The Importance of Snacking on Quality Foods for Optimal Golf Performance

A smart diet on the golf course is essential to keeping our performance (and scorecard) in check. Here’s how Michael Phelps does it.

While the on-course menu for most buddies trips’ consists of six-packs and hot dogs, there actually is a proper way to eat and fuel up on the golf course, and that’s true for pros and amateurs.

It’s important, too. Watch our favorite professionals on TV or in person and we might notice them snacking between holes. They all have their go-to foods and drinks as well. Tiger Woods has his crunchy peanut butter and banana sandwiches; Rickie Fowler prefers protein balls.

A healthy, consistent diet on the course can actually help us perform better. Don’t believe it? Let’s have Michael Phelps explain. The 23-time gold-medal-winner-turned-golf-junkie recently sat down for a lengthy interview with GOLF.com that covered a ton of topics — you can check out the entire thing here — and one of them included his snacking habits while on the golf course.

His input is important because as a world-class swimmer, what we put into our bodies (and at what times) is crucial to peak performance. We want energy and reserves — and we definitely don’t want lulls.

Here’s Phelps’ answer, in full:

When we were back in our swimming prime, eating right, preserving and using energy, that was super important. It’s also big on the golf course. Do we have a go-to meal or snack or something we used when we were swimming we might use on the golf course now?

We were trying to get as many carbs and calories into our system as we possibly could. Just racing that much over eight days, we had to maintain our racing weight. But on the golf course, the first year or so we never would eat, and we would always crash at the end of the round. We’re like, “What the hell is going on? This is really bizarre.” And we started having a conversation with Jon Rahm and some of the other players about that and asking them what they do and how often they eat. And it makes sense, right? Like, those guys are trying to keep their levels at an even plane. They don’t want the spikes and the lows. They want them all consistently through the round. So naturally Rahm eats his sandwiches and so on.

For us, we have little halfway houses at Silverleaf. And they always have peanut butter and jellies or some kind of chicken salad sandwich. And we’ll grab something every three or four holes. We always have bars or like pretzels in our bag, or almonds, some kind of snack. And we know that if we’re not snacking throughout the round, then our game is going to be affected by that. So we’ve gotten to the point now that we’re just conscious of it like we were when we were swimming. We knew that we had to feed our bodies like a racecar if we wanted them to perform like a racecar. And it’s the same thing on the golf course, right?

We agree, Michael. So do the experts, most of whom say snacking on quality foods every three to six holes and drinking plenty of water is the best way to keep our bodies right to help us perform during an 18-hole round. It also helps our blood sugar stay steady, because spikes there lead to spikes in our performance — and scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How often should we snack on the golf course?

Snacking on the golf course should be done every three to six holes.

What are some go-to foods and drinks for golfers?

Golfers can opt for sandwiches, protein balls, bars, pretzels, almonds, and other snacks that provide sustained energy.

Why is it important to snack on quality foods during a round of golf?

Snacking on quality foods helps maintain steady blood sugar levels and sustained performance throughout the round.