Page 98 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2019

SPORTS & OUTDOORS coast golf update
TEE-OFF
wi Tommy
PROTECT YOURSELF
story by Tommy Snell
Aretha Franklin’s famous Protect Yourself line – okay, so those might not be the words. However, maybe, just maybe you’ll keep the lyrics of her hit song “Respect” in mind when you play golf this August in South Mississippi. Block the sun!
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. (AAD.org), one person dies every hour from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. P-R-O-T-E-C-T yourself!
Sun block is important, but golfers can also
protect themselves from the sun’s
harmful rays by wearing
protective clothing. Floppy, adventure
and Tilley-styled hats provide better protection
than the typical golf hat according to most
dermatologists. These eyes! UV rays can cause
cataracts or cloudy lenses. Webmd.com
suggests that “Most sunglasses sold in the U.S., even cheap ones, guard against UVA and UVB rays.”
Coolibar has been offering “the
most innovative, technical and high performing sun protective apparel
and accessories” for twenty years. According to the website, Coolibar
was “the first sun protective clothing company to receive The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation.” You can read about ESPN’s Holly Rowe’s journey at www.coolibar.com.
Golf’s major clothing companies offer protection from the sun. Most experts advise using golf apparel with a UPF 30 or UPF 50. Interestingly, “darker colors absorb more rays and offer a higher level of protection,” according to Golf Digest’s Brittany Romano. She adds, “A typical cotton T-shirt offers around a UPF 5 rating, which means a fifth of the sun’s UV radiation can reach the skin.”
Adidas, Under Armour, Puma, Callaway and almost every other golf apparel company now offer protection from the sun’s harmful rays. Choose wisely. The AAD advocates the following:
– Seek Shade
ALWAYS PROTECT YOURSELF from the sun by sunscreen, wearing protective clothing and sunglasses.
– Wear Protective Clothing
– Apply Sunscreen, Generously!
WEBMD recommends golfers play before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. and eat veggies, fruit, fatty fish and nuts. Hot dogs are not vegetables. Drink coffee! Studies suggest a cup of java may help ward off skin cancer. The more you drink, the more it seems to help. Decaf doesn’t work, according to the website.
October’s fairway cooldown is around the dogleg, but don’t let a little heat stop you from playing golf this August. Protect yourself, and go play!
98 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2019
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