Kansas City golfers avoid course during heat of the day

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even with the heat index reaching 100 degrees Thursday afternoon, golfers are not shying away from Heart of America Golf Course.

When the sun is at its peak in the middle of the day, the course is a ghost town.

“Everyone comes out before it gets really hot, so we’ve been busy from crack of dawn,” said Michael Portman, assistant manager at the Heart of America Golf Course.

Tee times from 11 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon are wide open. Players said they wanted to start early Thursday morning.

“Definitely staying in the cart, having a little bit of shade, trying to find some trees to stay under,” Jack Moss said. “We have some beverages, so keeping cool with those and making sure we’re not overexerting ourselves out there.”

Those thoughts run along the same area of advice coming from doctors in this week’s heat.

Dr. Bryan Beaver is an emergency physician with the University of Kansas Health System.

“Really, the time that is most dangerous is the time when the temperature is the hottest and the humidity is the highest, whatever time of day that is,” Beaver said. “That is the time to stay out of the heat if at all possible.”

Doctors said the best way to stay safe outside is to stay in the shade and drink water.

The crew on the course is constantly changing out their coolers at each hole, keeping the water as cold as possible.

Doctors said signs of heat exhaustion include dehydration, nausea, muscle cramps and an inability to continue exercising outside.

Golfers like Colin Aubuchon said they check on their friends throughout the round.

“You just kind of watch each other and make sure everybody is doing alright — if somebody gets hot, you get a cold towel,” Aubuchon said. “We walk a lot, so I attach [water] to the bag and keep a gallon with me as much as I can.”

Doctors said if anyone is vomiting while exercising outdoors, that is an immediate sign to get them to a hospital.

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