Drink up! Hydrate on the golf course to avoid dangerous consequences

Another queasy Spring Break morning. The Palm Springs temps were already triple-digits, so I did my best to stay out of the direct sun. The first few holes went okay, a bit unsteady, game expectedly shabby. Around hole 11, I went to peg my ball and I stumbled slightly. Enough for my partners to notice. “You all right?” I told them I was. My ball moved in and out of focus. I stepped away to clear the cobwebs, stood back in and managed to make contact. Things started to get fuzzier from there.

I went back to the cart and put an ice-cold towel over my head. Despite the arid atmosphere, my lungs felt heavy, and it was hard to catch my breath. Everything moved in slow motion. I knew I was in real trouble when my peripheral vision started glowing hot white. (I should’ve known earlier.) And that was it.

They told me I was rushed to Eisenhower Medical Center. Lots of people in white seemed alarmed. Doc said it was heat stroke caused primarily by severe dehydration, and that I had nearly died. The moral of the is story is this: Drink something! Heat stroke is no joke. Grab a Gatorade or Powerade or plain old water. Hell, BodyArmor sponsors Dustin Johnson. Bring a few of those along. They might just save your life.