What to Drink

There’s a lot of confusion out there concerning what’s safe to drink and what’s good to drink on the golf course.  The best way to clear up that confusion is to take a look at some of the most common drinks used while playing golf.

First, there are the popular alcoholic drinks for those so-called “Weekend Warriors” who just want to have a good time with their friends.  While it may be tempting to purchase a “cold one” on a hot day, that’s probably the worst thing you could do.  Alcohol depletes your body of important vitamins and nutrients that you need to be successful in golf.  It also quickly dehydrates you, which can make you more susceptible to heat exhaustion and the like.

Second, a lot of people like to drink caffeinated beverages during their round.  There’s a rumor out there that caffeine can dehydrate you also.  However, it’s been found that caffeinated beverages have the same effect as water on your hydration, so that’s good.  In fact, the sugar from most caffeinated beverages may be a welcome commodity to your body during a long round of golf.

Third, there are the Gatorades and Powerades of the bunch.  Energy drinks such as these are chemically engineered to give your body what it needs during hard work.  While keeping you hydrated, they replace salt and sugar in your body in healthy amounts.  They are a strong choice for hydration on the course.

The kind of beverage you choose is ultimately up to what you expect out of your round and the weather.  If you are just fooling around with your friends, you don’t need to go for the Gatorade.  However, if it’s one of the hottest days of the summer you might want to stay away from the alcohol.