Beware of the Sick Golfer

[Nutsmacker]

I just got home from my company sales meeting and I was fighting the flu the entire week.  On the last day before we all left to go back to our home states; we had a casual tournament at a fancy upscale course in Texas.  

I honestly did not want to play as I was coughing, sneezing, and fighting a fever...but they had already paid for my round($150 per person) and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to play in some warm weather before I got back home to the east coast.  

Well, I played the best round of my life.  I broke 70 for the first time and shot a 68.  I had 5 birdies, one eagle, 1 bogey, and 1 double bogey.  I was barely paying attention to the scores and was hitting some of the best shots I have ever hit in consecutive holes.  I stuffed 3 of those birdies within 3 feet of the hole on my approaches.  One was an inch from being holed out.  I put my 2nd shot on a par 5 within 6 feet and kicked it in for eagle.  I drove a green on a par 4 and 2 putted for birdie.  I honestly have never played so well in my life....also, while it was happening...I barely knew what was going on.  I was not paying attention to the score, had very low expectations, and simply playing golf without thinking about anything.  Normally, on a course like that, I would be shooting a crappy score.  There was tons of elevation, water, canyons, carry shots, etc.  I was piping tee shots down every fairway, drawing 3 woods onto island greens, and nailing every par saving putt.  I was literally unconscious while playing...

I have had this happen before when fighting a cold where I have shot an uncommonly good score for me...earlier this year I shot a one over 73 while battling bronchitis.  I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon.  Removing my brain from the equation on the golf course seems to make me immensely better at the game.  Have you ever been sick as a dog on the golf course and shot a great score?  I am still in shock with what I did out there...so were my colleagues.  

[rehmwa]

Great round.  I've only once broke 70 and it remains an amazing memory.

As for play sicking and distracted - A couple rounds in the last few years, I've had a migraine come on me mid round where half my vision is totally gone.  My ball contact was fantastic both times and I played quite a bit better than typical.

Edited November 20, 2017 by rehmwa

[iacas]

39 minutes ago, Nutsmacker said:

Well, I played the best round of my life.  I broke 70 for the first time and shot a 68.

You should post some things here…

Congratulations, btw.

[Foot Wedge]

A friend convinced me to play 9 on a day when my allergies had me barely able to breathe and my whole body ached and I played better than average (for me).  I think what helped was that I just swung smoothly since it was physically painful to get too aggressive.

[Denny Bang Bang]

@Nutsmacker I’ve had days in sports where I hadn’t felt very good, and wound up performing very well.  It’s happened with golf as well, where I didn’t feel good, so “took it easy” and wound up playing really well.

 I believe back when Walter Payton set the single game rushing record (275 yards, at the time), he had been battling the flu and a fever all week.  He almost didn’t play in that game.

Congrats on the great round!

[Patch]

Congrats on a great round, especially when suffering with the flu. I am on day 6 with the flu (diagnosed), and now know that death is probably not a bad thing. 

I put down a 40' X 80' yard full of sod by myself. I was spent. Putting it down was not too bad, but I had to carry each piece from the font yard. I was maybe 35 at the time.

 I had just sat down to admire my work with my favorite beverage in hand. My phone rang, and it was a good friend calling saying they needed a short stop for their men's soft ball team. I tried every excuse I could muster to not go. His friendship finaly got me to the field, which is when I found it was double header. 

Long story short, l played as perfect a two games as one could ask for. No errors. Turned several double plays. Went 10 for 10 batting, with  4 of those going over the LF fence. 

Spent the next couple of days in major muscle pain. 

[NJpatbee]

When I am feverish and have the flu or flu like symptoms my concentration level and patience goes as close to zero as possible.  However, a head cold with no muscle aches and I can make it through.  About 20 years back I hurt my right knee over swinging on the range (turned out to be a torn meniscus) but I was determined to play.  I could put very little weight on my right side and my follow through had a step forward like Gary Player.  I played an excellent round (for me) and although I did not crush the ball I stayed in the fairway on almost every shot.  Needless to say I played no golf for the next 8 weeks to let the tear heal.

Great round by the way!

[bm85]

While I've not shot a score that impressive @Nutsmacker, I think there might be something with the whole wounded animal thing (i.e. Michael Jordan "flu game"). Who knows, but maybe becoming vulnerable activates some basal motor skills.

I broke my trail ankle in some god forsaken gopher hole on a tee box early on the back 9. It was devastating at first because I had just started a new job. In addition I had begun to get a handle of my swing that day, and the hole right before things went snap, I had hit a flushed 3h ~260 yards reaching a long par 5 in two. Put a lot of work into being able to achieve that, and it was suddenly gone. 

There was a drill I learned here where you preset your weight forward, and while I'm not a master of drills or anything like that - I felt it saved the day. Shot even par for the remainder of the round, broke my foot but still broke 80! That experience solidified this site as a good source of knowledge, and also served as a wake-up call that my spring chicken days are numbered.

[Nutsmacker]

35 minutes ago, Patch said:

Congrats on a great round, especially when suffering with the flu. I am on day 6 with the flu (diagnosed), and now know that death is probably not a bad thing. 

I put down a 40' X 80' yard full of sod by myself. I was spent. Putting it down was not too bad, but I had to carry each piece from the font yard. I was maybe 35 at the time.

 I had just sat down to admire my work with my favorite beverage in hand. My phone rang, and it was a good friend calling saying they needed a short stop for their men's soft ball team. I tried every excuse I could muster to not go. His friendship finaly got me to the field, which is when I found it was double header. 

Long story short, l played as perfect a two games as one could ask for. No errors. Turned several double plays. Went 10 for 10 batting, with  4 of those going over the LF fence. 

Spent the next couple of days in major muscle pain. 

I was reading that Sam Snead had a quote that said "beware of the half-sick golfer" as, someone with lower energy from being sick would play with the perfect tempo on their golf swing.  Of course Snead was talking about this when it came to gambling.  

Alka Seltzer Plus severe cold and flu tablets has helped with my symptoms.  Good luck with the flu...just make sure you get out to the golf course when you are at about 75% healthy. :)

Edited November 20, 2017 by Nutsmacker

[RussUK]

Depends on the "type" of flu. If its regular flu then thats me in bed for a few days, but if its Man-flu (the very worst kind) then i'll spend a couple of days moaning about being at deaths door trying to get sympathy from the wife

Seriously thought, i can play with a common cold but as im prone to getting sinus infections as soon as i lower my head it hurts like hell so golf is often off them menu.

[RayG]

This would happen to me, back in my better days... I suffer from back and neck issues since cracking a vertebrae as a 12 yo. I would show up to play with my friends and mention that I'm having a lot of pain and does anyone have some painkillers. they might as well have just handed over their money. My swing was smoother with better contact and would wax them handily. We would generally play match play w/handicaps, as well as skins and a few other side bets.

[Buckeyebowman]

Congrats on your round.

Well, I wasn't sick, but it was the day after Christmas a few years ago when my buddies called me out to play. I hadn't touched a club in close to 3 months. We showed up and went right out, not so much as a single practice putt. Just a couple of practice swings on the first tee and let 'er rip! Temp in mid to upper 40's. I shot 76 on a par 72 course.

Where that round came from I have no idea!

[The Hook Meister]

I have some really good rounds when I was not feeling all that well. maybe taking your brain out of the equation really does work after all.

[JackG]

wow firstly congraTs on the score, did any of you find you felt worse the day after? or just recovered the same? debating going golfing tomorrow. my cold has almost cleared i think.

[dagolfer18]

That’s amazing! A 68 while sick! I’ve had the same thing happen to me, except the exact opposite. You could sort of call this sick, but it wasn’t sick in the strictest sense. For some background: I had not one, not two, but three cups of coffee that morning, each with four Splenda packets. So I stepped up to the first tee a little over an hour after finishing the third cup, and I could feel the effects of caffeine full-force. I was shaking badly all over, and it showed. With hybrid in hand, I painfully, embarrassingly, topped it. I shot a 58 on the day, with a 14 thrown in the mix, and felt the effects the entire nine holes. So it wasn’t really sick, just the effects from WAY too much caffeine and sugar.

Edited December 1, 2019 by dagolfer18

[Rkrider99]

I've played some of my best rounds when I've been sick or hungover. I think I concentrate harder on just getting the center of the club squarely on the ball. I think I slow my swing down considerably. And I don't try to make any career type shots. Just fairways and middle of greens. Funny how that works.

[Double Mocha Man]

16 hours ago, dagolfer18 said:

 I shot a 58 on the day, 

Amazing.  David Duvall never shot a 58.

3 hours ago, Rkrider99 said:

I've played some of my best rounds when I've been sick or hungover. I think I concentrate harder on just getting the center of the club squarely on the ball. I think I slow my swing down considerably. And I don't try to make any career type shots. Just fairways and middle of greens. Funny how that works.

Same thing for MLB pitchers with a cold or flu symptoms.  Never bet against a sick pitcher.

[dagolfer18]

20 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Amazing.  David Duvall never shot a 58.

Same thing for MLB pitchers with a cold or flu symptoms.  Never bet against a sick pitcher.

I didn’t make that perfectly clear. The 58 was for nine holes, not 18.