face. Flubbing happens, but it happens more often when your overheated. So rather then get your blood pressure up, carry extra balls and expect the unexpected drive into the mountain or water hazard and the lost ball that comes from it.

Tip #4 - How wet are the greens? In hot weather the greens are usually watered more often which means they will be more wet and slow. Factor this into your game. you will have to putt harder to get your ball into the hole. When your on the green make sure to test this out before you putt so you are not surprised by your ball coming up short against the hole. An easy way to do this is by pushing your putter down into the green and seeing how much water bleeds up. If you see noting, putt like your used too, if you see a centimeter, put a little more muscle behind it and if you see more than that drive it.

Tip #5 - Have fun. It's hot. Tempers rise. Just relax stay hydrated and know that the group in front of you has not read these tips so there game is far off from where yours is. Bask in the glory of being able to play golf year round in southern California. Yes, this is one of the few states that you can play all the time.

There are probably more tips, but hey this is all I can think of and if anything this gets you half way there with enjoying the game in one of the hottest months in California of the year.