Alcohol + golf = ?

[BoilerGolfer'10]

Definitely depends, I usually drink at minimum 3 beers per round unless it is to cold in the fall or very early in the morning. Post 11:00 AM is booze time. However when drinking between 8-12 I definitely see adverse effects. I think if you keep it in moderation though there it doesn't detract very much. When playing in tournaments there are two attitudes, when with a competitive team i usually have one or 2..when on a party team i get as drunk as much as possible and arrange a ride beforehand.

[ghalfaire]

Wow, I'm amazed at the number or responses that say a "couple of beers" don't affect performance or affect it positively when all objective data I know of says different.  But as I said earlier I don't have a problem with drinking on the course as long as it isn't over done,  although I don't.  I save it for the 19th hole.  But if you believe it doesn't affect your performance negatively, I believe you got it wrong.  While I don't particularly care about your golf performance that attitude carrier over to the drive home can be deadly, not just to you but to some innocent folks too.

[Quinn07]

I personally can not drink on the course if I want to have any kind of decent score.  Something about when it hits your lips, just throws my body into complete relaxation to the point where I don't really care about what I am doing and it usually turns into a complete Cluster #&^%.  So I usually save all of my drinking of alcohol until the 19th hole.  Not to mention in the extreme heat it is probably one of the worst things you could do your body while out walking around for 4+ hours lugging a 50lb bag.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Kenny D

Just that, how does alcohol (no more than 5 beers here!) effect your game?

I couldn't answer the poll, because for me it depends.  If I'm playing well it can have a negative effect, so I just don't even consider it then.  When I'm playing poorly a couple of beers can settle me down and actually help my game.  That said, I rarely drink on the course regardless of how I'm playing.  I usually save it for the 19th hole.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

Wow, I'm amazed at the number or responses that say a "couple of beers" don't affect performance or affect it positively when all objective data I know of says different.  But as I said earlier I don't have a problem with drinking on the course as long as it isn't over done,  although I don't.  I save it for the 19th hole.  But if you believe it doesn't affect your performance negatively, I believe you got it wrong.  While I don't particularly care about your golf performance that attitude carrier over to the drive home can be deadly, not just to you but to some innocent folks too.

How do you get home after drinking post-round? A taxi, the bus, or a friend who decided not to drink and risk innocent lives?

Basically, if you think having drinks post round is safer for the general public than someone having a couple beers over a 4 hour period, then you need to find a new source for your objective data.

[JAYDEE3]

I am all for it , it is supposed to be fun right

[ghalfaire]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

How do you get home after drinking post-round? A taxi, the bus, or a friend who decided not to drink and risk innocent lives?

Basically, if you think having drinks post round is safer for the general public than someone having a couple beers over a 4 hour period, then you need to find a new source for your objective data.

Since you ask, if I am driving home I don't drink on or off course.  But I am often in a car pool and enjoy a fine beer or ale as much as anyone when I am not the driver.  The laws are pretty strict here and penalty is severe so better to not take a chance, plus I would not want to feel responsible for harming some innocent person (on or off the course).  I believe that with a single beer or maybe even two you could pass a breath test, so not drinking and driving is a personal decision.  But if you do a Google search on effects of alcohol you can find that even one beer will slow your reflexes and impair your decision making ability somewhat.  I have never seen even a single datum that says otherwise (but there might be one as I certainly have not read everything either).  Anyway I hope that answers your question.

[Cas57]

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

How do you get home after drinking post-round? A taxi, the bus, or a friend who decided not to drink and risk innocent lives?

Basically, if you think having drinks post round is safer for the general public than someone having a couple beers over a 4 hour period, then you need to find a new source for your objective data.

Since you ask, if I am driving home I don't drink on or off course.  But I am often in a car pool and enjoy a fine beer or ale as much as anyone when I am not the driver.  The laws are pretty strict here and penalty is severe so better to not take a chance, plus I would not want to feel responsible for harming some innocent person (on or off the course).  I believe that with a single beer or maybe even two you could pass a breath test, so not drinking and driving is a personal decision.  But if you do a Google search on effects of alcohol you can find that even one beer will slow your reflexes and impair your decision making ability somewhat.  I have never seen even a single datum that says otherwise (but there might be one as I certainly have not read everything either).  Anyway I hope that answers your question.

What you posted about alcohol is absolutely true, "even one beer will slow your reflexes and impair your decision making ability somewhat".  That is the exact reason why a little alcohol can help someone.  I'm definitely not an advocate of drinking alcohol but for some, a little bit helps them relax just enough to loosen up their muscles which allows them to swing without the tension.

Has anyone taken a look to see if there is a relation to alcohol consumption and handicap?  I haven't looked but it is my feeling that beginners and/or high handicappers are probably more inclined to drink alcohol moreso then a low handicapper that may take the game more seriously?  Maybe it's just because there are more golfers out there above say, an 8 handicap, so that's why the numbers would be skewed towards my thinking.

[NM Golf]

I rarely drink on the course, but when I do i would hardly say it helps my game.  Since 99% of my rounds are either money games or tournaments it`s no beer for me!

[Kenny D]

I hope the post didn't make me out to be an alcoholic because rarely do I drink "socially" so I fully understand negative effects being the majority.  One response that said alcohol inhibits clear thinking so you become more aggressive and make 'braver' plays (stating that as a negative.)  I find that to be a positive in most situations (60% of the time it works every time...) Seriously though I think us "over-analyzers" benefit from alcohol's inhibitory nature.  That's why this is a debatable topic because each indiv. is different. If you're a looser player, alcohol may promote that fluidity and reduce ability.  If you're a scratch golfer congrats, you win.  Also i think that just because you use alcohol (2min. - 4 max. beers etc.) doesn't mean you don't take the round any less seriously than people who don't, I want to put an end to that stigma.  Damn frat boy hackers give that stereotype bleh.

[ghalfaire]

Originally Posted by Kenny D

I hope the post didn't make me out to be an alcoholic because rarely do I drink "socially" so I fully understand negative effects being the majority.  One response that said alcohol inhibits clear thinking so you become more aggressive and make 'braver' plays (stating that as a negative.)  I find that to be a positive in most situations (60% of the time it works every time...) Seriously though I think us "over-analyzers" benefit from alcohol's inhibitory nature.  That's why this is a debatable topic because each indiv. is different. If you're a looser player, alcohol may promote that fluidity and reduce ability.  If you're a scratch golfer congrats, you win.  Also i think that just because you use alcohol (2min. - 4 max. beers etc.) doesn't mean you don't take the round any less seriously than people who don't, I want to put an end to that stigma.  Damn frat boy hackers give that stereotype bleh.

For the record I wasn't accusing anyone of being an alcoholic.  I was trying to stay on subject by addressing the effects of alcohol on the human body.  You could be correct in that a single beer might actually help some golfers just as several other drugs might also.  In hindsight should have avoided comment on the drive home.  But I  admit driving and drinking is a "hot button" for me having been on the receiving end of an accident with an impaired driver many years ago.  But I'll keep future comment on that subject in the Grill Room where it belongs.

Have a great season and good golfing to you.

[buzz57]

I don't like drinking  on the course except  for one occassion each year. We have a tournament near where I live (in New Zealand) where you nominate before your round the number of beers you will drink during the round - that number is then added to your handicap to give you a new handicap for the day.

For example, if you have  a handicap of 10 and say you will drink 10 beers during the round, your handicap will be 20. Your partner then not only has to keep track of your strokes, but also the number of bottles you finish.

Most people nominate between five and 15 beers. Most people's golf suffers as the day wears on, but the handicap system seems to work pretty well.

And the golf may not be pretty, but the day is a lot of fun. (A courtesy bus is provided to ensure all participants make it home okay).

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by buzz57

I don't like drinking  on the course except  for one occassion each year. We have a tournament near where I live (in New Zealand) where you nominate before your round the number of beers you will drink during the round - that number is then added to your handicap to give you a new handicap for the day.

For example, if you have  a handicap of 10 and say you will drink 10 beers during the round, your handicap will be 20. Your partner then not only has to keep track of your strokes, but also the number of bottles you finish.

Most people nominate between five and 15 beers. Most people's golf suffers as the day wears on, but the handicap system seems to work pretty well.

And the golf may not be pretty, but the day is a lot of fun. (A courtesy bus is provided to ensure all participants make it home okay).

Haha that sounds awesome.

[Blades4me]

Occasionally I'll drink a beer on the course, but if I'm going to drink I fill up my metal flask with Johnny Walker, black lable. I haven't noticed that it has really affected my game, but then again I don't drink large amounts either; may be half of the flask per round---and I do share.

There are some guys in the Mens club I'm in that actually get better the more they drink. I've seen  2 down a fifth of scotch and working on another one and just lighting the course up. It was on a RTJ jr championship course here in Portland Or.

[jetsknicks1]

Originally Posted by buzz57

I don't like drinking  on the course except  for one occassion each year. We have a tournament near where I live (in New Zealand) where you nominate before your round the number of beers you will drink during the round - that number is then added to your handicap to give you a new handicap for the day.

For example, if you have  a handicap of 10 and say you will drink 10 beers during the round, your handicap will be 20. Your partner then not only has to keep track of your strokes, but also the number of bottles you finish.

Most people nominate between five and 15 beers. Most people's golf suffers as the day wears on, but the handicap system seems to work pretty well.

And the golf may not be pretty, but the day is a lot of fun. (A courtesy bus is provided to ensure all participants make it home okay).

Used to be part of a large group (About 30 guys) that did a yearly golf outing. One of the rounds was a 4 man "Count your cans handicap" scramble. You played a regular scramble but each team saved all the empty beer cans that they drank during the round and you subtracted that number from your score (Shoot 70- 15 empty beers= final score of 55).

The funniest thing was sitting around the 18th green watching the groups weave & stagger their way up the fairway!

[Chicago Lefty]

Nothing wrong with throwing back a few on a nice day.  I wouldn't say I ever get hammered, but I've made the turn a little tipsier than I should have a few times.  I don't think a few beers effects my game one way or the other.

edit: I take the never getting hammered part back.  I played in a few industry scrambles this year.  When you're out with a vendor and the alcohol is on them, it's hard to say no.  Plus it makes it so much easier to go after that Par 5 on the second shot when you know that no one else in your group is even capable of hitting a decent lay up.

[jmanbooyaa]

I only bring a six pack with me when ironically I rent a cart for the day and split them with one of my buddies. To me busy hot summer day on the course is okay to have some beer if you are riding and it won't hold up anyone because you are gulping away.

[Elvisliveson]

I drink more than most non-alcholics, but NEVER while playing golf. And while I usually drink every night, I try to avoid it whenever I have an early morning tee-time.