Whew! Played in the 6th Annual Denver Classic this past weekend. That was a tough one! 3 rounds of 27 holes over two days in blistering heat with late thunderstorms both days.. Somehow, even with three different layouts of varying length and difficulty, I managed to shoot the exact same score all three rounds, a measly par!

So what did we learn kids? Tournaments like this are just as much a test of your preparedness and endurance as they are of your strength and accuracy. It’s easy to mutter to myself afterwards, discounting a poor performance as just ‘I don’t play well in the heat’. Which, although true, is mostly because I didn’t follow a few simple rules…

When playing in the heat, here’s a few things which you think I would’ve learned by now:

1) SUNBLOCK! (I know it’s gross and greasy and you think it’s gonna make the disc slip outta yer hand, but it’s worth it).

2) WATER (and lots of it). Keeping cool and full-of-water (Greg won’t let me say hydrated) is key! Whenever water is provided at a tee, finish what you have and refill. If you’re not peein’ clear, you’re not doing it right :P

3) SHADE.. if you know the course is pretty barren, bring an umbrella. Otherwise, when you’re waiting for another group or player, wait in the shade whenever you can.

4) Dress the part! There are a lot of light-weight moisture-wicking shirts out there. In high temperatures, a cotton t-shirt is going to do very little for you. Also, do a little homework on good socks! Cotton won’t cut it. Don’t forget to bring a few extra pairs. Having fresh socks for the afternoon rounds and to put on afterward will keep yer feet happy!

5) Pack Light! If you’re probably not going to throw it, don’t bring it! If you can get away with a small bag, do it. Maybe a few backup for your go-to discs, a snack, xtra mini..

Hope that will help your next mid-summer scorcher be a success!

Next up: Kiss The Sky at Aspen, CO! I’ll be sure to get lots of pics for this one!!