Planning a golf trip out west? Take these precautions to avoid getting 'Valley Fever'

Dan Swinscoe is one of Golf Digest's Best Fitness Trainers in America, but that's not why you're reading about him today. He's also an avid golfer—and in May of 2023, he played 27 holes at Silverado Golf Club in Scottsdale one day with a friend.

That's where his story starts, and it's his hope that it serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who also plays golf in the Southwest. If you do, or are planning a golf trip there, please keep reading.

As Swinscoe was finishing his golf marathon that day, he began to feel pains in his chest, particularly when breathing. By the following night, he was shaking and had the chills. He ended up in an urgent-care center with a 104 fever and, despite being given antibiotics for what was thought to be pneumonia, his breathing got worse over the next couple of weeks before the condition finally subsided.

That's when things took a serious turn for the worse. His right wrist swelled for no apparent reason (he's right-handed). Doctors speculated the cause could be anything from arthritis to a bacterial lung infection, but remedies like trying to drain the fluid that caused the swelling and repeated cortisone (steroid) shots did nothing to help.

It wasn't until June 2024, 13 months after that 27-hole round, when Swinscoe underwent wrist surgery and a local doctor, Mark Leber determined he had contracted "Valley Fever."

We'll get back to Swinscoe's ordeal in a moment, but first, it's important to explain what this infection is and how serious it can be if you contract it.

What is Valley Fever?

Valley Fever, also called coccidioidomycosis or cocci, is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in areas of the Southwest. The fungus gets into your lungs and can cause a host of issues including coughing, fever, chest pains, fatigue, infections in other parts of the body and, in some cases, prolonged hospitalizations or even death. In California, on average over 1,000 people have been hospitalized with Valley Fever each year, of which about one in 10 have died.

On windy, dusty days, which are common in that part of the country, the conditions are perfect for these fungi to go airborne and get breathed in or enter the body in some other way (we'll explain how to help prevent it in a bit). It is NOT contagious and can't be spread from one person or animal to another.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were more than 26,000 cases of it across the country in 2024, with the vast majority occuring in Arizona and California. Among athletes to have been diagnosed with it (you can only confirm it through a blood test) are Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench and PGA Tour pros Greg Kraft and Charlie Beljan. Sterling Lewis, a former football player at the University of Arizona, died in 2020 from Valley Fever.

Back to Swinscoe's ordeal, he had to go through two wrist surgeries and a ton of rehabilitation just to have any function in his right hand (below). In fact, he had to do mostly everything left handed for weeks. He's back to playing golf, but it was a painful process and Swinscoe says he's lost a ton of distance.

"I am thrilled to be able to play again. I’m out there and still improving so no complaints," he says. "My mission now is to share my story so hopefully fewer people are misdiagnosed as I was."

In Arizona, Valley Fever Awareness week is Nov. 9-15, and Dr. John Galgiani will be playing host to a couple of discussions at the University of Arizona's Valley Fever Center for Excellence. Galgiani says there are things golfers can do to help prevent contracting the infection. Wearing hats, pants and long sleeves help. And be sure to remove and wash those clothes before bringing them into your home if possible.

If the forecast calls for high winds on a dry day, you might want to skip outdoor golf and opt for some simulator work. A mask can help, but that might be too impractical when playing.

"Lack of awareness about Valley Fever has consequences," Galgiani says. "Patients with Valley Fever before receiving their correct diagnosis are often treated with antibiotics one or more times, receive repeated radiographic studies, and some patients even undergo biopsies or other invasive procedures. The CDC found that the average delay in Valley Fever diagnosis was 30 days at a cost of $175 per day.

"For example, current diagnostics require blood or other specimens to be sent to an outside laboratory for testing and results take days or longer to come back. It would be so much better if a test could be done in the clinic or at the bedside with results within minutes and lead to immediate decisions regarding next steps."