Very important question here. Typical round is around 4 hours. This is a sport and calories are being burned even if you are cart riding.

To play good golf you need energy and personally I have to eat stuff throughout or else energy wanes and performance suffers especially over the closing holes. I wish it were not the case as I don't particularly like eating stuff on the course. it feels more like a chore.

As such I am always trying different foods to keep it interesting. Certain things are mainstays. Like peanut M&m's. Granola bars. A sandwich of pb and j. I've tried various jerkys for a protein oriented approach. That seems to work well and the stuff goes down easy.

Going down easy is key by the way. I once went through a short Clif bar phase; I don't know if I ever want to eat another one. Gnawing down one of those chewy bricks is quite a bit of work. They have all these neato flavors that seem interesting for the first bite. But once you are midway through they all seem to taste about the same. Besides they are loaded with weird soy proteins. No thanks.

Last week I tried some of those newfangled "energy chews" which is basically soft jelly candies. I think they worked ok, and they went down easy. I might try more of these, along with some kind of protein.

Suppose I could always grab a limp hotdog or something at the turn, which I do once or twice a year, but generally prefer to bring my own, seems like the more sensible thing to do.

rarely if ever eat on the course....

cheese crackers. those orange ones with the peanut butter. really any of those crackers.
PayDay bar
banana
apple
fruit "trail" bars
little carrots
if grabbing real food at the turn try to get a chicken salad sandwich instead of the hot dog, but sometimes the dog hits the spot.

water
maybe gatoraid
beer if I'm pissed off and playing bad, or its a fun scramble or something.

Before round: Naked (or other brand) smoothie drink. (blueberry). They really do make me feel good and sharp.

I rarely eat anything although most experts suggest a little nibbling as you play.

I drink water and try to make sure to eat something prior to the round (something like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, whole grain cereal, OJ, etc ...). I am certainly no "healthy eater" but at times I try.

guzzlingil wrote:

rarely if ever eat on the course....

bkuehn1952 wrote:

I rarely eat anything although most experts suggest a little nibbling as you play.

That is interesting, do you guys usually walk or ride? I usually walk plus I think I have a quick metabolism because if I eat nothing the stomach growls and I will have a hard time concentrating. Much more likely to have an indifferent or even negative outlook on the next shot or the round in general.

jfurr wrote:

cheese crackers. those orange ones with the peanut butter. really any of those crackers. PayDay bar banana apple fruit "trail" bars little carrots if grabbing real food at the turn try to get a chicken salad sandwich instead of the hot dog, but sometimes the dog hits the spot. water maybe gatoraid beer if I'm pissed off and playing bad, or its a fun scramble or something. Before round: Naked (or other brand) smoothie drink. (blueberry). They really do make me feel good and sharp.

I'd call those pretty good choices. I don't like the apple though because its too much work. A lot of chomping to get that thing down, not very efficient. It's mostly fiber and water in there too. Don't get me wrong the apple is a wonderful member of the fruit family I just find it too much of a hassle on the course. As opposed to a banana which you can scarf down a lot easier plus it seems to carry more bang for your nutritional buck if you will. The problem with the banana however is that it is not durable. It does not travel well. That's why a PB&B is good. Snickers is also a good choice if junk is all that is available.

Chicken salad at the turn sounds nice. Again sounds like you live in a golf paradise whereas I live in a golf hell. Also I swear by the fruit smoothie too, I make one every day.

I rarely walk.....it is tooo day'um hot to walk in SE Louisiana......

it is currently 95 with 60% humidity.......

I walk mostly (about 2/3 of my rounds) and I too need to eat otherwise I can feel light-headed or with the stomach growling, at times.

I carry a banana which I eat around the turn and a bag of mixed unsalted nuts which I snack on throughout, but mostly on the back nine. They contain dried fruits (cranberry and cherry) and nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts. My wife picks them up at Costco. I am sure they are similar things elsewhere. Very tasty, healthy and does the job, IMHO.

Shortly after the round, I make sure I eat some protein (such as turkey lunchmeat, cheese...). It is supposed to help recover. Also, drink lots of water during and after the round, of course.

I never eat breakfast before a round anymore, it seems like it slows me down, don't eat during the round either , for the same reason.

bkuehn1952 wrote:

I rarely eat anything although most experts suggest a little nibbling as you play.

legitimatebeef wrote:

That is interesting, do you guys usually walk or ride? I usually walk plus I think I have a quick metabolism because if I eat nothing the stomach growls and I will have a hard time concentrating. Much more likely to have an indifferent or even negative outlook on the next shot or the round in general.

I ride in tournaments (mandatory) and when I play with friends/relatives, unless they want to walk. When I go solo (about 50% of the time) I walk and carry. Sometimes I note a bit of lagging energy on the back nine. If I were better organized I might toss in some snack items. Some of the fatigue I attribute to how busy the course may be. If there are starts & stops I typically sit on a bench or under a tree and wait. When the course is mostly open, I find myself just relentlessly moving foreward, never stopping or taking a break, even for a minute. When I am aware of this, I will make myself sit a minute and take a drink, chill out.

My guess is you are high energy and in constant motion, thinking, doing, hitting. In addition to food, a speed governor applied judiciously might help.

I don't typically have any food with me. Usually a couple Vitamin waters, and a bottle or 2 of regular water.

sjduffers wrote:

Shortly after the round, I make sure I eat some protein (such as turkey lunchmeat, cheese...). It is supposed to help recover. Also, drink lots of water during and after the round, of course.

Good call on the protein, something I've experimented with lately... the effect on recovery is noticeable. After walking and carrying 18 I can sometimes feel run down, and its good to know that it is not just me getting old.

bkuehn1952 wrote:

My guess is you are high energy and in constant motion, thinking, doing, hitting. In addition to food, a speed governor applied judiciously might help.

You are right--on the course I am constantly pushing forward, never pausing to rest. I think I do it reflexively. Always trying to push that pace of play. I never really thought about energy conservation but I think it's a good idea.

I walk mostly and rarely eat anything if I do. If I'm with a buddy, riding and we're drinking beers, we might grab a hot dog at the turn, but those rounds are rare.

Most of my walking rounds are twilight (2:30) so between lunch and dinner for me. I don't find myself getting hungry or any noticeable difference in my energy level, but have never been one that is greatly affected by hunger or blood sugar levels (like my wife and younger son). I think those sorts of things vary greatly on an individual basis.

I don't walk much, but even when riding in the cart I need *something* to eat during a round due to blood sugar issues. I generally have a chewy granola bar, peanut butter grackers, or a Powerbar.