FAB 5: Cancer Prevention Strategies for the Course

Colorado golfers know better than to tee off without hats, sunglasses and a hefty coating of sunscreen. But when Dr. Elisa Kapler, a dermatologist with Kaiser Permanente, took the stage at this year’s CGA Summit, she caught some in the audience by surprise with a few of her tips.

Because skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and CGA members would much rather be booking tee times than doctor appointments, please review the following and adjust your routine accordingly:

Clothing works better than sunscreen. No wonder LPGA players have popularized long white undersleeves for women. “A lightweight, light-colored, UPF-50 T-shirt keeps you cooler than a tanktop,” noted Dr. Kapler. She also recommends wide-brimmed hats that shade the face, ears and part of the neck, and has even been known to wear those “really cute” (she said dryly) floppy hats with what looks like a curtain hanging from the back.

You don’t have to reapply clothing every two hours, but between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. reapplication of sunscreen on exposed skin is a must. Use SPF-30 or higher mineral sunscreens because these reflect radiation. And make it a habit when you pause at the turn to use the restroom to take your sunscreen with you and reapply it.

Slap on that spray. That bottle you keep in the car to quickly spritz all over your arms and legs before you head to the tee? It must be rubbed in to be effective, and, yes, that means getting your hands messy and having to take the time to wash them before handling your clubs. Plus, you need to take it with you and do it all over again at the turn.

Pretty up with protection. That sunscreen you ladies count on in your morning moisturizers or foundations? “They are not enough alone,” Kapler said. Women who don’t want to muss the makeup by applying and reapplying sunscreen over it might consider a stick sunscreen and/or the big hat described in Tip No. 1.

Do your own due diligence. Advised Dr. Kapler: “Watch for growths that change, bleed, itch or just don’t heal.” Prevention measures paired with early detection can make this cancer treatable and curable.

Veteran journalist Susan Fornoff has written about golf for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, ColoradoBiz magazine and her own GottaGoGolf.com. She provides the voice of “Molly McMulligan,” the CGA’s on-course consultant on golf for fun. Mr. McMulligan, Keith DuBay, is also an accomplished journalist and especially enjoys reviewing golf courses. Email the McMulligans at mollymcmulligan@gmail.com. 

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