Summer has arrived! With hot weather scaring off players with weaker constitutions, quieter golf courses and leisurely twilight rounds make summer golf a blissful experience. But to truly take advantage, you’ll need the following summer golf essentials to play in sweat-free, sun-protected comfort.
1. BAG BOY COOLFLEX CART BAG
The premium Bag Boy Coolflex cart bag has a 14-way club divider featuring Top-Lok technology — which keeps your clubs well secured and separated — along with a rubber-lined putter compartment to keep your flat stick safe. But it’s the Coolflex’s outrageously large esky compartment that really moves the needle in the summer heat. It’s fully detachable and will keep up to 12 cans ice cold during a round, which means you can consume one every 1.5 holes. Does that seem like a lot of fluid for one round? Maybe. But it'll certainly keep dehydration at bay when playing in the intense summer heat.
2. ADIDAS COOLER BAG
When the weather heats up, the adidas cooler bag is the next best thing to the Bag Boy Coolflex cart bag. The zip-up insulated esky bag can keep up to a dozen cans cool, and its shoulder strap can be looped to your golf bag for secure travels. If you want to stay particularly refreshed in the summer golf season, this cooler's for you.
3. UNDER ARMOUR PERFORMANCE 3.0 POLO
The Under Armour Performance 3.0 Polo is made from a stretchy polyester/elastane blend that will keep you cool and comfortable on the course. It wicks sweat away from your skin and is quick-drying too, leaving you feeling fresh and breezy. The polo has a UPF40 rating and also features Under Armour’s remarkable — wait for it — anti-pilling technology. Whatever will they think of next?
4. MIZUNO TOUR SUN HAT
The Mizuno Tour Sun Hat is shade central in summer, keeping your head, neck and face from getting fried by the sweltering sun. While it may look like one of those wide-brimmed cricket hats, the Mizuno Tour Sun Hat is specifically designed for golf. Why? It has a chin strap to keep it firmly attached to your bonce while you’re swinging away, or battling a stiff summer sea breeze. The hat also features an internal sweatband that will keep your face dry so you can focus on your game, or keep swatting away the plagues of flies that always accompany an Australian summer.
5. OAKLEY SUTRO LITE SUNGLASSES
Sunglasses are essential kit for summer golf, protecting your precious peepers from the elements and the sun’s unrelenting UV rays. But sunglasses like the high-wrap Oakley Sutro Lite model don't just protect — they also make it easier to follow the action on the golf course. Oakley’s famous Prizm lenses are designed to boost contrast and enhance colour so you’ll be able to see more detail on the course, and hopefully make better decisions.
6. PARCH STAINLESS STEEL DRINK BOTTLE
Packing a drink bottle is an unequivocal essential for summer golf. However, not all drink bottles are created equal. To stop your liquid turning lukewarm in the heat, you’ll need an insulated drink bottle. The Parch Stainless Steel drink bottle is double-walled and vacuum insulated, which means 650ml of your beverage of choice will stay cold for up to 24 hours. Now that's worth drinking to.
7. SParms ARM SLEEVES
SParms are slip-on sun protection arm sleeves designed to be worn with a short sleeve golf shirt. They offer UPF50+ sun protection and are made from a lightweight and breathable material that is both moisture wicking and quick drying. Plus, they'll make you look like a real pro.
8. BUSHNELL WINGMAN MINI GPS AND BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Keen to enhance the summer vibes with some tunes on the golf course? The Bushnell Wingman Mini is your ideal… er, wingman. Small enough to be clipped to your golf bag or buggy, the speaker offers quality audio when Bluetoothed through your phone. Hit the Wingman Mini’s B button, however, and you’ll receive audible distances to the front, centre and back of the green. Distances and disco. How good’s that for chillin’ on the course this summer?
9. STONEHAVEN MICROFIBRE GOLF TOWEL
A towel isn’t the sexiest summer golf accessory, but you can’t deny its club-cleaning prowess and practicality in the summer season. The lightweight Stonehaven Golf Towel will wipe off accumulated dirt and grass on your club faces but it'll also soak up the sweat off your hands, leaving you with a secure grip when it's hot and humid on the golf course. Made from a textural tri-fold weave microfibre, the foldable 59 x 40cm towel is extremely absorbent and its Carabiner clip secures it firmly to your golf bag.