“It’s a marathon, so … get ready for a marathon,” says Shifflett, a spinal surgeon who has a 5.2 Handicap Index, playing out of Shady Canyon Golf Club in Irvine, California “Getting ready for the trip is half the battle.”

For those of you with a modicum of prudence, we sought out experts in health and fitness, experts who actually know the game and, in some cases, go on buddies trips themselves. We asked their advice for how to get ready for the journey. The target audience is the 35 to 65 crowd, but their recommendations apply for just about anyone.

GIVE YOUR ENGINES A TUNE-UP

Billy Horschel spends part of nearly every day working with his physio to get his body ready to play. Twitter

It’s always a good idea to get some form of evaluation from a professional before the trip, if only to have peace of mind that everything seems to be in working order before you ask your body to endure more punishment than it’s probably used to, says golf-fitness trainer Andrew Dulak.
“Get some form of body work done before the trip — see a massage therapist, a physical therapist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, etc. The point is to get your body moving the best before the trip,” says Dulak.
Adds Shifflett, “Eating right, being well hydrated, doing a physical-therapy program. You want to get loosened up and dialled in for the trip.”

FOCUS ON THE LOWER BODY

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Exercise before a golf trip should put an emphasis on the legs, hips and glutes, experts say. Those are the muscles that are key to avoiding injuries, making repetitively good swings and having the stamina to get through the sluggish rounds on the back end of the trip.
“Walking when you play before the vacation, walking on hilly ground, walking on the treadmill on a steep incline, get your legs ready for all those extra miles,” says trainer Mindi Boysen.
Better hip function also is crucial, says trainer Cory Ginther. “The hips in this age group are often tight. This includes decreased hip-joint mobility and decreased flexibility of the surrounding soft tissue. For golfers, I want to make sure the hips are moving to decrease risk of hip impingement/labral issues.”
Ginther suggests hip mobility exercises with a focus on internal and external rotation in the months/weeks before the trip.
Other areas of the lower body to reactivate are the glutes and hamstrings, adds Paul Gozbekian, another trainer. “Most middle-aged golfers have compression of the posterior hip compartment, which I call ‘Burrito Butt.’ This can cause an individual to utilize strategies of orientation with their pelvis and spine. Being out of golf shape and sitting on flights for long hours further amplifies these orientation strategies, resulting in golfers over-utilizing lower-back muscles and under-utilizing muscles like the glutes and hamstrings for their setup as well as the swing.”

EAT LIKE A CHAMPION

Claudia Totir

At the least, shedding a few pounds before you play will help reduce the increased load you’re asking of your joints and lower back, says trainer Jennifer Fleischer. Also consider a diet rich in lean protein to enhance your pre-trip training, Boysen adds.
“Help your foundation for muscle growth and endurance by eating things such as fish, lean beef, nuts, beans, quinoa, etc,” she says.

PACK LIKE YOU’RE GOING OFF THE GRID

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Be prepared for dealing with aches, pains, blisters, spasms, sunburn and dehydration. All of that should be taken into consideration before venturing out.
“Pack the right things,” Dulak says. A massage gun, pain medication, ice packs, tape, bandages, electrolyte packs, all of that type of stuff can help you make it through 36 holes on multiple days.”
Another thing to consider is your immune system, and its potential for weakening as a result of lengthy airline flights, etc. Boysen says travel with immune boosters such as vitamins and supplements.
Trainer Mike Hansen says the No. 1 priority before and during the trip is hydration. And not just drinking more water, although that’s a big step in the right direction. “You’d be surprised how much just the plane trip can dehydrate you, especially if you’re having a few drinks in the air.”
And if you’re a person who has had back issues in the past, and they tend to flare up as a result of too much golf, it’s probably not a bad idea to ask your doctor about travelling with a steroid pack, Shifflett says. The worst thing is to be on your back in the hotel room while your buddies are out enjoying the trip.

ON THE TRIP, GET THE LITTLE THINGS RIGHT

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Perhaps the biggest thing to remember, says fitness trainer Matthew Rosman, is that your caretaking doesn’t end the minute you step on the first tee of your trip. You might be tempted to turn into a junior on Spring Break at Daytona Beach, but remember, you’re not 21 or even 31 anymore.
Some of his thoughts:
1. Use golf carts or walking push carts to avoid fatigue and loss of stamina.
2. Play some form of team golf v rattle-bottom stroke play.
3. Play from a manageable course length. No need to tip it out.
4. Pay attention to hydration and snacks.
5. Go early for the first round and late for the second. Playing back-to-back with a short break is much tougher.
6. Short sessions of stretching, mobility exercises, foam rolling, etc, in between rounds is best.
7. Naps are great. And plenty of sleep between days could be the difference between a great trip and a disaster.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

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Let’s say someone on your trip got a little too carried away on the first day: Drinking, no sleep, walking and carrying from the back tees, hasn’t see a water bottle since the flight. That guy? Well, our experts say it would be wise if he maybe took a round off and hit the reset button the next morning. Or even skipped the first nine and traded it for some extra rest and a healthy breakfast.
“You can still right your wrongs mid-trip,” Fleischer says. “When you’re sleep deprived and hungover, it’s tempting to reach for high carbohydrate foods like pastries and bagels for breakfast. Instead, eat a breakfast that’s high in protein and fiber, such as eggs and spinach or grass-fed beef jerky and a piece of fruit if you’re on the go.
“The protein and fibre will help balance your blood sugar and keep you satiated longer than high carbohydrate foods, helping to improve your endurance throughout the day.”

The post Want to survive a buddies golf trip? Our experts share their tips appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Recently, I made all my colleagues jealous got to play one of the country’s top golf courses, Shinnecock Hills out on Long Island. The U.S. Open was still a few weeks away, so the greens weren’t yet major-championship slick, although the rough was already starting to resemble James Harden’s beard.

Long story short: The course humbled me. My score contained three digits and no decimal point. I made an 8 on the par-4 13th hole, and no that wasn’t adding two extra strokes for hitting a moving ball. Fact was, I was having trouble hitting a non-moving ball. And still, I had a fantastic time. The golf course was beautiful, the clubhouse iconic, the weather ideal, the traffic bearable and the setting superb. It was a great day … except for my game.

Naturally, upon my return to the office my still rather jealous colleagues were curious how things went. I needed to figure out how to best tell my tales of woe, and wow. Which, in turn, caused me to ponder something a bit more existential:

How do you tell a story about your own golf exploits, anyway?

More to the point, a good story. We’ve all sat through a friend droning on about a recent golf outing, leaving nothing to the imagination (literally nothing) as they start live blogging the entire day/week of their journey. Somewhere between “We wolfed down a breakfast sandwich on the ride in” and “I couldn’t believe it took me three minutes to get the ballwasher unjammed on No. 6” you slowly twist your wrist to catch a glimpse of your watch just to make sure the minute hand isn’t actually moving backward.

Suffice it to say, I didn’t want to be that guy. Not with the score I was about to lay on them, anyway. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard the faint voice of my Mom and a lesson I swear she once offered: “Don’t tell somebody else a golf story you wouldn’t want to have to hear yourself.”

So I vowed to stick to a few rules that, after consultation with a couple of my Golf Digest peers, can travel nicely as you prepare for a summer of incredible golf—and subsequent story-telling.

Be original
When first asked “So, how was it?” I could have gone for the hackneyed opening line of “Well, the course record is still safe!” However, the first response to how you played should never, ever, EVER be “The course record is still safe!” Make an effort to entertain your listeners, lest they start turning their wrists 10 seconds in.

Be brief
I’m an optimist, so I believe my friends genuinely want to know the answer to “how was it?” But I’m a realist, too, and appreciate they don’t want to know how was everything. The key is to come up with three to five quick, relatable nuggets that provide details without needing to clear out calendar space: I made two pars (honesty is the best policy). … The layout was very cool, how you can see the entire course without any trees there. … The par-3 11th hole is so wicked, but easily my favorite. … Somebody at the Open is going to go lose their mind on the greens.

Given the pitiful nature of my play, the brevity thing was easy. Where this gets tricky is when you actually have a round to remember. Last fall, I played really well on another trip to Pinehurst No. 2. I was ready to have everyone jump in the cart and ride along with me through all 18 holes. But you’ve got to resist that urge. The better you played (particularly compared to your potential) or the better the course you played, the more leeway you have to offer a little more. Still, mind your pace of play.

Pick a highlight and run with it
No matter what you shoot, there is likely a high point of your golf game. Go ahead and stick your chest out a little. For instance, I made a par on the par-3 second hole. Doesn’t sound like much, but it was pretty sweet at the time. The key, again, is to pick one (maybe two) moments and keep things rolling.

Ted Levine

Limit the photos, please
You probably already posted a bunch on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, so your friends have already seen them. Try then not to show more than one or two. Exceptions: You played Augusta National and have created a montage of you walking over the Hogan Bridge. Ditto St. Andrews and the Swilcan Bridge. (Maybe any famed course with a famous bridge.) The Committee will also consider pics of you standing next to famous bunkers or outside memorable clubhouse entrances on a case-by-case basis.

Bragging is good, but don’t overdo it
Did I mention I got to play Shinnecock Hills?!? Yep, once is enough.

Self-deprecation is good, but don’t overdo it
I mentioned the rough, right? Well, I made sure my colleagues knew how difficult it was, coming up with three or four knee-slappers to try and reiterate the point. In hindsight, I probably needed to reign this in. Have you heard of the adage “beating a dead horse”? Don’t do it.

If there’s something iconic about the course, it’s OK to indulge
Everybody remembered the seventh green at Shinnecock from the 2004 U.S. Open. So choosing this hole makes sense (made a nice bogey). But, as previously mentioned, keep it short and sweet.

Don’t make it all about the golf
This part was easy, since some of my favourite moments had nothing to do with the golf. The Shinnecock locker room was fantastically old school, living up to the hype. If I wasn’t afraid of being banned from returning, I might have camped there overnight.

Follow these steps and you should be able to get in and out in 5 to 10 minutes, keeping your colleagues jealous while selfishly getting to relive the experience one more time. And as for anybody who wants to hear more, take them to lunch.

The post What they REALLY want to know: How to tell everybody the story of your golf trip without boring them appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.