Now That It’s Summer, Let’s Keep Cool on the Golf Course

No matter how big a golf enthusiast you are, you can’t deny this one fact: it’s hot. Summer is finally here, and although we do love the heat in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach (there’s no better way to enjoy a swim in the Gulf), playing golf in the heat can be tough.

While keeping your cool on the golf course can be equally as tough—sometimes that slice just won’t go away no matter how many adjustments you make—simply keeping cool is a little more manageable if you follow these basic tips.

If possible, play during the coolest temperatures—in the morning before the sun beats down on the course. You’ll at least start your round before the heat really sets in. Dress in light, comfortable clothing, and stay hydrated with plenty of cold water. Hats help too—anything to ward off the sun. And avoid overly salty and sugary foods and snacks that might dehydrate you.

Several Gulf Shores & Orange Beach golf courses also offer special features to help you beat the heat on the course. Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend at Craft Farms, for example, offers ice-cold towels. And they’re mango-scented, which helps you feel extra refreshed. And Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club offers chilled apples at the first tee of all three nines.

Finally, follow up your game with a refreshing drink and a little air conditioning in the golf club’s clubhouse. Then retreat to your condo or hotel for a dip in the pool.

And that’s how you enjoy a golf vacation in the summer.

Why Golfing on the Gulf is Ideal in February

Here’s why I love golfing this time of year: you can actually golf in the afternoon, something I personally can’t tolerate in the heat of summer. And golfing in the afternoon usually means paying afternoon (lower) rates.

Of course, ability to play golf in the afternoon (or any time of day) really depends on where you are. Obviously, if you’re in an area that’s actually experiencing winter, golf may be out of the question until spring. But in a place like Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, it is absolutely an ideal time for golf. And you’ll find some excellent afternoon golf rates among the area’s nine signature golf courses. Courses like Cotton Creek and Cypress Bend at Craft Farms and Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club currently offer an afternoon rate of $59; Rock Creek has an afternoon rate of $49, and Lost Key drops down to $40, to mention just a few.

And there’s an additional reason why February is a particularly good time for a Gulf Shores golf vacation—Mardi Gras! Several Mardi Gras parades and celebrations are coming up later this month. It’s a good time of year to play a little golf, catch some beads, and make the most of winter.

Burn Off that Turkey Dinner with Golf

I always mislead myself after Thanksgiving—now that the big meal is over (and the leftovers are eaten) I can get back to a sensible diet and start shedding some holiday pounds. Right?

Not exactly. Now come the home-baked cookies brought in to work by coworkers, and my Mom’s fudge, and the various Christmas treats that catch my eye every time I enter the grocery store. The holiday calorie fest is anything but over.

My solution: play more golf. True, golf isn’t exactly an aerobic activity, especially with the convenience of golf carts. But it’s activity. And it’s outside, which can motivate you to do more activity outside. And there are ways to make it a little more aerobic—I know a lady who would bring her non-golfer husband along and have him drive the cart while she walked to each ball.

If you’re playing golf in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, it’s all the better. Nine signature golf courses provide an abundance of appealing options for golf. Play from the championship tees and you’ll get a course length longer than 7,000 yards at several courses, such as Cotton Creek, Kiva Dunes, Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, and TimberCreek—that’s a good bit of walking using the above-mentioned method! Plus, the weather this time of year is comfortably mild and perfect for golf—and for staving off that extra holiday weight gain.

Keeping Cool on the Golf Course

Well, the hot weather seems to have officially rolled around again, which means keeping cool on the golf course will involve more than just deep breaths and restraint from throwing the golf club. Personally, I prefer the weather-related heat to the steam I feel when I can’t seem to avoid the dreaded golf shank. And thankfully, my favorite Gulf Shores golf courses have some excellent—and sometimes creative—ways for golfers to cool down on a hot day.

An old time favorite cool-down method of mine is a nice cold drink at the club bar after a solid round of 18 holes. Some of the clubs have really nice restaurants that are perfect for lunch or dinner with the golf buddies.

But often halfway through a round you’re already in need of a cool-down—how about trying a chilled apple? Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club and Rock Creek offer these at certain tees along their courses. It’s cold, refreshing, and a nice pick-me-up. They also deliver ice-cold towels to golfers.

And going a step further with the ice-cold towels is Cotton Creek at Craft Farms with their mango-scented ice-cold towels. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.

And, of course, you can return to your condo or hotel for a cooling dip in the pool. Be sure to visit the Gulf Shores Golf Association website for information on golf packages and accommodations.

Championship Tees

The year is coming to an end and yet another is beginning. This always gets me thinking about starting fresh, changing for the better, goals and accomplishments, etc. This can (and does) apply to many aspects of my day-to-day life, but being golf-obsessed as I am, I’m once again putting much emphasis on golf goals for the New Year.

I was looking at the course lengths of some of my favorite golf courses in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Kiva Dunes appears to be the longest, with 7,092 yards from the gold tees. Timber Creek, Peninsula Golf & Racquet, and Cotton Creek at Craft Farms are also over 7,000 yards from the championship tees.

I know I’ve never played this distance before. I did manage to work my way to the blue tees a couple times this year—the next step up would be the championship/gold/black tees (depending on where you play). So that’s my goal for 2011: play a 7,000-plus-yard course from the big tee boxes. (And maybe next year I’ll add “with a good score” to that goal.)

Here’s to golf in 2011!