Golf snacks: what to eat and when

Ever had that feeling where you are having a great round and then get to the 14th or 15th hole and start to make silly mistakes? Wrong club, misjudge the wind, 3 putt from nowhere?

Or, do you regularly score better on the front 9 than the back 9, or feel like you throw away too many good rounds by coming home on the bogey (or double bogey) train?

Playing consistent golf all the way through a round has a lot to do with being able to maintain concentration. Maintaining concentration has a lot do with keeping energy levels up. Keeping energy levels up is all about food.

So what should we eat? And when should we eat it? Well let’s start before the round, which for the purpose of this example is a morning tee off. If your nutrition looks like this then you are doing a pretty good job:

Breakfast:

Carbohydrates: e.g.,. Oats/muesli (un-sugared), bread/toast (wholemeal), Rice (brown)

Protein: e.g.,. Eggs, bacon/ham, cheese, other meat

Fats: e.g., Seeds, nuts, avocado, peanut butter

3rd Hole – Golf Snack no.1

Carbohydrates: e.g.,. muesli bar, banana

Fats: e.g.,. nuts, seeds

9th Hole – Golf Snack no. 2

Carbohydrates e.g.,. apple, wrap (wholemeal)

Fats e.g.,. nut and dried fruit mix

15th Hole – Golf Snack no. 3

Carbohydrates e.g., banana, pretzels

Fats e.g.,. nut bar, peanut butter

Fluids:

Water – aim for 1.5 ltr per 25kg of bodyweight per day. So if you weigh 75kg then you should aim for 4.5 ltrs per day, and more on a hot day. Electrolytes added to your water whilst on course are a good idea to help retain the water in your body.

If you are thinking how on earth you are going to keep track of all this food then try using the following system. Get 3 sandwich or ziplock bags and label them 3rd hole, 9th hole and 15th hole and fill them with the corresponding food. When you get to these holes just pull out the bag and munch away.

This tactic has been successfully implemented by winning interstate teams, elite amateurs and professionals. It keeps things simple and avoids that forgotten banana which turns up 3 weeks later black and mouldy in the bottom of your bag!

  fitness, health, nutrition