Ask your average golfer to go through the contents of their golf bag and you’ll probably find the following items: a mouldy banana, empty golf ball packaging, wrappers from old sandwiches and a scrunched up mid-layer that hasn’t seen the light of day in years.
If this is you, things simply have to change. There’s limited space in a golf bag and you have to maximise it. Arbitrary items and rubbish can’t help your game, but their potential replacements can.
By organising your golf bag appropriately and adding the following products, you could gain an edge on the competition and maximise your performance on the golf course this summer…
Alignment sticks
I’d suggest that fewer than ten per cent of amateur golfers have alignment sticks in their golf bag, but they’re so incredibly useful. Granted, you can’t use them during an actual round, but they’re so versatile and you can employ them on the range to check your alignment. You can also chip to them, put them behind the hole on the practice putting green to dial in pace and more.
Golf brush
It’s not a stretch to say that a golf brush/groove cleaner can save you shots on the course. If you have dirt in your grooves, a shot that might have held the green could instead trundle into an awkward lie over the back. That could be the difference between a birdie and a bogey. Not everyone can be amazing at golf, but everyone can take proper care of their equipment. Products like the Birdie Brush can really help.
Rangefinder/GPS
You don’t need to have the best rangefinders or best GPS devices on the market, but some form of distance-measuring functionality is absolutely essential. So many poor shots stem from indecision and a lack of clarity over yardages. If you have doubt in your mind, you’re not going to hit a good shot. It literally takes five seconds to find your yardage with a DMD. They don’t have to break the bank, either.
Suncream
It seems obvious, but every bag should feature a bottle of suncream. On the course, golfers are often exposed to the sun for hours at a time and it’s important you protect your skin and guard against skin cancer. Also, have you ever been on a golf trip, burned during the first round and tried to play again the next day? I have, and it’s not fun.
The right food
Whatever time you’re playing, you need sustenance on the golf course. I know it’s tempting to opt for a chocolate bar from the pro shop and a bacon sandwich at the halfway house, but there are far better options out there. A banana and a bag of mixed nuts, for example, will give you the energy you require in a healthy way. Other good options are Max Golf Protein products, cereal bars and fruit and nut bars.
Rain gloves
Of course, some regions of the world and more prone to rain than others – especially when it's supposed to be the summer season – but it’s prudent to have a specialised rain glove that affords you more traction when the weather turns. Nothing can derail you round like an inability to grip your clubs.
Remedies
Always make sure you have paracetamol, antihistamines and lip balm in your bag. Golfers are very good at not drinking enough water on the way round, which can sometimes lead to a headache you can’t shake. Related to that is dry lips, which is a distraction no one wants. And courses are full of different types of pollen and animals, so have some hay fever tablets with you just in case.
Sharpie
Last but not least, the Sharpie. If you mark your golf balls as and when you use them, you need a Sharpie to apply your own means of identification. Even if you pre-mark your balls before play, you might hit a load into a lake and run out. Better safe than sorry.
