Written by: Manvi Singh

 

Drinking has been a part of the fabric of our social interactions on and off the golf course. It has always been seen under the light of a necessary singleton on the golf course, to make a man hold a good opinion of himself, undisturbed by the facts. But, how long does the drinking game go hand-in-hand sober with your golf shots?

 

 

 

 

While one or two drinks serve as a swing oil for most golfers, loosening up their muscles and easing out the first-tee apprehensions - it also kicks in as a boost to the golfer’s confidence to even make the impossible putts in the most classic way.

 

Though as one or two drinks act as a stimulant to the golfer’s charm, the bigger question is to know --

 

 

How Much Is Too Much?

 

 

As per the leading sports-medicine physician at the PGA Tour, Dr Ara Suppiah, the first and the second drink are welcoming adventures on the golf course. With a limited sense of euphoria, bustling confidence and intimidating shots - the one’s one would generally not take - the initial drinks are a cherry on the cake. As the excitement phase of the third and the fourth drink kicks in, that’s when the judgement grows a dicey pathway ahead. With dulled senses, drowsiness and erratic behaviour that’d make you sway with the swing, this is when the coordination slowly slips out of your hands and down the hole.

 

A much more talkative golfer is simply the one with a lot less focus bringing in the possibilities of a higher handicap than usual. Though the much-deteriorating order to the game would be the fifth and the sixth drink that you’d give in to.

 

That’s where a golfer begins the journey of losing track of shots, growing a lot farther in distance and almost holding no idea of what’s happening. While the idea of golf does come hand-in-hand with the picture of perfect greens and utmost relaxation, yet that’s not the story one can write in on their scorecard.

Golf runs on the drug of fun, frolic and fairway hits which is why Phil Striano states, “it all boils down to whether you want to shoot the lowest possible score or to have the best possible time.” The drinking on the course is rather a part and parcel of the latter, yet the idea of putting high and square runs well with the right amount and standard of drinking.

 

As per a 2009 Swedish study, a golfer lives five extra years than a non-golfer and while the game burns up to 2000 calories and decreases comorbidities, a stronger life-span is just another added benefit to a non-drinking golfer too.

 

 

Teeing Up A Longer, Healthier Life

 

 

Golfing comes in with the benefits of stronger core muscles and higher HDL levels along with the most important virtue of vitamin D exposure for the golfers. It also brings in the added plus of learning the rectitudes of discipline and self-acceptance as every bad shot too falls back on the golfer’s pocket but learning the idea of growth and moving on is the beneficial ground from the game. The golfer learns to forgive themselves for a better game the next day.

 

With a growing threshold of mental endurance and finesse, along with patience and focus towards every task at hand, the golf game adds a fine personality and phenomenally well-curated cultural etiquettes in the golfer which makes it a plus.

 

While one cannot completely eliminate drinking from the course, the beneficial alternatives are -

 

• Consideration towards the type of alcohol and how you consume it.
• Stick to pure and clear alcohols as they hold a better metabolism rate.
• Red wines act as a relaxant with adequate polyphenols and antioxidants, though the consumption rate should lie between a sip to half a glass alone.
• Be well-fed and hydrated before choosing to chug on beers during a golf game.
  
   

And as Dean Martin states under the clear code, “If you drink, don’t drive. Don’t even putt.” Probably those are the wise words that take the game forward.