Golfing Essentials You Need For Every Round
It’s time for another round of golf! Are you prepared with all the golfing essentials you need to get you through the round like a seasoned golfer? Certainly, you have all your clubs, golf balls, tees loaded into your golf bag. You couldn’t be a golfer without these. But what else should you have in the bag that could be missing?
Rain Gear and Umbrella
Depending on the climate you live in, rain gear and an umbrella are essentials. In many parts of the country, the joke is if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes. For that reason, you must carry rain gear and an umbrella with you or at least have it in the trunk of your vehicle. With all the various weather apps available to you, it is much easier to know when the sunshine you are experiencing at the moment will quickly turn to grey skies and rain showers. There is nothing worse than being the only player in the group, unprepared for a rainy day of golf. Remember, the other three in your group are thinking, “glad it is not me getting soaked out here.”
Ball Marker
A rookie mistake is not having a ball marker or small coin when you reach the first green. Marking the ball with a tee or a small twig is a bit embarrassing for a seasoned golfer. Always have a handful of coins or ball markers in the bag. I usually am prepared with a few coins, so I can let a rookie playing partner borrow one on the first green.
Additional Golf Gloves
Golf gloves are another item that seem to be obvious, but it’s amazing how often you open your golf bag to find two ancient gloves that are the consistency of old newspapers and have more holes in them than Swiss cheese. A new, comfortable golf glove gives you a safe, steady grip on the club for the big swings. An old and crusty glove just does not provide the same confidence as a fresh glove.
If you play a lot, you’ll need even more golf gloves due to perspiration. Some people rotate multiple gloves throughout the round on hot and humid days. Do not put wet golf gloves in your bag. You can clip them to the outside of your bag and secure the Velcro fastener until they dry out.
Hat and Sunscreen
In golf-friendly climates like California, Arizona, and Florida, it is even more important to remember to protect yourself with a good hat and plenty of sunscreen. Discard the previous year’s sunscreen from the golf bag as it will lose effectiveness over time. A quality sunscreen has proven to be an effective preventive measure to avoid overexposure to the sun. On very hot days, you may need to apply sunscreen liberally before and during the round. It is amazing what a good hat and sunscreen can do to make your day on the links a much better experience.
Water
Have you ever been caught in a situation where the water cooler is empty? Water is a best friend on the golf course, and you should drink plenty of it before, during, and after the round. There are many different brand containers that are designed for athletic events and activities. The Hydro Flask and Yeti are popular brands that will keep your water ice cold on those steamy summer days on the links. Find one you like and don’t leave home without it.
Snacks
There’s nothing more annoying than getting hungry in the middle of a golf round. As slow play seems to get worse every year, you may be out on the golf course for longer than you expected. Failure to properly eat before your round and you may find yourself lightheaded and weak before you have a chance to buy something to eat at the turn. If you watch the professionals on television, many of them snack throughout the round to maintain their energy at a consistent level. Eating too much at one time will trigger the body to digest food and can leave you temporarily a bit lethargic on the golf course.
Keep granola bars and other snacks that do not need to be refrigerated and will stay fresh for a long time in your golf bag. Avoid anything that will melt in the hot summer sun! Additionally, try to remember to throw a banana or an apple in your bag as you leave for the course. Fresh fruit and granola bars will keep your blood sugar level up and focus your attention on the game. A rumbling stomach and cloudy head will not help you play to your potential.
Golf Towel
You go to the local driving range to practice for Saturday’s Club Championship. The next morning on the first tee, you rip your driver long and down the middle. A simple 9 iron to the green to start the round off perfect. Except your 9 iron is caked with dirt and grass from the night before. If you generally don’t carry a golf towel, this situation has happened to you before. There are good reasons why all manufacturers put grooves on the golf clubs. It helps you to control the golf ball! So why are you playing with dirty, groove-filled irons and making it more difficult to play this already challenging game?
An inexpensive golf towel is an essential item if you want to perform your best. Keeping the towel damp will allow you to clean the grooves of the club and the golf ball free of dirt and mud. It’s almost impossible to get the proper spin on the ball if the grooves are filled with dirt and grass. A golf towel will go a long way toward cleaning the clubs properly. However, don’t be that guy that carries the golf towel in their back pocket. That is considered bad form in the eyes of any experienced golfer.
Rangefinder
My favorite way of playing golf is with a caddie. They know the golf course and can give you all the necessary yardages to help manage your game. Many years ago, there were plenty of caddies available at the majority of clubs in America. Today, you see caddie programs at only a few high-level private country clubs.
Golf carts have replaced caddies for the need of transporting your clubs around the golf course. Rangefinders are more accurate than any caddie. Currently, the use of a rangefinder is not approved for high-level tournament play. However, the PGA of America approved the use of rangefinders for the 2021 PGA Championship. It is only a matter of time when this important tool is a must for any serious golfer.
Always carry extra batteries for your rangefinder. Once you start using this device, it will become a problem when the battery dies, and you now must go back to the old-school guesswork to hit your shot. A rangefinder will eliminate the guesswork, speed up play and help fine-tune your shot making ability.
Insect Repellent
Nothing is better than finishing a round as the sun begins to set until the mosquitoes begin to feast. It is challenging, to say the least, to concentrate on your game when a mosquito lands on your neck in the middle of your back swing and tries to get a free meal. Always keep insect repellent in your bag, especially during the months of the year where mosquitoes are more prevalent.
Pain Relievers and Band-Aids
Golf is often perceived as a sport that does not require athleticism. However, golf is more physical than many non-golfers believe. The golf swing requires the body to rotate at various angles while trying to swing a club at a high rate of speed. When you add in a warm-up session prior to the round, all the practice swings over the 18 holes; suffice to say, your body can take a beating.
To alleviate some of the body aches that can occur, keep a mini first-aid kit in your bag, ready to tackle any problems you may have as the round progresses. Many golfers religiously check to make sure they have aspirin or similar painkillers to handle the inevitable aches and pains of being a weekend warrior. In addition, if you work on a computer all day, you’ll find that your hands can get easily blistered from swinging a golf club for several hours on a Saturday. Band-Aids and athletic tape will help prevent blisters and other painful maladies. Stock up on any items you need so you can concentrate on your playing your best game.
When you are ready to concentrate on making golf your career, contact us to find out how you can get started today.
