I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that, dear reader, have realized at this point in your life that Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley can be unbearably hot from late Spring to, well, sometimes it takes all the way until December to cool off. While many come to this conclusion using just their senses and / or logic, others take a bit more to become aware of not only how hot it is outside, but just how dangerous it is to deny or ignore the furnace outside only until the unfortunate consequences come to be in doing so.
Golf.com is up with a post attempting to educate those who may not be aware that 100+ degrees is not ideal weather to be outside swinging a club at tiny ball and, well, you are going to be able to guess pretty quickly how everything turns out for the unnamed author.
Another queasy Spring Break morning. The Palm Springs temps were already triple-digits, so I did my best to stay out of the direct sun. The first few holes went okay, a bit unsteady, game expectedly shabby. Around hole 11, I went to peg my ball and I stumbled slightly. Enough for my partners to notice. “You all right?” I told them I was. My ball moved in and out of focus. I stepped away to clear the cobwebs, stood back in and managed to make contact. Things started to get fuzzier from there.
Yeaaaah, that’s not good at all.
I went back to the cart and put an ice-cold towel over my head. Despite the arid atmosphere, my lungs felt heavy, and it was hard to catch my breath. Everything moved in slow motion. I knew I was in real trouble when my peripheral vision started glowing hot white. (I should’ve known earlier.) And that was it.
Uh oh.
They told me I was rushed to Eisenhower Medical Center. Lots of people in white seemed alarmed. Doc said it was heat stroke caused primarily by severe dehydration, and that I had nearly died. The moral of the is story is this: Drink something! Heat stroke is no joke. Grab a Gatorade or Powerade or plain old water. Hell, BodyArmor sponsors Dustin Johnson. Bring a few of those along. They might just save your life.
Alright, so a couple of things here: 1) Obviously, I am glad this golfer is okay and honestly appreciate them sharing this as maybe it helps more people get that heat stroke is no joke, is very dangerous, and comes on fast. 2) Do cold weather towns have to warn people about the dangers of not wearing a jacket when it’s frigid outside? Or do people just use common sense in those places?
