Golf Rituals

Apropos to absolutely nothing of consequence, I thought it would be fun to document the little rituals that go into my hobby of playing golf. You may find today's post interesting or incredibly mundane, either way I'm putting it down for posterity's sake.

To begin with, why rituals at all? Whether it is superstition, habit, or positive reinforcement, golfers tend to stick to routines to put themselves in a good frame of mind, which is important since the sport is far more mental than physical. I am no different, and my approach to a day spent on the course is informed by such impulses.

Let's start with the night before, in which I've gotten my bag and any other items ready, as well as what I'm going to wear, which of course involves checking the weather (especially since I will play in all conditions, from blazing hot to dangerously cold). This also includes getting food ready, for before, during, and after the round - more on this in a second.

I don't need a marathon practice session on site before every round, but nor do I like to rush, so my schedule is set so that I can aim to arrive 30 to 40 minutes in advance of my tee time. Keep in mind that I often get an insanely early tee time, and that sometimes I'm playing quite far away from home. For example, I recall one time I met up with a colleague at his country club on Long Island for a 9:30am tee time, and he was surprised to know I had driven in from home that same morning and hadn't spend the night, since it was a good 3-hour drive from Philly. (I didn't have the heart to tell him that not only had I left my house earlier that morning, but I had also gotten 2 full hours of hiking and biking in at nearby nature spots before arriving at his country club for warm-up.)

Traffic is less of a factor early in the morning but it does require keeping an eye on, so where possible I do look and adjust when I leave the house accordingly. That makes the drive itself less manic, and I further put myself in a chill mood by bringing classical music CDs to play in the car. So, whether the drive is pleasant or I'm bumper to bumper with angry honking drivers, I can have a moment of serenity as I transition from home to course.

If I'm going straight from my morning workout to the course, I usually pack some fruit to eat along the way. If I've had time for breakfast, the fruit is still packed but gets eaten after the round. Also packed is two peanut butter and apple butter sandwiches for post-round. And during the summer, I'll usually pack an extra energy drink to drink after the round.

Upon arrival, I get my golf bag and golf cart set up. Club covers come off, as does the case for my range finder; all that gets left in the car. One energy drink and two bananas are transferred from cooler to golf bag. Car keys go in the golf bag, and 3 golf balls, 3 tees, ball mark repair, and ball spotter coin are placed in my back pocket where the car keys used to be. I move my glove and my notebook to the big pocket of my golf bag, and put on and tie my golf shoes and then head out from the car.

I'll hit balls if time permits and the range is easily accessible, but usually I don't actually hit balls. I do want to stretch my back out good, since I'm dealing with a lumbar issue that does a lot better with some mobility stretches prior to a round. I then take a few, slow practice swings with every club in my bag on a patch of grass, starting with my wedges and working my way through my irons to my woods. Since I've only been playing for 3ish years, my body hasn't yet institutionalized the mechanics of a golf swing into its muscle memory. So giving a couple swings to each club is a chance to get comfortable with things like swing path, grip strength, and tempo.

If at all possible, I do like to roll a few putts to get a sense of the greens as well as my interaction with my putter. Specifically, I set up my 3 golf balls one club length from a hole and putt until I make all 3. Then I count off 10 steps (roughly 30 feet) and have a go at 3 putts from that length, and then 20 steps (60 feet). Depending on how I do and how much time I have, I might try the same lengths but from different angles (e.g. uphill vs. downhill).

 I'll save the rituals I have during the golf itself for another day. Let's skip to post-game. After the round is over, I often have to jet home for whatever's next on my calendar. But, when possible, when I get home I clean my clubs and my shoes and leave them to dry overnight before putting everything away (including restocking my bag with balls and tees if I lost a bunch during the round). I also try to do the same back stretches, as soon after the round as possible, just to preempt any stiffness from the morning after. I also tally up my score and count up good shots and bad shots, and then take a picture of my results as well as of the course scorecard to post on social media along with some commentary on how I did.

I suspect fellow golfers have similar routines that are not very different from mine. As noted above, at some point, maybe I'll write down what rituals I have for, you know, when I'm actually playing. But for now, thought it would be fun to record the before and the after.