There are many different ways to prepare for your next round of golf. Many golfers have a routine they follow and some do not. And I'm not talking about how golfers warm up prior to their round of golf. This is about being prepared the day before or even days to weeks before.
How do you prepare for a round of golf?
There is a checklist of things every golfer should do before the next time they tee it up. I will condense this down into 4 categories for convenience. Being prepared for golf goes beyond just being ready to play. These 4 things are simple enough to follow and something every golfer should be ready to do. First, every golfer should have a checklist that covers these things to make sure they are well prepared before they even show up to the golf course.
1. To start your preparation, first, check golf course availability and be ready to make a tee time at least 48 to 72 hours in advance. This depends on the size of your group. The more golfers the earlier you should call. If you are a single golfer sometimes it is ok to call the morning you want to play but you still should call a day ahead to make sure the golf course does not have an event. The earlier you prepare for a tee time and call the better chances you have to guarantee you get a tee time on your preferred day. Also, take note of the golf course cancelation policy. Many have a 48hr window to cancel without a fee. If you book inside the cancelation window you will be charged if you need to cancel or do not show.
2. Check the golf course dress code. Knowing the dress code ahead of time is important for two main reasons. First, you don't want to show up at a golf course and be told you can't play in a certain shirt or pants. You then either have the option to leave or you have to pay the golf shop prices to buy a shirt. Secondly knowing the address code ahead of time gives you a chance to do laundry if you need to or run to a store and buy the clothes you need. Now I know most golfers own slacks and a collared shirt, which is the dress code at most golf courses, however, there are some that may not or have only played golf courses that have a more laid-back dress code that may allow jeans and tee-shirts. Surprisingly, for the past 15 years in the industry, I have seen golfers show up unaware of the dress code at least 3x a month.
3. Make sure you have everything you need. This includes golf balls, tees, gloves, towels, etc... You should do this as early as possible to make sure you have time to go purchase anything you may need. Not every golf course has everything you need. Most do but you never know and by getting it at an off-course retail shop you can save some money. For example, the same dozen of Bridgestone Golf balls I play are $49.99 at Worldwide Golf Shops (Edwin Watts) and may cost $54.99 or higher at the golf course.
4. Plan your golfing day accordingly making sure you have enough time to get to the golf course. Do not have something planned that ends 20min before your tee time that is a 20min drive away. Traffic or delays will cause you to miss your tee time. If it is the first time you are going to a golf course use an app like Waze the day before to estimate your drive time with real-time traffic. If you have a tee time on Friday at 10 AM check the traffic pattern on Thursday to arrive at the same time as your tee time. This will give you an idea of how long it takes to get to the golf course and you can plan to leave at an appropriate time the next day. *Please note that all golf courses like golfers to show up a minimum of 15min in advance of their tee time. Some higher-end clubs have a policy to be checked in 30min prior to your tee time. Some are even as brutal as charging your credit card as a no-show if you are not checked in by a certain time according to their policy.*
How Far In Advance Do You Make A Tee Time?
24 Hours / 1 day
48 Hours / 2 days
72 hrs / 3 days
4 - 7 days
Here is a suggested checklist you can use to make sure you have everything you need prior to your next round of golf.
Golf Ball | Tees | Divot Tool (ball mark repair tool) | Ball Mark |
Towel(s) | Glove | Umbrella | Shoes |
Clean Clothes | Gas in Car | Tee Time Made | Directions To Course |
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