alcohol and golf

[golfEnthusiast]

golf has to be one of the few sports, where you can have a few beers; and it can potentially help your performance...

so my question for all of you: how does alcohol affect your game? Do you feel it helps you, or hinders you?


For me; sometimes it does wonders. Actually; i used to have a hard time hitting my driver straight. One day i was out on the course, had a little alcohol in me, and it helped me figure out what was missing in my swing. The relaxation helped me have a more smooth swing, that allowed me to change my slice into a nice fade.

But at the same time; obviously there is a limit. If i don't pace myself, then it starts to go downhill...

[Chilidipper]

If I am stinking it up and having issues then it can help a little bit. But if I am roaring along and doing well by my standards then it hurts big time.

[Big_M]

Once in a while (usually on vacation with my wife, or at a scramble) I'll have some whiskey and diet dew... and it usually helps a tiny bit with the long game, but my short game can suffer. There's a point when the effects are mostly relaxing and short game is still fine, but if I tred any further into happy land I start knocking putts 6 ft by the hole and such. It is a fine line, and once crossed and your round is blown, you may as well finish it off (the bottle that is) and go back to the cottage (if on vacation) and sit in the hottub, have some wine, have a nice dinner with the wife, have some ____, and play again the next day (in a more sober state).

At least that's an apt description of what happened on my second 18 of one of the days while I was on vacation last year. It was actually quite fun, my wife was just half playing... since she is really only good for 18 a day, not 36. She, had some of the Seagrams and some 7-up, it was a good time.

[Golf Yokel]

Ah... the tale of golf and alcohol. I think I've figured out why they are a perfect match...

After you have a beer and you sink a birdie, you can say the alcohol helped...

After you bogey the next hole, the alcohol helps you not feel as bad...

And after you blow up and score a 9 on the par 3 eighth hole, you can use the remaining alcohol to wash away the bad memories...


Just personal experience...

[Saturday Golfer]

I personally don't drink while I play, however there are rounds that make me want to throw a few back.

[Jeepthrills]

It is one of those fine line things. If I have a few beers while playing it will usually relax me and not hurt my focus. However, if I start tossing them back like on the golf trip with my brother and his buddies, it can really effect my play negatively. That's why we try to do a scramble in our afternoon round on Saturday. By that point we are all pretty well lit and it lessens the pressure of hitting it well on every shot.

[neudi]

Other than the fact I can't drive because of a run in with the law, I will not and do not touch the stuff on the course. I take golf seriously and maybe one day it will pay off, but drinking on the course just seems to piss me off more and more. I just can't have fun if I'm drinking ( on the course). :(

[Big_M]

  neudi said:

Other than the fact I can't drive because of a run in with the law, I will not and do not touch the stuff on the course.

I'm sorry, but I found this funny

hope you're not without a license to long, it is a total pain in the butt not to be able to drive.

[neudi]

less than 5 months to go :(, 4 and change already done lol. Sucks, but its a learning experience.

[Everardo]

  Saturday Golfer said:

I personally don't drink while I play, however there are rounds that make me want to throw a few back.

Yeah same for me

[Monsieurgolf]

I don't drink, so I can't relate...but I did fear for my life one time at a fundraising golf tournament where my partner (who I didn't know beforehand) had drunk 1 too many and was driving the golf cart. I seriously wish that carts had seat belts as he was weaving between trees tring to find his ball. Plus, he became more and more obnoxious as we continued to play. Needless to say, I thanked him for a nice round and got out of the parking lot before he did.

[lamebums]

I don't often drink while playing but a few usually helps my game. I don't get as worked up over a handful of bad shots, and I'll recover more easily. Of course, too much and then I stop making consistent contact with the ball...

[hawkeye]

It's not as big here in Ireland - though occasionally i've seen a few bottles in the bin on the 10th hole at my home course (after stopping my the clubhouse) and i've been offered a whisky in the coldest of winter days!

My friend works at the K-Club on a drinks cart - and alcohol on the course keeps him in his job, albeit a part-time one. Though i'd guessing this only happens on one course on the whole of Ireland.

I don't drink on the course but I would consider throwing in a few brewskies on a social game.

Drinking with a hangover is awesome - i've played some of my best golf the day after the night before. I believe it's because you have no expectation when you're feeling bad. And if you play with no expectation, you're in a healthy state mentally - it won't matter where the ball goes!

[cbe_golfer]

I dont like to drink and play golf. Pool is another matter. I love beer and pool. But I do drink a couple of cans if I am playing golf with my office buddies. The first can actually helps. Two is alright. After that, performance goes down drastically though at that point, I like many would like not to believe it.

[rangerat]

I don't drink on the course (or off). It may or may not help the swing as some have suggested but I believe that it will impair your judgement...so much for course management after a few.

[golfEnthusiast]

i just remembered this one day, i had quite a buzz. i went out and sunk this 30 foot putt... but then after that, i managed to send a few less than 6 foot putts sailing past the hole; probably farther away then where they started.

the wonders of "party golf"...

[meenman]

i will admit i drink like a fish on the course and after i am done, it probably doesnt help me but it definitely relaxes me a bit since i always play with players much better than myself

[Brokecollegestudent]

Oh man. Its almost like a few beers does WONDERS.

Yesterday, i couldnt get anything going, i was 15 over on the front, i was about to beat myself over my head with my putter. So i had about 3 beers from 7-9.

They kicked in and i shot 2 over on the back with 4 makable birdie puts that i just couldnt get to fall, and 2 longer eagle putts that i should have gotten way closer for birdie.