Is hay fever playing havoc with your golf? Here are 8 simple ways to fix it.

The height of the golf season is generally good news for everybody.

For hay fever sufferers, however, it can be a nightmare. Sufficiently suppressing symptoms so that you can just focus on shooting the lowest score possible can be less straightforward than it sounds, not least because 95% of all hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen.

Airborne allergens expert Max Wiseberg, the creator of HayMax allergen barrier balm, explained: “Hay fever is a result of our immune system’s overreaction to innocuous allergens such as pollen.

“The body’s reaction to pollen is to produce histamines. Normal amounts of histamines in your brain are good – they keep you alert, attentive and awake. But, when there are too many in your body, they produce the various symptoms common to hay fever sufferers including sneezing, a runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, watery eyes, streaming eyes, swollen eyes and an itchy nose and throat.”

• 7 reasons to buy the July 2025 edition of bunkered

• The best way to improve golf at the Olympics? Add in Long Drive.

Here are Wiseberg’s top tips for dealing with hay fever symptoms…

1.
“Getting plenty of exercise can help reduce symptoms, so a round or two of golf will help with this one. You should try to do two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week.”

2.
“Time your round to avoid peak pollen. You should avoid going out when the pollen count is highest, generally first thing in the morning and early evening, especially on dry, warm, sunny days.”

3.
“Wear clean clothes. If you wash your golfing gear after each round, you will have clean, pollen free clothes each time. Make sure you dry it indoors rather than on an outdoor clothes line or dryer to prevent pollen particles being blown onto it by the wind.”

4.
“Stop pollen getting in your hair. Tie up long hair and wear a cap whilst playing. A cap or other head cover will help stop pollen particles being caught in your hair.”

• The most unwanted records in golf history

• The most ultra-exclusive golf clubs in the world

5.
“Stop pollen getting in your eyes. Wear wraparound sunglasses during your round. Not only will this protect your eyes from the sun, but will help stop pollen particles getting in your eyes. And apply an allergen barrier balm around the sockets of your eyes to help trap pollen.”

6.
“Stay well hydrated. Make sure you drink plenty of water while playing, as this will help symptoms; being dehydrated makes symptoms feel worse.”

7.
“Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. This will help you stay healthy and support your immune system. Red onions, kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries and apples are good sources of quercetin, which is thought to limit the release of histamine, the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body.”

8.
“Shower and change your clothes after your round. Take a shower after your round or when you get home to wash away allergens so that they can’t cause a reaction. If you change your clothes when you get back home, this will reduce the amount of pollen you bring back indoors.”

—

For more information on tackling hay fever and hay fever symptoms, check out HayMax.