Would You, or Would You Not ?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Just read a poll at PGATour.com that asks the question:

"The heat index at AT&T National reached 109 degrees on Friday. Would you play golf in those conditions?"

So far, 53% (including my vote) said no and 47% said yes. I may have answered in the affirmative if they added "for $1,116,000 if you win" .   

I'm not too happy playing when the mercury rises over the 90 mark, what's your max?

[Bill_McBride]

Are we walking or riding?  (Sorry Melvyn)

Here on the Gulf Coast, I play when it's over 90 but I ain't walking.

[Rick Shefchik]

Almost any temp, but no walking if it's 90 with high humidity. I've learned my lesson.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jim,

I like the heat, it loosens the bones and muscles.

The humidity might be more of a problem, especially in DC.

Yesterday I hit balls twice and played 27, but there was a nice breeze at both courses

[Jim_Kennedy]

Pat,
Heat, minus the humidity, has the same effect on my arthritic framework. Played a round in the Catskills last week with low 90s temp/low humidity and found a few extra inches of turn that I can only attribute to the heat.

[Jim Sherma]

I don't mind the heat, but ride if it's hot and humid. A lot of times I'll just practice in real high heat. I'm set for 36 tomorrow in central PA. Would be out today but taking care of the kids in return for the time tomorrow.

[Bill Gayne]

Finished up in Richmond, Va. about an hour ago and it is hot out there. I almost always walk but took a cart today. The Club is still without power from last nights storms but a surprising number of people on the course this afternoon.

[Ronald Montesano]

Is there a breeze? Breezes help.

With plenty of water, I would.

I would also not hesitate to stop if things got bad.

[Dan Herrmann]

I once played here in SE Pennsylvania with a 130F heat index.  Dumbest thing I've ever done.

[Ken Moum]

Just read a poll at PGATour.com that asks the question:

"The heat index at AT&T National reached 109 degrees on Friday. Would you play golf in those conditions?"

So far, 53% (including my vote) said no and 47% said yes. I may have answered in the affirmative if they added "for $1,116,000 if you win" .   

I'm not too happy playing when the mercury rises over the 90 mark, what's your max?

I'm about to turn 65 and I've played almost every day this week except Thursday, in Topeka, with temps of ~100 by the time we finished. 

On Wed. the actual temp was 103 when we teed off off for nine-hole men's league at 5:30. But I worked for two hours in the morning clearing brush on the local rail trail as a volunteer.

Thursday, the day I didn't play, I bicycled 22 miles on the trail, starting at about 6 a.m.

The golf was all walking except for a tournament I played in yesterday.

If you stay in the shade when possible, and drink LOTS of water, it's pretty doable.  The vandals who operate my home course only one water fountain that is by 7 green and 13 tee, so I hang a 1-liter insulated water jug on my electric motorcaddy, and typically go through almost four jugs of water.

K

[Ed Brzezowski]

Played yesterday and the old bones and joints loved it.  My wife beat my poor Winged Foot shirt with a stick. 105 heat index. However it beat work.

Course played well except the low areas, wow was it hot.

[mike_beene]

At 100 I ride for sure.At a still humid 95 I will ride but push cart if breezy.I don't love summer golf but the ball goes forever in this heat.Ten yards more carry through the bag.Never too hot to ride but just not the same

[Peter Pallotta]

Jim - I would not. But I'm not a good person to ask. Sure, 80 and sunny and dry is good golf weather (as good as we get in southern Ontario) but I'd trade even that for San Francisco weather/golf any day of the week/year. Even as a teenager I found myself wishing my parents had followed Joe DiMaggio's relatives to SF instead of coming to Toronto. (Okay, actually I used to wish they'd gone with our relatives to New York -- but that was before I discovered golf.)

Peter

[Sean_A]

I never really thought about a max.  I have walked off the course once due to heat and humidity - should have taken a cart. 

I am lucky now because England has superb golf weather.  Very rarely terribly hot or terribly cold.  I find these days that playing in anything over about 75 F is uncomfortable for golf.  I prefer about 55-60 and cloudy.

Ciao 

[Matthew Petersen]

I play a lot of golf in 110+ temps, but I live in Phoenix. On afternoons that hot, you can also bet I'm riding.

And if we're putting humidity in the mix, that's a whole other thing.

[George Pazin]

Last summer I went out in the afternoon on one of the hottest days of the year - 95, 98, something like that - and walked 18 carrying. No problems, I don't even remember feeling hot. I practically danced the first 12 holes, I was so excited to be out playing. Went to a muni, walked straight onto the tee as a single and played the first 9 in an hour. It's a hilly course, too, as are all the others around here.

You guys need to work for a living, you will be better conditioned and better able to appreciate the simple things in life.

My funniest weather related experience on a golf course was the exact opposite of the above. I was in Scottsdale and it was 63 - I was the only person on the course in shorts, everyone else had sweaters and vests on...

[Matthew Petersen]

Last summer I went out in the afternoon on one of the hottest days of the year - 95, 98, something like that - and walked 18 carrying. No problems, I don't even remember feeling hot. I practically danced the first 12 holes, I was so excited to be out playing. Went to a muni, walked straight onto the tee as a single and played the first 9 in an hour. It's a hilly course, too, as are all the others around here.

You guys need to work for a living, you will be better conditioned and better able to appreciate the simple things in life.

My funniest weather related experience on a golf course was the exact opposite of the above. I was in Scottsdale and it was 63 - I was the only person on the course in shorts, everyone else had sweaters and vests on...

Sometimes when you live in Arizona you wear long pants and sweaters even when the temperature doesn't totally justify it, but simply because it's really the only opportunity you'll have to wear a sweater all year.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Last summer I went out in the afternoon on one of the hottest days of the year - 95, 98, something like that - and walked 18 carrying. No problems, I don't even remember feeling hot. I practically danced the first 12 holes, I was so excited to be out playing. Went to a muni, walked straight onto the tee as a single and played the first 9 in an hour. It's a hilly course, too, as are all the others around here.

You guys need to work for a living, you will be better conditioned and better able to appreciate the simple things in life.

You 'office' boys enjoy walking because you don't have to deal with the weather while you're 'working' in your climate-controlled environment. If you spent 40+ hours outdoors shoveling, raking, nail-banging, mowing, etc., you'd probably enjoy the ride.     

[Dan Kelly]

Depends on the course, and the occasion.

Would I WD from a tournament? No.

Would I play the local muni? No.

Would I play [great golf course, or even near-great]? Sure.

Would I ride? Unashamedly?

[Pat Burke]

I played in the Kingsmill tournament one year (around '96), and the heat index was over 120!
Drank a bottle of water+ every hole.
Was lining up a putt for birdie on 17, and noticed I had stopped sweating
Hadn't peed in 6 holes (TMI).  I don't know how I finished 18th hole,
but somehow managed to stumble to clubhouse, and laid down on the window mounted A/C,
just laid on it.  After 20 minutes, drove to my hotel, picked up 4 Gatorades, threw a chair in the
pool, and sat up to my nose in the water drinking Gatorade.  Never felt so miserable.

So, my vote, is a resounding NO ..........now

[Tim Gavrich]

I played twice this weekend in Myrtle Beach and probably drank over a gallon of Gatorade and water (combined) in 36 holes. We took carts, but I'd walk if I had a caddie and maybe I'd carry my bag if there was a water jug at least every other hole. The cold towel is key to surviving high-heat golf, IMO.

[Garland Bayley]

I have often walked and played without interruption in temps over 100. However, I have never had any experience with 109, the most being 102 or 103. Perhaps I would give it up over 105 or so, but don't know without experience.

Significantly overweight senior.

[George Pazin]

You 'office' boys enjoy walking because you don't have to deal with the weather while you're 'working' in your climate-controlled environment. If you spent 40+ hours outdoors shoveling, raking, nail-banging, mowing, etc., you'd probably enjoy the ride.     

My 'office' has a 35 foot dryer running at 350 degrees all day long. No A/C - that would defeat the purpose of the dryer - but we do have some nice big fans that are currently blowing hot air around the shop...

[Brent Hutto]

Heat index 109? Was there any breeze?

The heat index was 105 at Kiawah yesterday and I played 36 holes and did not feel bad at all afterward. But in the afternoon there was a 14mph breeze. And of course a caddie was carrying my bag. And the afternoon round wasn't nearly as long as a typical PGA Tour round.

But still, with steady intake of fluids, starting as soon as I rolled out of bed that morning, I never felt dizzy or had a headache, never stopped sweating (and sweating and sweating) or urinating.

It was 80F with dew point 78F when we started around 8am, up to 90F same dew point when we finished the morning round and 90F again with dew point 77F when I finished at 6pm. Probably got up to 92-93F briefly in the afternoon (which would be about 108 heat index). With the breeze it just didn't seem all that hot.

And I wore long pants in the morning round, switching to shorts in the afternoon.

[Dan Kelly]

... we do have some nice big fans that are currently blowing hot air around the shop...

Oh! THAT kind of hot air.

Never mind....