A Practical Guide to Playing In Hot Weather

Start with the shot in front of you

Hot-weather golf changes the question from “What club is this?” to “What shot can I control from here?” Before you pull a club, read the heat, the lie, the safest miss, and the trouble that absolutely cannot come into play. A smart answer might be controlled wedges or fairway woods, but only if the swing matches the situation.

For example, a downwind approach to a firm, fast green asks for a different target than a flat fairway lie. When the temperature climbs, the goal is not to prove you can hit the perfect shot; it is to choose the one that leaves the next shot playable.

Simple adjustments that travel

Keep the heat plan simple:

• Late in a hot round, take enough club when balance or contact is uncertain.
• When the temperature climbs, aim for the fat side of the green or fairway.
• On baked-out summer fairways, swing at cruising speed, not rescue speed.
• In hot-weather golf, accept a smaller finish if the lie or weather demands it.

Coach’s tip: If the heat is speeding you up, slow the walk before you slow the swing.

What good looks like

A good result in hot-weather golf is often boring: middle of the green, front edge, fairway short of the bunker, or a lay-up wedge number you trust. On baked-out summer fairways, that kind of discipline rarely makes a highlight reel, but it keeps doubles off the card. On baked-out summer fairways, build your round around playable misses and you will look calmer than the conditions around you.