Summertime and the golfing is easy…
Written by Scott Dunford
Each month, I attempt to write articles about subjects that are timely for our area, an helpful in ways that you won’t see addressed in any other magazine or newspaper. That’s why I think a very good subject for our August issue is “summer golf in the desert.” Why? Because we are truly blessed living here and putting up with the heat, while our snowbird golfers wait for the return of mild temperatures.
After you’ve played a round or two during the summer, you quickly realize that it’s an awesome time of the year for golf. It’s a whole lot less expensive, for one thing! Fees are 40% to 70% less than you’ll pay during peak season! You just have to plan for the heat.
Here are some tips to beat the heat and enjoy a relaxed round of golf at your favorite course:
- Check out the rates until the end of this month in the chart below. You’ll quickly see what I’m talking about when it comes to saving the green in your pocket while still playing lush, green conditions on the course.
- Tee times start around 6 a.m. during the summer months. If you can tee it up before 9 a.m., you’ll finish in less than four hours, in most cases. Finishing 18 holes before the real heat kicks in is the trick. This past week, my friends and I teed it up at 8:20 a.m. at Sky Mountain. We enjoyed a great day of golf on a course that takes full advantage of red rock views and lush greens and fairways. It seems like it’s always blowing there in the late morning afternoon, but not that day! We were off before 1 p.m., and the temperature never got over 100 degrees.
- Hydrate every third hole. You’ll find that our courses understand hydration and how important it is during this time of year. They typically have purified ice water stations every third hole. It’s also a great idea to bring a fresh towel that you can soak with ice cold water and wrap around your neck when it gets in the high 90s or low 100s. It takes the temperature of your body down a degree or two, which can make the difference between playing the next three holes at the end of your day or finding an excuse to leave.
- There are an abundance of tee times available, even during the early morning hours, when it’s the best time of the day to play! Utilize our Golf Guide, which we publish every month. It will provide you with quick access to all the local courses’ numbers to book tee times. When peak season arrives in September, your game will still be sharp and you’ll be ready to take on those returning snowbirds and vacationing guests!
Peak season golf is right around the corner, and so are the high rates. Get out and play often this month, and remember to hydrate.
See you on the links!
