Hot & Humid golfing

[bones75]

I spend a lot of time in Maryland these days for work.  In weather that's hot and humid, how the hell do you guys golf?  For 3 weeks straight every single daylight hour was 85-90 and 80-90% humidity.  I couldn't walk a city block w/o sweating a little, and should I have played 18, I'd have been drenched in sweat by the 2nd hole.  I'm used to sweat in say tennis or basketball, but not when golfing. As I'm from california, I acknowledge I'm a cry baby when it comes to humidity.  I also realize that yea, I heard a few people play golf in this place called florida where it can be like that year round, so apologies if this thread sounds ridiculous to you.

Do you just get used to it after a bit?  Or is everyone soaking with sweat by the end of a round?  I see some TSTer's use rain gloves for grip in humid rounds, but are there any other tricks to it?  

Edited August 22, 2018 by bones75

[Patch]

The game doesn't change much in hot, humid weather. What changes is being prepared, and taking a little longer to play.

Being prepared means getting, and staying hydrated.

The "H&H" weather, just by itself, will make person tired without any physical exertion. So, to save energy, you take a little more time.

The sweating is normal. Everyone sweats all the time to some degree. The humidity does not allow for normal skin evaporation so it feels like you are sweating more than you really are.

Glove wise, I use batting gloves. This is a hold over from my baseball days. They work just fine, and a pair is about half the price of one golf specific glove. Add in a few towels to wipe the club grips, and I am good to go. 

[Groucho Valentine]

Staying dry and hydrated is the key to playing in high humidity. Take a cart if possible. Its uncomfortable, but I've found that playing in muggy heat really doesnt effect my scoring very much. Id take playing in 100+ degree index over a mild temperatures but with 20-30 mph winds any day. Windy days is what really makes me want to quit golf...

[Vinsk]

33 minutes ago, bones75 said:

I spend a lot of time in Maryland these days for work.  In weather that's hot and humid, how the hell do you guys golf?  For 3 weeks straight every single daylight hour was 85-90 and 80-90% humidity.  I couldn't walk a city block w/o sweating a little, and should I have played 18, I'd have been drenched in sweat by the 2nd hole.  I'm used to sweat in say tennis or basketball, but not when golfing. As I'm from california, I acknowledge I'm a cry baby when it comes to humidity.  I also realize that yea, I heard a few people play golf in this place called florida where it can be like that year round, so apologies if this thread sounds ridiculous to you.

Do you just get used to it after a bit?  Or is everyone soaking with sweat by the end of a round?  I see some TSTer's use rain gloves for grip in humid rounds, but are there any other tricks to it?  

It can be pretty brutal but you’ll probably adjust over time. I’ve lived in very hot and very cold places and for me personally I’ll take heat any time by far. 

[BamaWade]

Yeah, I'm in Alabama and pretty much look like I fell in and crawled out of a lake when I'm done playing in the summer...even just 9 holes.  I walk and carry almost exclusively--which exacerbates that--though that gets tough when it hits 95F+...those days, I can be talked into a cart.  You do get used to it...mostly.  I still come off the course feeling pretty drained.  Like was said above, the #1 rule is: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate--both during the round, and after.  Beyond that, I can rotate between 3 to 5(!) gloves per round; really, it's the lower temp (so higher relative humidity) days that get things soaked the most...towels, gloves, etc., just won't dry out.  I also use 2 towels; one for my clubheads/balls, and a clean, dry one that I pat my arms, hands, and grips on before every single shot.

[fburns]

About twenty years ago, I moved to Florida from Arizona. I have still never really adjusted to the humidity. I have however adapted a bit. I use a  rain glove and change that glove after nine holes. Also at the turn, I change to a new shirt and hat, since the originals are dripping wet. I sometimes wear a sweatband to keep sweat off of my glasses. I drink tons of water and reapply sunscreen often. With those adjustments golf is actually very tolerable. Now, about playing in all those clothes and cold weather......

[bones75]

23 minutes ago, fburns said:

About twenty years ago, I moved to Florida from Arizona. I have still never really adjusted to the humidity. I have however adapted a bit. I use a  rain glove and change that glove after nine holes. Also at the turn, I change to a new shirt and hat, since the originals are dripping wet. I sometimes wear a sweatband to keep sweat off of my glasses. I drink tons of water and reapply sunscreen often. With those adjustments golf is actually very tolerable. Now, about playing in all those clothes and cold weather......

this will be quite a change in routine for me, but am willing and able.  Tx for this and the other replies, rly helps me set expectations as I'll be spending more and more time out there.

[billchao]

I start at 6:00 AM so I'm usually done before it gets sweltering. I also drink a lot of water and if I remember, I wear a PVC sweatband to keep the sweat out of my face and eyes. I don't sweat a lot from my hands so my grip isn't an issue, but I swear quite a bit from my head so that's problematic.

Also I drink a lot of water, and yes I know I wrote that already. Can't emphasize that part enough.

[dbuck]

I live in the deep south also, and the air can feel like a wet wall.  As many have said, hydration is the key to survival. I also play early mornings when possible. Temperatures have actually been slightly lower than normal here this year, but the humidity has been normal which is to say high. I guess I am just used to playing in a state of sweat. I ride almost exclusively, which means I never walk.