Whether it's a G&T on the first, a quick beer halfway round or a strong coffee before you leave the clubhouse, do you have a tipple that helps you play better golf?
By Charlotte Ibbetson
Whether it's a G&T on the first, a quick beer halfway round or a strong coffee before you leave the clubhouse, do you have a tipple that helps you play better golf?
A few weeks ago, we asked our Facebook followers whether they thought a quick, alcoholic drink before their round helped to settle their first-tee nerves, and the response was quite overwhelming.
As I saw the comments pouring in (excuse the pun), my initial thought was that of worry - have we upset the hoards of people participating in Dry January by dangling an alcoholic carrot under their noses? Not at all. The reaction was quite the opposite, and hundreds of you told us that actually, yes, you do quite like a drink or two to get your game started.
The comments started with suggestions that a couple of beers or G&Ts are the perfect amount of 'swing oil' to loosen up your body, and culminated in suggestions of replacing the halfway house with a cocktail bar (which by the way we LOVED at W&G!). One of our followers even wrote, "I thought it was compulsory!", which almost seems logical given the reaction we had to the post.
Personally, I'm not sure how well I'd fare after a few glasses of anything stronger than coffee before a round of golf, and whilst I'm more than happy for my playing partners to stop for a drink at the halfway house, I'm not sure that I'll ever be joining them. Call me boring, but I need to keep all of my coordination skills in check to get that little ball where it needs to go! I also have a nagging concern about people's safety (I know, I really am boring!) if we condone or even encourage drinking during a round of golf, issues of drink-driving being my main worry.
As most conversations about drinking do, the topic of 'swing oil' quickly moved on to hangovers. How well do you play with a hangover? For me, I'm lucky if I can even make connection with the ball, but one follower told us "I've had two of my best ever rounds after having too many the night before." And she's not alone, there seemed to be a consensus amongst a lot of people that playing with a hangover can actually help your game. If I had to guess, I'd say the theory behind is threefold: You have to keep your head down and still (otherwise it hurts), you're more focused on trying to feel human again rather than how you're playing, and finally, being hungover gives you an almighty feeling of 'oh whatever', so you simply get on with it and play - no overthinking or criticising.
Image credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images
We'd love to know what you think. Do you have a 'swing-oil' that lets you swing freely around 18 holes? How do you play if you've had a few too many the night before? Let us know by emailing [email protected]
