Golfing performance and nutrition go hand-in-hand, so having a solid nutrition strategy behind you could be key to ensuring that you perform at your peak when you hit the course. Our Lead Scientific Advisor, Professor Graeme Close, has worked with several of the world’s leading golfers and consulted with The DP World Tour and Ryder Cup teams, so we’ve picked his brains on all the need-to-knows when it comes to golf-specific nutrition. 

Check out his top tips for golfers below: 

Tip #1 – Be Organised 

Being organised with your nutrition is key. Having worked with a number of golf professionals, I am always surprised by the lack of organisation when it comes to pre-tournament and on-the-course nutrition. As a golfer, your biggest nutrition opportunity could be your ability to organise yourself ahead of the first tee. Avoid showing up to the tournament without any fuel, leaving yourself with only shop-bought options like chocolate bars and fizzy drinks; these won’t fuel the performance you’re after, and that’s if you even remember to eat them on the way round. If you don’t organise yourself and fuel your game of golf correctly, you’ll end up feeling fatigued by the 9th hole. 

Tip #2 – The 4-10-14 Technique 

The simple strategy is to bring some food with you. When working with professional golfers, I tend to use the 4-10-14 strategy. This strategy does what it says on the tin and focuses on ensuring golfers fuel at holes 4, 10 and 14. My priority for hole 4 and 14 is to ensure that my golfer is taking on enough carbohydrates; snacks like bananas or a muesli bar would be my recommendation. For hole 10, my food-first recommendation would be a pre-prepared and packed chicken sandwich, ensuring we not only have some carbohydrates, but a good hit of protein too. If golfers don’t have time to prepare and pack a homemade sandwich, I’d suggest a protein bar, like the Nutrition X Pro X Bars, as a sensible alternative.   

Tip #3 – Keep Hydrated 

Even on days when it’s not sunny! We know that dehydration can affect concentration and subsequently have a detrimental impact on performance. Not only will bringing your own hydration with you save you a few quid, it will also ensure hydration availability on the day. My practical tip is to ensure your water bottle is easily accessible, keep it somewhere convenient and get into the habit of getting your bottle out every time you put your putter away. Sipping little and often between tees will ensure you don’t finish your round dehydrated. On particularly hot or sunny days, I’d recommend you include an electrolyte tablet in your hydration strategy, so you know you’re replacing both fluids and key electrolytes lost through sweat. Keeping something like a Hydra+ tube in your golf bag will ensure you’re prepared.