Water, food and playing through the heat

A round of golf is four hours of low-intensity work with a handful of high-effort moments, and in an Australian summer it is four hours in serious heat. Nobody collapses at the twelfth, but plenty of golfers make worse decisions there than at the second, and the usual reason is that they have eaten nothing and drunk far too little.

The back nine is where it shows

Concentration fades before the swing does. A solid front nine, two loose tee shots at the turn, then a three-putt and the wrong club at the fifteenth. Fatigue affects decisions earlier than ball striking, which is why the card deteriorates before the swing feels different.

Drink before you are thirsty

Thirst arrives after performance has started to drop. On a hot day the loss is much faster than most golfers estimate, and a cart makes it worse because you do not feel the effort. Start drinking on the first tee, carry more than you think you need, and add an electrolyte drink for the back nine in summer.

Alcohol at the turn is a personal choice, but it is a diuretic and does the opposite of what a golfer in thirty degree heat needs.

Eat small and often

A full meal at the halfway house produces the standard slump at the eleventh and twelfth. Something small every five or six holes works far better: a banana, a handful of nuts, a muesli bar. The aim is a steady supply rather than a spike and a crash.

What to put in the bag

• Water, more than you think, plus an electrolyte drink in summer.
• Two pieces of fruit and a small bag of nuts.
• One bar or half a sandwich for the turn, eaten slowly.
• Broad-brim hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and a towel you can wet.

Sun is the bigger problem

Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and four hours in the middle of the day is a serious exposure. A broad-brim hat, long sleeves in the worst of it, sunscreen applied before you leave and again at the turn, and an early or late tee time in January are not optional extras. Cancer Council advice on sun protection applies to golf as much as to the beach.

Caffeine helps and then it does not

Coffee before a round is fine. A second at the turn on top of no food is where the jitters and the three-putts come from. If you rely on caffeine, pair it with something to eat.

The necessary caveat

This is ordinary practical advice for a healthy adult playing recreational golf, not medical guidance. If you manage a condition affected by heat, fluid balance or blood sugar, or take medication that changes any of them, ask your GP what to carry and what to watch for before playing through summer.

What to try next round

• Start drinking on the first tee, not at the turn.
• Eat something small every five or six holes.
• Book the early tee time in summer and note the difference on holes ten to thirteen.

It is the cheapest change in golf: no equipment, no lesson, and it shows up exactly where most amateur rounds fall apart.