In preparation for a tournament, one of the easiest controllable variance is equipment. If you do not have the right clubs, gloves, balls, tees, towels, clothing, umbrellas, food/drink, pencil, course planner, distance finders, etc. you are giving yourself an unnecessary disadvantage.
You should have your equipment ready the night before the event. This will mean that you are as prepared as possible when arriving at the tournament.
Make sure all your clubs are clean and make any suitable changes to club selection.
Then make sure that there are plenty of golf balls, tees, gloves and other essentials in your golf bag. You also need to know where they all are in the bag to avoid any unneeded stress before your tee-time.
The next thing that to check is clothing. Look at the weather forecast and make sure you have suitable clothing. If there is rain predicted, you will need waterproofs, a possible change of clothing, a hat, umbrella, suitable footwear and weather appropriate gloves. If it is forecast to be a hot day: you need to have breathable, lightweight clothing as well as sun cream and plenty of fluids.
Another factor to consider is how it will look. Which, you may argue, will not affect the golf. But, as a psychological strategy, if you can look good and feel good, your confidence will increase. you will become more comfortable while performaning.
Look good – feel good – do good
Once you have prepared clothing for the day, think about nutrition. This aspect of a golf performance is often overlooked and can cause you as much as 5 shots in a single round of golf.
Try to eat as many slow release carbs as possible before the round. This reduces the amount and density of food required to take onto the golf course.
Take a handful of fruity snack bars, or any other slow release snacks, to have every couple of holes. A sandwich to eat halfway, bananas and energy sweets also help to keep energy levels consistent during a round of golf.
It is as important, if not more, to ensure you have MORE than enough fluid in your bag. Dehydration can affect your performance by up to 45%. Try to take a sip of your drink, where possible, after almost every shot.
Now make sure that you have all the information needed for the tournament. Ensure any notes from practice rounds are accessible in your golf bag as well as a course planner and your distance measurer (laser/GPS etc.).
Make sure you know your tee time and how long you need to be at the course before the tee time. Give plenty of time to warm up, find out how long it will take to get to the course and what time you need to wake up.
Once you have all the equipment you need to start the tournament, have a good, nutritious meal with lots of energy. Set plenty of alarms and get a good sleep.