I've been a PGA Professional for over ten years, and in that time, I've played a lot of competitive golf. For me, golf has always been about precision, focus, and the mental battle to stay in control in order to finish as high up the leaderboard as possible.
That's why I've rarely partaken in drinking alcohol on the golf course during any round, let alone a competitive one, but I’ve seen enough to know that for many, a few beers on the golf course are as much a part of the game as a good score.
I genuinely can’t seem to scroll my Instagram feed at the moment without seeing the latest bout of various groups of extremely drunk men fighting on the golf course, which is something I could really live without.
A few beers can be fine and enjoyable for many, but heavily intoxicated people on a golf course can be mildly disruptive at best and dangerous at worst.
The line between harmless fun and a serious breach of etiquette or safety is often a thin one that seems to be crossed with alarming regularity nowadays.
On the other side of the coin, however, I have a few friends who swear blind their best-ever rounds of golf have come while partaking in drinking on the course. It did get me thinking: could a little alcohol actually be considered a performance-enhancing drug?
On the one hand, there's a strong argument to be made. As most of us can attest, a few drinks can absolutely increase personal confidence and promote a genuine sense of relaxation.
For many amateurs, it can quiet the voices of cluttered swing thoughts and doubt, allowing them to just swing the club without overthinking. The result is often a more fluid, natural motion, free from the crippling tension that can often plague a good round.
Furthermore, the lack of inhibition, often a result of alcohol consumption, can lead to more aggressive and confident shot selections, thereby raising the ceiling for performance.
On the flip side, the potential for disaster is equally high. Alcohol is a well-known depressant that affects physical coordination, balance, and the capacity to make good, logical decisions. The fine motor skills required to hit an iron shot crisply or read a putt accurately should not be underestimated.
Golf and alcohol have a long and complicated relationship
My own story
To back up this point, I would like to sheepishly share with you my own moment of 'alcohol-enhanced' golf that did not end how I had hoped it would.
A few years ago, I was competing in a regional PGA Pro-Am, which consisted of a team of one professional (me) and one amateur. I had enlisted a very good friend of mine, whom I hadn't seen for some time, as my amateur partner for the day, doubling up as a chance to catch up on life as well as compete.
Getting somewhat carried away before the round, I decided it would be absolutely fine to see away four pints of lager before our 2pm tee time, something I had genuinely never done before.
In truth, I was simply having a bit of fun with a friend, but there was a part of me genuinely curious to see how playing golf in a chemically altered state might pan out.
Encouragingly, the early signs were good. I felt completely relaxed, with not even an inkling of pre-round nerves, with confidence (and lager) flowing through my veins.
After hilariously (?) holding court on the putting green for several minutes with my fellow pros, and striping my first tee shot nonchalantly down the middle of the fairway, tickling in a wedge shot to four feet, and tapping it in for an opening birdie, it did occur to me that I may have cracked the secret to competitive golf. This feeling, however, was short-lived.
Drinking during golf can be very tempting, but think carefully!
My second hole provided a stark dose of reality. After another hammered drive, which sailed beautifully down the center stripe, I lasered the flag eyeing up my second birdie in a row, and the 185-yard number was a perfect 6-iron for me.
Setting up with supreme confidence once again, I dispatched a flushed iron shot that Scottie Scheffler would have been proud of, all over the pin.
At first, the firm clattering noise it made as it landed had me very excited, as my instincts told me that I had struck the pin.
However, it soon became very apparent from the scattered audience on the terraces behind the green that I had, in fact, struck the clubhouse roof some 40 yards beyond the green, with my ball finishing out of bounds and in the car park!
How could that be, I thought? You don't get fliers from the fairway?! The sobering realization hit me as I reached into the bag to double-check the yardage with my laser. In my beer-infused haze, I had zapped the clubhouse behind the green rather than the flag, which was actually a mere 140 yards from my ball.
Thankfully, no one was hurt other than my pride, and this ridiculous misjudgment sobered me up pretty quickly.
The rest of the round was, quite frankly, not much fun and predictably ended in a lackluster and embarrassing 8 over par 79. The shame of making such a basic and unprofessional misjudgment followed me around all day.
As the effects of the pre-round hydration wore off, I can actually recall feeling somewhat melancholic about the whole thing, vowing to never delve into this murky world again.
Maybe there is a balance to be struck, who knows. I have heard rumours of several very high-profile professionals throughout the years who could only compete at their best with a little ‘Dutch courage’ inside them, topping up from hip flasks throughout the day to maintain their levels. However, it certainly isn’t for me.
If you are mixing golf and alcohol out there, I would implore you to tread carefully. And double-check your yardages.
Quiz: 10 questions every golfer should know the answer to
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