I am an avid golfer for almost 3 years and as an amateur, I learned several things the hard and painful way a golfer should do right prior to playing every round. It involves self-discipline. Follow these golf routines before playing a round.

Arrive Early

You will never see PGA pros arrive at the club 30 minutes before his tee time, rush to the locker room to change then hurry to the first tee. Yet, it happens to amateurs most of the time. The result is they struggle to play to their potential. It is of paramount importance that every golfer whether amateur or pro should arrive at the club at least 75 minutes or 1 hour and 15 minutes before his scheduled tee time. This is sufficient to reduce the level of anxiety and gives the golfer time to limber up at the range.

Eat Right

There is no prescribed food for golfers but eating right will have a bearing on one's performance. Take food at least 2 hours before tee time. Avoid too much sugar and carbohydrates, as this will make a golfer sluggish. Also when the sugar level goes down, weakness will be experienced. Take fresh fruits rich in potassium like bananas or apples for lasting effects. Avoid coffee and soda, take only water to avoid dehydration.

Loosen up

Before going to the tee mound, every golfer should loosen up by doing some stretching routine before making the first swing. Most types of golf related injuries were attributed to tight muscles. Stretch for golf means stretching every muscle group before going to the range and you will swing to a more effortless and injury free game. Also, concentrate on pre round swings to hone your balance and tempo.

Start with the Lob or Sand wedge.

Most golf newcomers I've seen on the range start with the driver and just blast away those balls, too eager to break their record drive. They just overlook this golf routine most of the time. Start with the shorter clubs instead because they put less strain on the body at impact. Concentrate more on your short game. Hit a mixture of chips, lobs, and sand shots before playing. End with woods and driver when your muscles are completely loose and your swing is on track.

Limit it to 50 balls.

Most amateurs hit an average of 150 balls at the range before the actual round leaving them weak and exhausted. Hit only 50 shots divided evenly among your most used clubs. A typical progression is sand wedge, pitching wedge, 9- iron, 7-iron, 5-iron, 3-iron, 3-wood, and driver

Putting, that's where the money is.

If you still have time, don't forget to practice putting. 35-50% of your score will come from putting. Start by rolling long putts to calibrate the green speed. Finish it off by rolling in a half-dozen or so three- footers.

Be at the tee mound early.

Be on the tee before the flight or group ahead of yours has hit. These last few minutes are devoted to club, ball and tee preparation. Also take this time to visualize exactly how you want to play the first hole. By now you are loose, alert, and focused on shooting the lowest score possible. Lastly, focus your mind. Follow all your pre golf routines, a game plan, manage the courses well and you'll be surprised on how you will improve your game and your handicap.