Improve Your Long Game

Raising the awareness of sun protection in golf

Cancer Council NSW is aiming to raise awareness and educate golfers on the importance of sun protection through their ‘Improve your long game’ program. Their goal is to reduce the rates of skin cancer by improving access to sunscreen on the course and providing information to educate golfers and drive peer to peer conversation around sun protection. 

• Men over the age of 40 are 1.5 times more likely to develop melanomas and are twice as likely to die from it. Many golfers between the ages of 40 and 65 think it’s too late to make a difference, particularly if they haven’t practiced sun safety during their early years. However, protecting your skin at any age will reduce your risk of skin cancer.

• Melanoma can occur anywhere in the body, however for men, it’s more common in the trunk and for women it’s in the legs. Wearing long sleeved shirts and pants or protective sun sleeves is a great way to protect these areas from the harsh sun.

• UV radiation causes 95% of melanomas and 99% of skin cancers. Surfaces on golf courses such as grass, sand and water reflect these UV rays, intensifying the level of exposure to golfers. Wearing a wide brimmed hat designed for golf is an excellent way to protect your ears, neck and face from these harsh rays.

• UV rays can penetrate clouds and may even be more intense due to reflection off the clouds, so even on gloomy and overcast days, it’s important to seek shade while on the golf course. Keep a golf umbrella or hands-free umbrella with you on the course to shelter yourself from the sun.

• A dry touch/active sunscreen will protect without creating a greasy grip. Apply about a teaspoon (5ml) to each arm, each leg, your face neck & ears, and any other exposed skin at least 20 minutes before exposure and then reapply every two hours after that.

Here are some simple steps you can introduce if you haven’t already:

• Wear protective clothing: long sleeved shirts, trousers and hats are great solutions to ensure your body is covered and protected from the rays.
• Invest in a golf umbrella, you can get some great clip ones that allow you to be hands free.
• Remember to pack a high SPF30+ sunscreen and apply it liberally.
• Wear sun protective clothing with the certification.

Golfers are exposed to some of the harshest sun exposure – 1 round of golf lasting from three to five hours (depending on your skill level) this constant exposure without proper protection only leads to one road. As they spend long periods of time outside with limited access to shade along with ‘forgetting’ to reapply sunscreen. When compared to sports such as cricket players can be exposed to UV rays but the sport allows a more sun safe practices by the use of sporting wide brimmed hats, wraparound sunnies and zinc, the emphasis on sun protection in the golfing community is lacking tremendously.
There is a reason why most LPGA tour players are wearing clothing that seem to be covering their arms. From an initial glance it may look crazy to be wearing long sleeves out in the sun – but it is more than meets the eye.
Recently SParms was featured on the Golf Channel explaining the importance of sun protection.

Even with this initiative starting couple of years ago, the practice is still yet to be wide practiced especially amongst men. We here at SParms wish to make our next mission, similar to the LPGA to ‘cover’ the whole tour with our ultimate protection.
 
Find out more about SParms and it's certified UPF50+ sun protective range by clicking the links below: 
Sleeves UPF50+ 
Shoulder Wraps UPF50+ 
Body Shirts UPF50+ 
More UPF50+ 
SP arms Team,
This is for information purposes only, always consult your medical professional