Are you playing too much golf?

Perry Noun
Jan 21
3 min read

Close-up of a wet golf ball mid-swing, water droplets flying in all directions. Background is blurred green, creating dynamic motion. — A club strikes a wet golf ball, sending droplets flying in a dynamic burst of motion.

Can You Play Too Much Golf?

Mark Twain once said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much whiskey is barely enough”.

If we substitute “golf ” for the word “whisky”, I believe we would have a different perspective about what Mr. Twain said.

Mae West once said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful”.

If we substitute the word “golf ” for the words “a good thing”, I believe we would have the same reaction.

I believe it is possible to play too much golf over a short period of time.

Preparation Matters

I used to do it on a regular basis when I was a “flat belly” amateur in my 40’s. No more.

For those of you who do not spend much time preparing for the upcoming “grind” of playing 5, 6, 7 or 8 days of golf over a short period of time, the following suggestions from Golf Digests Fitness Trainer, Matthew Rodman might help...

Use golf carts or walking push carts to avoid fatigue and loss of stamina.
Play some form of team golf rather than the continuous pressure of stroke play.
Play from a manageable course length. No need to tip it out.
Pay attention to hydration and snacks.
Go “early” for the first round and “late” for the second.
Do some short sessions of stretching, mobility exercises, and foam rolling in between rounds.
Naps are great and plenty of sleep between days could be the difference between a wonderful trip or a disaster.

These suggestions may sound silly to golfers in their 20’s and 30’s but they are not.

They are common sense Preparation and Training Guidelines for all of us.

Too Much Golf or Not Enough Preparation?

Have you ever said to anyone, “I have been playing too much golf lately”?

If you have, you probably wish you had not, because you found out quickly that no one really cares nor do they have much sympathy for you.

Is it even possible to play too much golf?

Golf Digest asked the question to Michael Breed, one of their Top 50 Golf Teachers in America.

Here’s what he had to say, “It’s not too much golf, it’s the lack of preparation”.

He went on to say, “Your golf swing doesn’t erode, your body and mind erodes, and as a result, the motion you make with a given club isn’t consistent”.

I suspect what Mr. Breed is saying is that when amateur golfers schedule several rounds of golf over a short period of time, as they would for a golf trip or a 4-5 day membership guest event, they should be more aware of the importance of recognizing the essential role preparation plays in performance.

Tiger Woods on Training

Tiger Woods had something to say about the topic in 2019 when he commented, “If your playing baseball, running track or cross country, if you’re not training, you are not going to be able to keep up.

I brought the same mentality to the game of golf ”.

I have heard Tiger comment many times during his interviews about his preperation before a tournament and how he was training to maintain the same level of focus and intensity for 18 holes as he does for 72 holes.