Despite The Heat, Golf Course Devotees Keep It Cool

With temperatures climbing to the mid to upper 90s, die hard golfers braved the heat at Sag Harbor Golf Course on Thursday.

Kevin Fleming, an Irish born plumber based in Sag Harbor and a weekend golfer, hit the course on his day off to catch up with an old friend visiting from Gallway, Frank Chambers. “Whenever we get together,” Chambers said, “he beats me. It’s what we do.”

Fleming, who plays the course about once a week and pays about $400 a year in annual membership, said the heat was brutal, but wasn’t all bad. The course was practically empty. “We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Fleming said, “but we never get to enjoy it.”

Chambers, who had just come out to the East End after a few days in Manhattan, agreed. “This place is a picture postcard,” he said. “It’s a fabulous little course— it’s peaceful and quiet yet quite challenging. You think it’s kind of flat and easy, but then it grabs you.” 

The pair had a cheers over matching orange gatorades before leaving— a common sight among the few that embraced the heat.

Brothers Josh and Tyler Lane, vacationing from Greenwich Village, came in looking for practice. “It’s my first tournament in a week,” Josh Lane said. His brother laughed.

“He’s gotten addicted to golf,” Tyler said. “It’s all he wants to do this summer.”

Don Hermann, a Sag Harbor resident, shared a beer with his golfing buddy Russell Miller. Their intended third, Marshall Garypie, was supposed to play with them but cancelled due to the heat, joining them on the club house’s back porch to catch up.

“It’s crazy to be out there,” Hermann said. “The secret is to drink a lot of water. Today I’ve had more than I’ve had in a long time.” 

Asked how they dealt with the heat, Miller said, “We didn’t deal with it. We just put up with it.” 

“At least we had a cart,” Hermann said. “I don’t know how people walking the course could have managed it.”

Garypie pointed out another golfer on the horizon, dragging his clubs behind him and dressed in long black pants. “I’m sweating just looking at him,” he said.

Some of the greens are going brown in the heat, the black flies were biting and the temperature was 93 degrees in the shade. The men chuckled and enjoyed their beverages all the same.

“Do you know of an indoor golf course?,” one man asked. “Neither do I.”