There’s a reason for late round collapses – and it might not be nerves

How often do you have a great round in progress, only for bad holes at the end of your day to ruin your score?

It’s a common problem at every level of the game, and for many, nerves can be a factor, particularly if we have a good score in the works.

However, there’s one reason for the late-round collapse that many of us likely overlook.

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Playing golf is a tiring undertaking. We’re out there for around four hours, sometimes longer, and most players will take more than 10,000 steps.

For those reasons, we need to be filling our bodies with the right fuels and doing so at the right times.

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It’s something you might not put too much thought into, but it’s crucial. Dr Zach Gould, member of the bunkered Performance Panel, explains why eating the right foods at the right time is essential.

“In a round of golf, we’re going to burn anything between 700 to 1,000 calories, maybe even more if the course is particularly demanding. We need to make sure we’re taking enough calories on the golf course, even before we work out what those calories are made up of.

“I see this a lot with golfers. They don’t eat or drink enough on the golf course and they come to the final three holes and they start to lose energy. They start to lose focus and they start to drop shots.

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“Golfers then start blaming their swing or their mindset, but in actual fact, it could be down to not eating enough or drinking enough on the course.”

What should you eat on the golf course?

As Gould explains, eating on the course is important, but nutrition starts before we reach the first tee.

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If we burn around 1,000 calories on the golf course, it makes sense to account for that before we start our round.

“If you have a 500-calorie meal for breakfast before your round, you then still need to take 500 calories onto the golf course at a minimum,” says Gould.

“When I work with someone and we talk about their on-course nutrition, I almost always recommend a chicken sandwich.

“You get the carbohydrates from the bread, you get the protein from the chicken and then you’ll also get a little more carbohydrates from the lettuce and any other salad in there.

“Then, having additional snacks is really important. For this, I like golfers to take on a banana, cereal bars and a handful of nuts, providing you’re not allergic.

“If you can have these as you’re making your way around the course, you’re going to get a more gradual release of energy.”

When should you eat during a round of golf?

Having the right foods is important, but knowing when to eat them is another consideration.

What you don’t want to do, Gould explains, is eat everything within the first three holes, as you’ll lose energy by the end of the round.

Instead, it’s all about eating a little and often.

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“A good example might be to take a sandwich and cut it in half. Eat the first half after the fourth or fifth hole, then eat the second half as you’re heading around the turn.

“Then space out your intake of snacks, like a banana or nuts, over the closing stretch of holes. This is going to give you a slow, but sustainable source of energy throughout the round.”

Zach Gould is Dr Golf. See drgolfglobal.com for the latest free home and gym workouts.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor