5 tips for golfers with hay fever

Follow our handy tips and don’t let hay fever affect your handicap…

1. Wear sunglasses
Sunglasses are a great way to protect your eyes if they become itchy or sore through hay fever. Golfers might find them particularly useful when surveying holes in the distance, or when watching your ball fly down the fairway after teeing off. A pair of wraparound shades will give you added protection and it’s always a good idea to carry antihistamine eye drops in your golf bag as an extra precaution.

2. Time your tee off
Many of us keep an eye out for wet weather on the morning forecast but you should also look out for pollen warnings too. Try to arrange a round when levels aren’t so high or on cloudy days with a low wind. You should also adjust play according to peak pollen times – grass tends to pollenate in the afternoon and early evening, and try to avoid courses with lots of trees around dawn and dusk.

3. Shower after a round
Whether you’re planning on heading to the 19^th hole or putting your feet up at home after the 18^th, try to shower as early as possible in order to prevent your symptoms from flaring up. Pollen spores will cling to your skin and hair, so you’ll want to rinse them away to stop them hanging around longer than necessary. Try using a shower wash with eucalyptus to soothe your sinuses.

4. Bring a change of clothes
We all know that you should wear two pairs of trousers while playing golf, in case they got a hole in one, but there’s a lot to be said for packing a second set of other clothes too. Pollen often gets caught in fibres we wear on the fairways and it’s handy to keep a bag with you to zip them up when we’ve finished playing. Remove your clothes at the earliest opportunity and remember to wash them as soon as you get home.

5. Clean your equipment
It’s not just our clothes and bodies that can carry pollen but our equipment too. Towels are a common accessory on wetter days but also have a part to play when pollen is high. Try using them to wipe down your clubs between shots, especially around grips and handles. Remember your golf bag too – don’t forget to give it a thorough wipe-down after a spring day on the fairway.