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Never broken par on the golf course?
Have we got a golf tournament for you. There is one small hurdle you'll need to overcome: sweltering heat.
Yeti held the inaugural Heat Strokes Open at ShadowGlen Golf Club in Manor, Texas, just outside Austin on a toasty 103-degree day Sept. 20. A full field of golfers signed up to "beat the heat and avoid the strokes" at this unique event where par is set according to the day's hottest temperature. The winner shot 76, a whopping 27 under since par was 103.
Yeti supplied every player with swag - drinkware and a soft cooler - to keep their beverages cold, while its signature, high-end, hard-case coolers filled with ice were spread throughout the course. In true Texas fashion, a big BBQ feast kept the party going long after the last putt dropped. Sound like fun?
A similar event could be coming to a course near you in 2023. Yeti Chief Marketing Officer Paulie Dery said discussions are underway to hold another Heat Strokes Open next year, possibly at Furnace Creek Golf Course in California's Death Valley, the infamous hottest place on earth. Other plans include encouraging golf courses to host their own similar events to fill unused tee times on hot afternoons.
"It was such a success, we want to roll it out at other courses," Dery said.
Breaking par while shooting over 100? Sign me up!
Beat the heat on the golf course
Golfers might need to get used to playing golf in hotter conditions. Whether you believe in climate change or not, warmer weather patterns could become the summer norm for the foreseeable future.
According to a press release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, summer 2022 was the third-hottest on record. For the meteorological summer, defined as June 1 through August 31, the average temperature for the contiguous United States was 73.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.5 degrees above average, ranking as the third-hottest summer in 128 years. That average temperature would be ideal for playing golf everywhere, but anybody who lives in places like Florida, Texas, SoCal and Arizona knows that many days feel too warm and humid to even consider teeing it up, especially in the afternoon.
Yeti has partnerships with more than 700 golf courses around the country - from Bandon Dunes in Oregon and Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina to TPC Sawgrass in Florida - selling its merchandise in pro shops to keep golfers cool.
Dery said he's heard complaints from staff members at partner courses just how hard it is to fill afternoon tee times on hot summer days. Those concerns sparked the idea for the Heat Strokes Open. The event featured custom-branded Yeti drinkware, pin flags, golf balls with logos and scorecards. Dery said Yeti plans to encourage other courses to host their own Heat Strokes Open events next year. Yeti will supply the products to support the cause.
Waivers aren't necessary, despite the heat. "We think our product can handle any heat. That’s your waiver," he added. "With soft coolers in the carts, hard coolers on the course, we can beat the heat, whatever the course throws at us."
Just as important as beating the heat, Yeti also promotes the elimination of plastic waste. Bandon Dunes stopped purchasing and selling bottled water in 2021. Instead, it added 14 new water refill stations, giving guests the chance to buy an 18-ounce Yeti Rambler bottle for just $20 to reuse throughout their stay.
"Our product has a (place) in golf," Dery said. "It will keep your stuff cold and it will eliminate plastic. It's great to play a bigger role (in the game)."
Isn't it time we all started carrying a refillable water bottle in our golf bag? Maybe then, Mother Nature would start thanking us with friendlier, cooler weather for golf.
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