July 2, 1999 - Question: What is the most important thing in your golf bag? Is it
the $400 driver you got last Christmas, a scoring pencil with an eraser, or a bottle of
sunscreen? For golfers, who are at greater risk of developing skin cancer because of their
prolonged exposure to sun, the answer should be obvious.
Consider that a round of golf can take four to six hours to play and preferred weekend
tee times are generally in the mid-morning. A golfer who tees off at 10 a.m. will be
playing during the hours of the day when the sun is at its hottest.
"The unique problem golfers face is they are out in the sun for 4 1/2 hours at a
time," says Patricia K. Farris, MD, a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor
at Tulane University in New Orleans. "They are exposed to a lot of sun."
To reduce the risk of skin cancer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends
limiting or avoiding exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's
ultraviolet rays are strongest. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and cover as much skin
as possible by wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat with a wide brim. It's
also a good idea to wear sunglasses.
However, a few of those guidelines may prove difficult for some golfers. Tee times
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are prime for playing golf. As for long-sleeved shirts and long
pants, wearing them in the dead of summer can turn a pleasant stroll from tee to green
into a boot camp exercise. If hot weather prevents golfers from wearing long-sleeved
shirts or long pants, then sunscreen should be applied to exposed skin.
Dr. Farris, a golf enthusiast with a 35 handicap, said this doesn't mean people should
give up the game. Practical solutions include trying to play early in the morning, late in
the afternoon, or in the evenings. "I'm out there twice a week and I'm not in long
pants," said Dr. Farris. "I do recommend wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a hat
with at least a four-inch visor."
However, golfers should not compromise when it comes to sunscreen. While guidelines
call for at least SPF 15, Dr. Farris recommends golfers also use a broad spectrum
sunscreen that blocks both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. In addition a
golfer should apply sunscreen before a round and reapply it every two hours, she said.
"You sweat and it comes off. A good thing to remember is to reapply sunscreen at the
turn. One thing clubs can do for their members is have sunscreen available between the
ninth green and tenth tee."
"The basic principle is to protect the skin," said Martin Weinstock, MD, PhD,
professor of dermatology at Brown University and chairman of the ACS's Skin Cancer
Advisory Board.
Dr. Weinstock added the benefits of physical activity from golf outweigh the need to
avoid the sun. "Golfers are clothed and generally protected," he said.
"They have a leg up on sunbathers, for example. They just need to protect their
hands, arms, legs, top of the head, face, and ears. For legs, long pants are a reasonable
measure. A wide-brimmed hat to protect the head and ears is preferable to a baseball
cap."
ACS News Center stories are provided as a source of cancer-related
news and are not intended to be used as
press releases.
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