Food, water and finishing the back nine
Concentration fades before the swing does, and cold weather hides how much you are losing. Drink from the first tee.
A round of golf is four hours of low-intensity work with a handful of high-effort moments. 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 two cups of coffee.
The back nine is where it shows
Concentration fades before the swing does. The pattern is familiar: 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. Take more water than you think you need and start on the first tee rather than the tenth. British golfers routinely under-drink because the weather is cool and the effort does not feel like effort, but four hours of walking in wind is dehydrating whatever the temperature.
Alcohol at the turn is a personal choice, but it is a diuretic and does the opposite of what a golfer needs.
Eat small and often
A full meal in the halfway hut 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 cereal 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 warm weather.
- Two pieces of fruit and a small bag of nuts.
- One bar or half a sandwich for the turn, eaten slowly.
- Waterproofs, a hat and a towel. On a cold wet day, staying warm and dry does what food cannot.
Cold weather has its own rules
In winter the body works harder to stay warm and you still lose fluid through breathing and clothing. A flask of something warm is worth carrying, gloves keep the hands working, and the first tee in February is the wrong place to discover you have eaten nothing since breakfast.
Caffeine helps and then it does not
Coffee before a round is fine and mildly useful. 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.
What to try next round
- Start drinking on the first tee, not at the turn.
- Eat something small every five or six holes instead of one large stop.
- Note your score on holes ten to thirteen before and after changing this.
It is the cheapest change in golf: no equipment, no lesson, and it shows up exactly where most amateur rounds fall apart.
