Nutrition Tips to Stay Focused on The Golf Course

13 September 2024

While we champion game improvement here at Shot Scope, playing your best golf involves more than just hitting the right shots, to the right spots, at the right time.

The top professionals in the world know that to compete, their mental and physical stamina must remain at a high level. But with the average round taking almost four and a half hours, how do you stay focused on the golf course?

The key might just lie in what you eat and drink both before and during the round.

Eat well before playing

The biggest mistake we see amateurs make is not eating correctly before playing. In fact, many amateurs don’t eat at all, especially if they have an early morning tee time. This is a huge mistake and causes mental and physical fatigue very early into your round – leading to poor decision making and bad shots.

Researchers at Golf Monthly found that the average golfer burns around 1500 calories per round when walking. Consider that the average recommended intake is 2500 calories per day for men, and 2000 for women, and you can easily see that a single round of golf burns almost an entire day’s worth of calories!

Without consuming too much, you should ensure you eat a balanced meal containing enough calories and carbohydrates to give you the slow-releasing energy that will power you through 18 holes.

Give yourself a mid-round boost

Ditch the chocolate bars and chips and carry nutritious snacks instead, like bananas, nuts, and fruits.

Bananas are great because they release energy slowly, so consuming one around the turn is a great way to keep your energy levels up. Cereal or protein bars are another great snack to keep you going.

For an additional small boost, consuming one or two sweets like jelly babies or fruit gums can give you the short spike needed to get you through.

Stay hydrated

Perhaps the most important things is to remember to stay hydrated. When we’re walking for almost five hours, often in warm or hot conditions, it’s highly likely that we’ll become dehydrated without adequate water intake, sometimes without realising.

Research shows that when we’re dehydrated, even just a tiny bit, our concentration and cognitive performance suffers, so it’s essential you take on board enough water during your round.

There’s plenty of time for fizzy drinks and ice-cold beers at the clubhouse, so avoid them on the course – they’ll only make you dehydrated faster.  Carry a water bottle or two and take a few sips after every hole, and don’t forget to fill up again on the way round.

If water’s not exciting or appealing, try a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade instead. These drinks contain electrolytes which help you stay hydrated for longer.

By staying hydrated you’re more likely to remain engaged and focused on your game for longer, leading to less mistakes and improved performance.

Top Tip: If you start to feel hungry or thirsty, then it’s too late. Eat or drink little and often on the course to avoid this.

Track your performance with Shot Scope

Check out Shot Scope’s app and dashboard, available free with every purchase of a golf GPS watch or rangefinder, and start tracking your on-course performance today!

^{Featured / cover image credit: Nejron Photo / Shutterstock}