Figuring out what to eat during a round of golf has always been a challenge for me. I know people who never eat during a round, no matter how long it takes or the time of day, but I can’t do that. I don’t think I’ve ever voluntarily skipped lunch, although there have been a few times where I’ve been so busy I either couldn’t or I forgot. I only think I forgot once in my life, though.

When I first started playing golf the world was a more casual (and less populated) place. We could stop at the turn for a hot dog and fit back into the flow on the course with no problem and no hassle from marshals. That’s not possible anymore, and rushing in to buy a quick dog or some other snack is no fun. I always get in line behind somebody who’s ordering drinks for twenty people and has to keep verifying the order. By the time I have my order I should be halfway down the 10th fairway. I’m also not as big on hot dogs as I used to be.

After a lot of experimentation I’ve developed my golf food collection. It keeps me going through the round, and as long as I spread it out and don’t eat it all at once it keeps my energy up without weighing me down. I have to remember to eat before I feel hungry, don’t eat too much at once, and don’t worry about whether or not eating makes sense by the clock. If I’m starting lunch at 10:30 AM, that’s just fine.

The photo above shows the raw ingredients for my lunch. It all fits into my golf bag, or it does after I turn the bread, peanut butter, and jelly into a sandwich. I usually eat the snack bar after 5 or 6 holes, half of the sandwich just after the turn, and then the other half of the sandwich over the next several holes.

The apple is always eaten on the 10th hole at my home course, no matter what hole we started on. We often are involved in a shotgun start, so the 10th hole is frequently our 13th or so, but I have a group of trained turtles waiting for my apple core in a pond beside the 11th tee. I can’t disappoint the reptiles. I’ve tried bananas or other fruit, but apples stand up to the occasional beating much better than softer fruit. The turtles don’t like banana peels very much, either.

I sip the water as needed and drink the cranberry-pomegranate juice a little over halfway through the round. I like that particular juice better than most energy drinks, and it’s nutritional profile compares well.

The type of snack bar varies, but right now I like the Snickers Marathon bar in the photo. Some of the so-called energy bars tend to have a medicinal taste to me, so I avoid them. I like what I eat to make me feel happy. I lean toward granola-like bars.

By the way, if you want a peanut butter and jelly tip, always put peanut butter on both slices of bread. The jelly doesn’t soak into the bread when you do that.