Plans are all locked in for our annual guys golf trip next month, and I can't wait! We do a three-day weekend at Wintergreen Resort, which has one 18-hole course called Devil's Knob and one 27-hole course called Stoney Creek. Devil's Knob is the highest elevation course in Virginia, and because of the elevation the temperatures are usually 15-degrees cooler than at the bottom of the mountain, with no humidity to boot. We're playing a course in Charlottesville on Friday, which is along the way from here to Wintergreen. We'll probably do 36 holes if we like the course well enough. We'll play Devil's Knob on Saturday and Stoney Creek on Sunday.

One fun thing we started doing last year was "playing for beds". We stay in a rented condo that has two bedrooms with king sized beds .. and that's it. Since there are four of us and no one wants to share a bed, that means two guys are on inflatable mattresses in the living room. So, each day we play, we play skins games to decide who gets the best sleeping arrangements. Us weaker players get strokes to even up the game. Best I could do last year was third place, but I've improved my game since then so I'm hoping for a night in the big boy bed this year.

So ... here's my question: How do you prepare for a weekend golf trip where you're playing more golf in a compressed time than any other part of the year? The best thing I've been able to figure out is to play the course around here that most closely simulates the courses we'll be playing. Any other thoughts?

Hit alot of balls at the range. You'll be making more swings than you are used to, and by the end of the day 1, you're going to start getting tired. By day 3, you're going to start feeling the stiffness from over exertion really take hold.

That's a good idea. I could go to the driving range and get a 100-ball bucket, then just hit driver, mid iron, wedge, driver, mid iron wedge, etc. Then, after that I can practice some chipping. That would be a fairly good simulation.

Bring lots of water and Gatorade, as well as fruits or snacks and stay properly nourished/hydrated. One round can go ok with not eating/drinking, but not multiple rounds in a short period.
By forcing yourself to eat and drink, you'll put yourself in the best position to succeed.
Eating high carb meals at dinner will also help. Pasta with meat is best.

I agree with the previous post about staying hydrated. Also, bring some Advil and make sure to use the sunscreen. 36 holes is a long time to be in the sun and getting burned on the first day makes for a long miserable trip.

I went on a buddy trip not long ago where we played the first day to see who got the rooms and beds. Five guys playing for a king, two queens and a bunk bed. I played well enough to earn top bunk

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KeithH wrote:

]I agree with the previous post about staying hydrated. Also, bring some Advil and make sure to use the sunscreen. 36 holes is a long time to be in the sun and getting burned on the first day makes for a long miserable trip. I went on a buddy trip not long ago where we played the first day to see who got the rooms and beds. Five guys playing for a king, two queens and a bunk bed. I played well enough to earn top bunk [

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We're going Friday-Sunday. Friday and Saturday's rounds will both be played for sleeping arrangements, so you could end up in a different room/bed each night.