You're Correct!

It is quite normal to feel tired late in a round of golf as it is a more active game than most people think. Over a game of 18 holes the average golfer walks up to six miles, often carrying a heavy bag of golf clubs and having to contend with hills and slopes. Add to this the 80 to 100 times that the golf club is swung at up to 100 miles an hour and the mental pressure of concentrating over a four hour period, and it is a wonder that we complete a round of golf at all!

The key to the avoidance of tiredness is to take on the correct fuel to keep the body sustained with energy for the period spent out on the golf course. We can do this by eating and drinking correctly during the round. Eating provides sugars and carbohydrates that supply the muscles with energy to work effectively. Drinking avoids dehydration and aids the process of the breaking down and transporting of food and nutrients to the working muscles. Just eating and drinking is not enough however, as it is just as important to drink and eat the correct items.

Drinking
Make sure to drink water or sports drinks as these are the fastest types of drink to rehydrate the body and replace any electrolytes lost through sweat. Drinking things like caffeine, sugary drinks, energy drinks, carbonated drinks or alcohol actually dehydrate the body and contribute to the problem of tiredness that we are trying to avoid.

Foods
Eat foods that will provide a slow release of energy such as nuts and raisins, bananas or cereal bars.

These are foods that are full of the correct type of carbohydrate that will release energy over a period of time rather than immediately and all at once. Eating sugary or fatty foods such as bacon sandwiches, chocolate or sweets will make you feel more tired during your game of golf. Fatty foods require energy and water to be broken down by the body which means that they are unable to be used to power the muscles. Sugary foods give you an instant high of energy as the sugar is broken down quickly. Unfortunately, after the high comes a crash as all the energy resources are used up and the body craves more sugar leaving you feeling tired and hungry.

Once you have chosen the correct food and drink to carry with you around the golf course make sure that you make a plan of when you will eat and drink. A good plan is to take your score card and circle every 3rd hole (1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16). On the tee of these holes you must have a small bite of something to eat and a small drink. This makes sure that you are regularly replenishing your energy stores to allow you to finish your game of golf as fresh as you began.

Short term this will help, but it is common for the body to get cold and stiff when riding in a buggy. This is especially true in winter conditions. Also, there is your general health in the long term to consider. Think of the good fat burning exercise that you will miss out on by not walking. Eat healthily and keep moving to get the best out of your golf.

This is a good idea - work on your fitness, it will only benefit your golf game and your health too. However, this should be in conjunction with eating correctly on the golf course. A good diet and a fit body can only improve your golf.

It is a little drastic to change course because of an issue with tiredness. Work on little steps at a time first, such as eating and drinking better and then progress on to other measures such as a trolley or buggy before moving away from your friends and colleagues at your home course.