The Overlooked Midlife Hazards Every Golfer Needs To Know

We often talk about the midlife crisis and how it affects our golf and our lives, but we rarely discuss the underlying cause of this blip in the journey. For women, navigating hormonal changes is a tough gig that hits everyone in one way or another.

Perimenopause presents symptoms like brain fog, joint pain, and heavier periods, to name but a few. The latter can cause massive problems on the golf course, especially given how many facilities lack on-course toilets and leave you nowhere to save yourself.

Men have their own version of menopause - the Andropause - where testosterone drops about 1.6% a year from age 40, bringing similar (if less intense) symptoms. However, men also have to deal with us going through mood swings, lower tolerance, irritability, and exhaustion. So often, they haven’t got a clue why their other half has suddenly turned from Dr Jekyll into Mrs Hyde!

I’ve had male clients come to lessons completely miserable, having lost all motivation for life and golf. They feel lost in their relationships, making golf an escape. Relaying my own symptoms and teaching them about perimenopause is often a lightbulb moment.

This needs to be talked about more so men can support women through it instead of feeling victimised, and women need to make sure their partners know what’s happening to them. It’s not a taboo subject, and it directly affects both life and golf. Divorce rates peak between ages 45 and 55, aligning perfectly with these hormonal shifts; a survey by the Family Law Menopause Project showed that 73% of women felt symptoms contributed to their marriage breakdown.

For me, the last two years of perimenopause have been an utter assault on my ability to focus. I’m not alone. I recently chatted with Linda Scrace - a low handicapper and author of A Mind For Golf. Despite having all the mental tools to navigate a course, perimenopause hit and she lost the plot. Her experience mirrors mine completely:

“I suffered from aching muscles and joints that hampered my swing, and I struggled to even walk 18 holes. Brain fog made it hard to concentrate or make the right decisions. Anxiety and fear of playing even the simplest shot were my constant companions. Low mood, lack of joy, and low self-esteem meant I wasn’t enjoying life or golf, and my usual competitiveness disappeared. My handicap crept up, which compounded the anxiety.

"Luckily, a consultant gynaecologist friend who’d been watching me on the course put me on HRT. Within two days, the brain fog lifted. I was moving better, sleeping better, and felt hope return with more confidence and clarity. My game is still a work in progress... but this is golf, after all!”

Whether you’re going through it as a woman or desperately trying to survive it as a man, here are a few practical ways to manage your golf during this time.

Manage Your Game And Your Symptoms

If you’re wondering how to navigate this stage like Linda, HRT may be worth exploring. Alongside medical advice, try these strategies to lighten the load:

Warm Up Longer: Joint stiffness caused by dropping oestrogen can hamper your swing. Take extra time to warm up and stretch. I’ve found taking magnesium helps massively.

Prioritise Strength Training: Bone density and muscle mass drop after 40. Hitting the weights is non-negotiable if you want to remain active long-term. Beyond easing my symptoms, strength training gave me added length and consistency on my shots.

Hydrate and Fuel: Hydrate well with electrolytes. Limit caffeine (opt for green tea—its flavonoids help counteract symptoms despite the lower caffeine content), and cut back on alcohol and smoking, as both accelerate symptoms.

Adjust Your Expectations: Acknowledge what’s happening. Make small changes to how many competitions you play, when you play, and who you play with. Be kind to yourself and say no more often. Saying no to a round that feels like a battle due to brain fog is saying yes to a relaxed, solo practice session instead.

Find Your Golfing Tribe: There’s nothing quite like a supportive group of women going through the exact same thing to offer encouragement and lighten the load.

Refine Your Pre-Shot Routine

A solid pre-shot routine is essential during perimenopause. My brain fog manifests as a sudden inability to judge distance; even as a pro, I struggle to calculate breaks on greens or choose clubs. It’s not because I don’t know what I’m doing - my brain is simply discombobulated, causing me to stand over the ball and lose control.

My routine is now short, critical, and non-negotiable. It serves as my cue to take control, tuning out playing partners and internal doubt. A brief, simple routine, free from technical swing thoughts and focused entirely on breathwork and commitment is key.

Play Smart, Not Hard

Plan your route down each hole using strategy rather than raw distance. Course management pays huge dividends when focus is low.

I’ve also come to love short-game practice and quiet "GardenGOLF" sessions at home. It feels like meditation, spending time among the plants and focusing on landing wedges into a wheelbarrow or a square of garden canes offers a welcome escape from indoor chaos. It also builds incredible landing-point precision. Your scorecard will love you for it, and taking those quiet moments for yourself is essential.

A New Perspective On The Game

While perimenopause disrupts our "normal" on the course, some find golf to be a complete godsend during this chapter.

Jane Lees, 61, who has spent her career in golf marketing, has witnessed firsthand how the sport elevates women during midlife:

“Menopause can be tricky to navigate, and golf helped me in a number of ways,” Jane says. “The reduction in oestrogen affects bone health, and golf provides valuable exercise without high impact. It’s also great to get out in the fresh air. Plus, any loss of confidence is counteracted by golfing girlfriends sharing their experiences so you don’t feel alone. A few laughs with sympathetic friends always helps.”

Starting Fresh

If you've never played, learning golf at this stage can actively ease symptoms. Exercise supports long-term metabolic health and hormone stability, while fresh air boosts mood and alleviates anxiety.

If full rounds feel overwhelming, opt for shorter formats to boost your confidence without draining your mental bandwidth:

Targeted Range Practice: I love driving range sessions using Inrange at Iford Golf Centre, where I coach. The gamified challenges force me to hone in on the shot at hand without getting distracted.

Accepting Your Limits: Without structured target practice, my ADHD combined with perimenopausal brain fog, anxiety, and irritability makes it hard to stay present. Right now, I can play 9 holes, but anything beyond that and I lose focus. That is completely fine, it’s just a temporary blip on the hormonal journey.

Fueling for Focus

Diet makes a massive difference to daily survival and range performance. During practice, I bring green tea, dried fruit, and take regular fuel breaks.

Phytoestrogens: A diet rich in soy is great for falling oestrogen levels. Foods like edamame, miso, tofu, and soy milk contain natural phytoestrogens that gently mimic the hormone we are losing. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas work similarly - whiz them up into dips or soups to help ease aches and sharpen focus. (Even beans on toast for tea is a great option!)

Fruit: Berries, apples, pears, peaches, and especially pomegranates are packed with benefits.

Anti-Inflammatories: Ginger and turmeric shots are a lifeline for my sore hands and wrists. If you dislike the fiery taste, turmeric capsules work just as well.

Heaven On The Fairways

Whether you’ve played for decades or never picked up a club, golf offers a powerful way to manage the physical and mental shifts of perimenopause. Acknowledging these changes is the first step. Striding out with a club in hand gives you much-needed headspace, relief, and a renewed lease on life.

Midlife doesn’t have to be hell on earth; you can find heaven on the fairways. I’ll return to loving longer rounds once my focus returns - after all, this is just a phase.