One of life's greatest tragedies is that we spend more time working 9-to-5 than playing 1-18.
But if you take your opportunities, you can easily fit a lot of golf into your busy schedule!
GOLF YOUR COMMUTE
Golf courses are everywhere, and "commuter golf" is all about using this to your advantage.
If you live near your golf club, you're already doing well! But there are also benefits in joining a club next to your office.
It makes it easy to fit in nine holes before work, and the club's shower facilities will work a treat. At lunch you could head to the clubhouse for a sandwich and still have 15 minutes to practise your putting.
Not everyone can work next to their golf course, so the key is to be flexible. Look for any club or facility on your commute – with a shag-bag full of balls and a few clubs on hand, you can wait out that traffic jam and work on lowering that handicap!
WORK AND HOME
<image="2" align="left" />
You’ll know you’ve mastered the life of a working golfer when you find yourself buying a stimpmeter to measure the speed of the carpet at home and the office.
The next level of craziness is buying a mower that can cut your lawn to fairway and even green length. It worked for Jordan Spieth when he was a kid, while Rory McIlroy practised chipping into the washing machine.
As kids, my brother and I tied shade cloth between two poles that formed part of our veranda – this may have led to a golf-ball-sized hole in the roof, so maybe try a net that is commercially available!
GET SWINGFIT
<image="3" align="left" />
<image="4" align="left" />
Golfers come in all shapes, sizes and at varying fitness levels. But even those who give in to their vices (we’re look at you, Miguel Angel Jimenez) will get innumerable health benefits from being a golfer.
Being active leads to living longer – and the whole point is to have more time to play golf.
The average golfer walks 10km during a round, but if you need to get that heart rate up even further, you can always try speed golf, made famous by Aussie Mitch Williams, who broke the world record with his recent round of 77 in just 31 minutes.
And if you want to work stretching and yoga into your day, check out Golf Australia's new SwingFit program that combines golf and keeping fit into a fun, social golf environment.
TURN THE TABLES
<image="5" align="left" />
Forget about fitting your golf obsession into your busy life, think of it as fitting your life into your golf obsession!
Need to spend more time with the family? Sign them up to play golf.
The clubhouse is also a great spot for important meetings, or to get through work emails without being bugged by co-workers, all with the added benefits of a great view and table service from staff.
SAVING DAYLIGHT
<image="6" align="left" />
I never cared so much about the length of a day until I began juggling golf and work.
Daylight hours are precious to us golfers. Depending where you live and the time of year; there’s only 9-15 hours of sunlight per day in Australia.
Getting to bed earlier can get you some valuable golfing time every morning. Is it really worth checking facebook at 11pm on your phone when you could be sleeping?
But being disciplined and organised is hard! When all else fails, there’s always coffee – and apparently a caffeine rush can help your golf game, providing you don't mind the side-effects!