As temperatures soar this summer you may be temped to skip a few midday rounds of golf, but don’t miss out until fall.  As you stand over your August tee shot it’s easy to get distracted from your game.  With slippery hands from a fresh application of sunscreen, and those pesky gnats zooming around your head, no wonder the ball is going anywhere but on target.

With a little advance preparation, make your summer golf outing more enjoyable, and save a bundle buying last minute supplies in the pro shop.

Every summer golf bag should be stocked with items to help keep you cool and comfortable during your round.  And speaking of bags, consider swapping out to a lightweight bag with a built in cooler for beverages.

Sunscreen: Never leave home without it!  It is recommended that you apply a sweat-resistant sunscreen for every hour in the sun.  Protected skin will feel cooler then burned skin.  Spray applicators will to keep your hands dry when you reapply.

Spray Bottle/Portable Fan: Create your own ‘beach effect’ with a small spray bottle and a hand-held battery-operated fan.  If you feel overheated, spritz some water into the fan and cool your face, arms and legs.

Hats: It’s amazing how much cooler a hat will make feel without the sun beating into your eyes and face.  For double duty comfort, spray a bit of Bug Repellant on the brim of your hat to ward of insects.

Hydration: Be sure to drink plenty of water, which will be chilled if your golf bag has a handy cooler built in.  Sorry, alcoholic beverages don’t count as a hydration choice.  It is recommended to have at least one bottle of water for each alcoholic drink.

Snacks: Pack some light snacks such as water heavy fruits (grapes, watermelon, peaches) as well as nuts and energy bars to help keep you from feeling sluggish.  Be sure your trail mix is chocolate-free which will quickly melt in your golf bag.

Umbrella: Shady spots can be as much as 15 degrees cooler than the sun, and not all courses are lined with trees.  If you’re spending time walking or waiting on the course in the blazing sun, an umbrella will provide yourself some instant relief.

Grip Lotion: For an alternative to a hot leather glove, pack a bottle of a no sweat grip lotion.  Spray on your hand and it quickly turns powdery to give your hand a nice dry grip on your club.

Some tips for beginners:

Make Your First On Course Experiences Successful

• Prepare and Prepare Again:  Many new players do not realize all the rules, etiquette and skills necessary to have fun on the golf course.   The golf course (and your fellow players) expect you to have mastered a certain degree of knowledge and skill.  Be sure you have the appropriate equipment, basic knowledge of the game and hours logged at the practice range before you venture onto the course.

• Play Golf with a Mentor:  It seems so easy on the driving range, but once you get on the course there are layers of rules and etiquette expected of you.  Bring an experienced golfer to help you navigate the course and keep a proper pace of play.  Look for Women on Course Mentored ‘Nine & Wine’ Events (link to http://www.womenoncourse.com/events.php) which are designed to help golfers become course ready.

• Book a Late Afternoon Tee Time:  Summer means longer days and more available tee times.  Many courses offer lower ‘twilight rates’ when you book tee times in the late afternoon.  Not only will you save a few dollars, but typically courses are not as crowded so you might not have golfers playing right behind you, which can feel intimidating for the new golfer.

• Bring a Dozen Golf Balls:  Not all new golfers realize that this game often requires more than one ball to play a round of golf!  Searching for lost balls and fishing them out of the water takes up valuable time.  Best to bring at least a dozen and hope for the best.

Last spring, Bob decided he really wanted to join a small private country club that is five minutes from our house – Montclair Country Club .  He had always wanted to join this club – mainly because of the location: so close, no traffic, the restaurant had a very good reputation and the course always looked like it was in good shape from what we could see from the street. What more could you ask for?  So we did.

And all of the above is true:  location, food and course.  But the one thing we didn’t count on that came as a complete surprise to both of us was the Montclair Ladies’ Golf Association (MLGA).

I have always wanted to play in a ladies league but it never seemed to work out.  Most leagues were during the week – when I have to work.    So when Bob told me Montclair had a ladies league on Tuesday’s AND every Saturday, I was thrilled. 

I thought I was going to find a group of women who had a nice little ad hoc league that tee’d off around 11:00 a.m. – following after the big boys.  What I found was the most organized ladies group I’ve ever seen – more than most men’s groups. Handicaps, tournaments, member-guests, skins, Board of Directors – the works.  MLGA also garners the respect of the golf club management and the men’s league.  No second class tee-times, no patronizing the “little ladies” and certainly no man challenging their right to be there.  On a Saturday morning. At 8:00 a.m.  The same time as the men’s league. The MLGA doesn’t follow the men. 

 I was simply amazed at this group of women which spans all ages and handicaps. Some women are more competitive than others.  Some are beginners and some have been playing for almost 40 years. How did this happen that this group is so strong and respected that their place is not behind the men?  Because in my golfing experience, it is unique to have such an organized woman’s league that plays on Saturday’s during prime time and isn’t subjected to some lousy tee-time during the week so they don’t get in the men’s way!

I had the good luck to sit next to Bernie Drohan at the holiday banquet and she told me the whole story of how back in 1975 she started the MLGA. It did start with a small group on Tuesday’s but grew to the point (now 60 members +) that the Saturday group was added for those who couldn’t play during the week. 

Bernie got it up and running and has been on the Board of Directors every year until 2010.  In the beginning there were only about 25 women and when they had their first banquet, they had to buy the silverware and table cloths for the club house tables.  They had their act so together during that first year, they were able to pull off their first member-guest tournament. Now, 36 years later, this women’s club plays a tournament every week.

What so impressed me was Bernie’s moxie. We are talking 1975 when golf was mainly a man’s sport and the golf club was mainly a man’s playground.  Women were playing – but were not nearly as supported as they are now. There was allot of discrimination against woman and minorities at private clubs (Augusta National, anyone!!!) Women were welcome – just as long as they didn’t get in the way.

But none of that even seemed to phase Bernie.  I don’t know if she didn’t know women were being discriminated against on the golf course,  just didn’t care or simply wasn’t going to stand for it. Most likely the latter – she is a pistol!  She was starting this league and it was going be on equal footing as the men’s club.  A proper ladies golf league.  And it was and it still is.

MLGA is awesome.  Every single lady welcomed me, was friendly and made me feel at home in their group.  Now that I know the history behind MLGA, I love it even more.  MLGA’s foundation started with one woman who gathered a handful of women who have turned into vibrant group who love to play golf.  They not only hold tournaments – they hold their own.

NO FACTS, Please!!!

I recently read an article in some newspaper about chocolate.  The article was touting more facts supporting that chocolate has beneficial effects on the human cardiovascular system and reduces blood pressure. The article also made a reference that this puts chocolate right up there with blueberries, beans, cherries and grains.

Ok – this is great news and I’m happy to know that chocolate has such great health benefits.  But you know what:  I’m over it.  I am TOTALLY over feeling like there has to be some healthy justification for eating chocolate and for drinking wine.  At the end of the day, can’t we just eat the blasted chocolate and drink the wine because WE LIKE IT!!??  It makes us feel good because it tastes great.  Isn’t that enough?   I am sick of hearing people say – let’s open a bottle of red wine – after all, it’s good for my heart!  Or, I’m having dark chocolate because it is good for my blood vessels!  I think if I see one more “special report” citing the polyphenols, plant-based antioxidants, flavanols blah blah blah that are in chocolate and red wine are equal to eating a head of broccoli, I’m going to  scream WILLY WONKA SAVE ME at the top of my lungs!  Not to mention that whoever the fool is who would even think about comparing chocolate and red wine to broccoli is probably a couple flavnols short.

Yes, it would be nice if everything we put into our bodies did some sort of super-human, nutritional, anti-aging magic on us.  I love healthy food and love to eat healthy….most of the time.  But have we moved into the era where if something is decadently delicious and enjoyable,  the only way we can eat or drink it without feeling guilty is to fall back on some medical evidence assuring us that it really isn’t that bad for us?   As a matter of fact, it’s good for us! So, armed with all the medical supporting data, we can enjoy our chocolate and our red wine.

Or is this the sick price we have to pay for the excesses of the 1980’s?  Are we having to pay the price of having indulged in too much of everything – from hair spray to spandex – by now having to justify with supporting documentation – anything we eat or drink that tastes good must have an alternate healthful purpose?

NO NO NO!  I just want to eat chocolate and drink wine because I like it. I just want the flavors to“be” there and to take me to my happy place.  Period.  No regrets.  No justifications.  No medical jargon. No guilt. No studies from the American Medical Journal. Just the lovely pleasure of enjoyment.

Debbie "Venus" Keller and the Red Group in Salt Lake City

As we say at every event, the Women on Course mission is to introduce women to the lifestyle of golf and to connect women to each other – to encourage fun and welcoming networking over a common interest – GOLF!

We hear from many ladies who have attended our Golf Experience events for the first time that one of the things that separates Women on Course from other networking events is the opportunity to participate at any level.   This is especially exciting for ladies who are brand new to golf.  Golf can be intimidating, ladies golf can be VERY intimidating – which is why we made sure we had a fun and educational activity for those who have never even picked up a club before.  It’s called the RED GROUP.

When I first learned to use a computer,  my notes started with #1.  Turn the computer on – the on/off switch is on the back of the computer!   This is how we work with the Red Group – the activities start with a fun orientation which begins with some basic information – what is a bogie and a birdie, what to wear, where can you get clubs and what kinds do you need.  The group then gets an etiquette lesson which starts out at the pro shop – here’s where you check in, what time you should arrive, and proceeds out to the course where the group learns how to drive a cart, where to drive it,  where to stand while players are hitting the ball, when to pick up your ball, when to talk  and how to help with the flag.  All of the basics are covered!

Learning to Grip the Club

The group then gets a one hour clinic with the club pros that includes the basics of the full swing and putting.  Most of our ladies are thrilled to say that by the end of the day they are able to get the ball in the air!  At our recent Golf Experience event at Thanksgiving Point Golf Course in Salt Lake City, the group was lucky  to be taught by our own Debbie “Venus” Keller and that is a real treat, not only is Debbie extremely entertaining but she is an amazing instructor who really knows how to get even the most timid of new golfers hitting with confidence is a very short period of time.

The Red Group generally concludes with a fun putting contest.  One lady at a recent event in Boston, actually won with a “hole in one”!   The best part of the day?  Listening to the ladies telling stories and congratulating each other at the 19th hole cocktail party.

Sharing Stories and Successes

If you know anyone who would like to learn a little bit about golf in a fun, non intimidating way, be sure to tell them about our Golf Experience events,  members can also enjoy video lessons from Debbie “Venus” Keller by accessing the members-only area on our website and we are always happy to set up Play Day Clinics (ask us how). One of our members recently said that  Women on Course provides the “on ramp” to the very busy “golf highway” …  that made us smile!

Lahinch Golf Club

The day  was so cold, windy and rainy that I didn’t stand a chance to get our potted plants into the ground.

Although we had signed up to play in the newly organized Friday evening “Social/Mixed” golf at Lahinch, I wondered aloud to my life partner, Kevin, would we have to play in this weather?  He said if the other couple want to play, then we have to play.  And play we did.  To prepare for the cold, I dressed in 4 layers and looked like I was headed to the North Pole. The other 3 had on shirts and shorts and looked like they were going to a tiki bar in Florida.  I kid you not!

We fortified ourselves with a bowl of soup and packed our waterproofs into our golf bags. Thankfully, the rain eased up and we went out to play with Margery and Brendan. Although we played in a 3-club wind at Portmarnock a few days earlier, this wind felt more fierce. Especially on the first hole, which is all uphill to a small elevated green – and actually, on every hole after that!

On the par-3 eleventh hole, Brendan,  a 9 handicap, walked up on the tee box and simply said “I don’t know.” His tee shot was in play, but none of our balls stayed on the green. The wind was a factor on every putt as well. The last time I played this hole at Lahinch, I birdied it, so I had a bit more confidence.  I think we escaped with a 5, but for the other team, it was a blank on the card.

With all the battling of the elements, one of the nicest things about playing with Irish golfers is is the same thing I like about womens golf,  I never feel as though I am battling with them personally. There may be a fiver, a pint, or a social-mixed-winner title (and some Euros!) on the line, but instead of tension, there are smiles, stories, and camaraderie as we walk to each tee and play each hole.

It is a pure links golf experience. There are no range finders, no GPS. The yardage is usually on a marker on each tee box, and there may be a 150 yard post on the edge of the fairway, or some embedded disks indicating 200, 150 and 100 yards to the green. You have to use your imagination and work it out for yourself what club to use.  A white stone may be your aiming point on a blind hole. On the famous “Dell,” the blind par-3 fifth hole at Lahinch, the stone is moved every day as the hole is cut in a different part of the green.

The more I play here, the more I marvel at the unique challenge that each hole presents. On a calm day, it is a magical stage of 18 dramas. Add the wind, and you feel more like a warrior—and a winner for just getting around the course.  Now where is that Tiki bar???   I am ready for a Mai Tai!

Taba Dale is a self proclaimed Golf Geek, learner and lover of Golf.  Author, writer/producer of the upcoming TV documentary series “Legacy of the Links”, dealer of fine golf art, and President of Premier Golf Travel, and  of Brian Morgan Golf, Taba (Pronounced Tay-ba, like the River Tay) can be found at www.ScottsdaleCollection.com & at www.BrianMorganGolf.com.

Written by Women on Course member, Margaret Ferry.

“Keep your head down!” “Don’t bend your elbow!” “Loosen your grip!”  Tiffany Faucette, Co-Director of the Golf Academy at 1757 Golf Club, dispelled those and many other “tips” we’ve heard for years and replaced them with practical, “made-for-us-girls” tidbits at a Women on Course Play Day event this past Friday evening.

A group of five intermediate level golfers (we play, but not consistently, know the rules and etiquette of the game, but are having a hard time executing) came together for a “back to basics” ladies golf refresher.  While we took in the spectacular view from the private upstairs facility at the Club’s Golf Academy, Tiffany asked us each what we hoped to accomplish and then led us through a two hour session that ended with each of us realizing that we CAN play this game!  Having our swings videotaped was a real eye opener (frankly, the flaws in our hips were more troubling than the flaws in our swings!)

Over a glass of wine in the Clubhouse, we all agreed that we loved each other’s company and got so much out of our session with Tiffany that we plan to schedule several more in the coming weeks. Check out the Women on Course calendar if you’d like to join us.  Kudos to our fabulous Women on Course VP, Lee Van Giezen for setting this up and please let her know if you’d like to join us for the next session (lee@womenoncourse.com) – she’s also very happy to set up golf clinics in your area!

And meantime, don’t worry so much about keeping that left arm straight. Cheers.  :)

Women on Course member Margaret A. Ferry owns an international communications consulting practice based in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at margaretaferry@comcast.net.