How to drink properly on the course? ( IE staying hydrated)

[Elmer]

I did not know how to properly label this thread.

Anyway I play in a 9 hole league every week. I start the year by promising myself I will not have any beer on the course. Inevitably once I have a bad hole I declare to heck with it and have a beer and turn the round around (not due to the beer).

However as the season progresses I find myself throwing 2 beers and a cold bottle of water in the my bag and never touching the water.

Just looking for any tips on staying hydrated?

What should I be drinking? as I dislike sports drinks or soda?

how do you keep that mental focus to play and not have a beer.

(it should be noted I am a solid bogie golfer, and 1, 2 or 3 beers does not wreck my game, my game has enough issues all by itself).

[bradsul]

I just drink water, I never have beer at the course.  If it's really hot and humid (normal for southern Ontario summer) I usually bring 4 bottles with me.  1 of which is half frozen to keep the rest cold.  I'll have finished them all by the end of my round.

If it's not too hot I will usually go for 1 bottle per 9 and 1 bottle at the turn.

[dsc123]

I'd start with the untouched water in your bag.  From there, I'd move onto the water provided by the course.

Do you find that you're dehydrated?  I would think that 9 holes wouldn't require much more than that, but perhaps you live in a more oppressive climate than I do.

[isukgolf]

Drink beer ... plenty of time for water after the game

Since I live in Phx Az and it is a dry heat ... staying hydrated is an issue.  I take a 16-24 oz plastic glass with a lid, and most courses have water every 4-5 holes, and just keep it full.

[Slowcelica]

Last time I went out it was 90 and humid, heat index of over a 100 and I walked. I drank a bottle of water every 3 holes, 6 total for the round and I still felt dehydrated when I was done. Only drink water if you're worried about dehydration, gatorade is full of sodium and will increase it, carbonated drinks will actually slow the intake into your system and you will lose water faster.

[vangator]

I try to limit my intake of beer to 3 per 9 unless we stop at the turn or if I'm doing bad them I might have a few more. If they're free (several tourny's have free beer), then all bets are off. If I'm really trying to be serious, I wait until the 17th or 18th hole.

[vangator]

Used to be a member at a course that would set up a tap at every tee box for some tourny's. Many a time we'd let a group or two play through. :-) Those were the days.....

[Ernest Jones]

I try to limit my intake of beer to 3 per 9 unless we stop at the turn or if I'm doing bad them I might have a few more. If they're free (several tourny's have free beer), then all bets are off. If I'm really trying to be serious, I wait until the 17th or 18th hole.

3 per 9 is quite a lot in the sun. I'm a fairly serious drinker but I rarely ever drink on the course.

[saevel25]

I rarely drink beer on the course, and pretty much never in the summer.

We have fountains on the course, so I tend to refill a Gatorade bottle. I usually drink 2-3 full bottles of water per nine holes.

[MrDC]

How to drink properly? not sure there's much to this one, have a beer, and then drink some water. you'll piss a lot, but will enjoy the beer and the golf, end of story.

[scorpion12]

Elmer I know that they tell the military around where I am to begin hydrating the night before they're supposed to have their PT... so I'd say try to drink water the day before you plan on playing... when you pee clear, you're hydrated... unless you're on medication or there's something possibly medically wrong for you... in which case you might pee a different color.

The clear pee thing is what I see posted all over the military bases I've been to (especially in the deserts of Southwest Asia...) along with the drink more water mantra.

[Elmer]

I am in upstate NY,

so we can have hot days and cold days and days inbetween.

The course I play has water on the 4th, 7th. 10th & 16th.

However sometimes they are not filled and not cold.

And my home course is hilly so it is a tough walk!

I take a diuretic and drink water all day, beer on the course. Of course I never find myself having to relieve myself on the course, which tells me I am probably dehydrated.

[MPtheKid]

Definitely drink a ton of water. I bring a bottle and fill it at all of the coolers. I will mix a Nuun tablet in with my water if it is super hot outside and I'm sweating a lot.

[joekelly]

Suggest avoid caffeine too.  . Found in coffee,  cola and energy drinks.

• Caffeine is a diuretic and can cause dehydration.

From a medical web page.

[MS256]

Elmer I know that they tell the military around where I am to begin hydrating the night before they're supposed to have their PT... so I'd say try to drink water the day before you plan on playing... when you pee clear, you're hydrated... unless you're on medication or there's something possibly medically wrong for you... in which case you might pee a different color.

The clear pee thing is what I see posted all over the military bases I've been to (especially in the deserts of Southwest Asia...) along with the drink more water mantra.

That's what I was going to say but you beat me to it.

P.S. I never know for sure what I'm going to be doing or how hot it's going to be so I just always assume I might be running a marathon tomorrow.

[WUTiger]

Initial hydration the night before is the way to start.

I drink water on the front nine, and switch to sports drink on the back nine. Sports drink contains electrolytes, and prevents me from getting leg and hand cramps late in the round.

A work colleague runs marathons, and he says that you need something other than water after two hours of sustained exercise. Otherwise, he says, you start flushing electrolytes out of your body with water only.

[inthecup]

Unfortunately I sweat a lot so it is a constant battle.  To stay hydrated I start the day before and drink 5-6 12 oz bottles of water in addition to whatever I drink at lunch and dinner.  On the course I also drink a lot of water.  I'll bring a bottle and re fill it at 3, 5, 9, 13, 15.  I also need the bathroom a lot.  I will get cramps over time if I don't.  My goal as said earlier is to urinate clear.

During golf league there will likely be beer involved, I look at it less seriously and have some fun.  If I am playing 18 I usually don't drink beer and if I do it would  be on 16 or 17.

We do have a 4 day invite in July with a party the night before.  That is a real balancing act.  On the course I drink LOTS of water and G2.  More water than G2.  I will drink beer afterwards so super hydrating on the course usually keeps me in balance.  If I get really sideways I will have a couple beers and it usually improves things (or maybe I care less).

I found as I get older it becomes more important.  Not being as flexible as I used to be means being a little dehydrated makes it worse.

[vangator]

3 per 9 is quite a lot in the sun. I'm a fairly serious drinker but I rarely ever drink on the course.

For serious golf, I don't drink. When it's not, I try to stay hydrated. Last year I played a scramble where I was the A player and the beer was free. Bad Idea. I was on my 4th beer before we teed off. As the golf and drinking continued, on one tee box I did a face plant trying to put a tee in the ground. There's a picture of me hitting a tee shot off a beer can (empty of course, don't be silly). Don't remember it. On the long drive hole, I whiffed but kept my balance! I considered that success. So all told, I stayed hydrated with 33 beers that morning. Then came the banquet.....