PALM SPRINGS (California) — The solution is so obvious, you wonder why nobody thought of it earlier.
Why not play the girls in the morning if it’s physically challenging and even dangerous to play golf at 3 pm in temperatures of 110 degrees or more in August and Septembre?
Rob Hanmer is in his fourth season as the girls golf coach at Rancho Mirage High School.
The Rattlers played two matches at home this season, starting at 9 am at Mission Hills North. This is just across Ramon Road. Shadow Hills High School has scheduled two matches at Bermuda Dunes Country Club at 8:30 am this season.
Golf matches in the afternoons of August are played at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees because girls golf is a fall sport for California high schools and school and athletics begin earlier each year. CIF-Southern Section regulations require that players walk the course on hot days.
Nick Anziano said, “I wish that we had done it all along,” after his team’s morning match against the Rattlers last week. Years ago, when I was just learning the ropes, I mentioned it to a few coaches. It’s a no brainer.
“I’ve seen girls vomit. Anziano stated that it’s not unusual. Every season, I’ve seen some sort of heat-related illness hit someone.
(Photo: Larry Bohannan/Desert Sun) Tuesday morning, Shadow Hills High School’s Damariz Hernandez tees-off on the first hole at Mission Hills North Golf Course. (Photo by Larry Bohannan/Desert Sun).
Fall is a difficult time to find courses
Hanmer’s decision to schedule morning matches for his girls team was a seemingly simple solution to a problem, but it actually stemmed from another concern — the availability of courses. Hanmer learned last fall, at the Desert Empire League Boys Golf Finals, that his girls’ team would not have access to Mission Hills Country Club this season in August or Oct.
“So I started scrambling. Hanmer said, “Mission Hills North has been incredible for us but they close at 12 noon (in August).” “My athletic director stood there and I told him that we would have to play some games at Mission Hills North during August. Can we play at nine in the morning?”
The summer months are the best time to play high school golf at Gary Player’s Mission Hills North. Most public matches begin by 8:30 am.
Hanmer and David Shaw, his assistant coach, both said that the matches played earlier also had some educational benefits.
Shaw stated, “The girls do not want to miss class that much because we had our first match the week before and missed the early classes.” “Instead of missing half the day, it’s now half and half. The back-end class is more accessible. “We will have them back by the fourth period today.”
Hanmer said that the morning matches may solve some issues for teams but fall still poses problems like the courses being closed for overdoing in September and November. Knowing that some matches will not be played during the heat of the day could improve participation.
Hanmer stated, “We want to make golf more enjoyable and create lifelong golfers.” “It’s still down to the golf course availability. We must play when the golf courses allow us to. It worked really well for us that this golf course opened at 9 am.
