How to Play Golf When You're Busy: 7 Game-Changing Tips for Balancing Golf with a Hectic Life

Hey everyone, I’m Bobby Holland, founder of Hoolie (our favorite golf brand), retired Navy SEAL, and diehard golfer. Welcome to our “Diehard Golfer” series, where we’ll cover a variety of topics relevant to you diehard golfers out there—and yes, that includes diehards in training.

First, what is a diehard? Diehard golfers are those truly obsessed with the game. They can be high, mid, or low-handicappers with an insatiable desire to play more, practice more, and continually improve.

Am I a scratch golfer? No, I’m not (far from it), though I hope to get there one day. Because of that, I’ll focus on best practices for playing, training, and improving, leaving the technical swing insights and tips to the pros.

If you’re a driven, type-A, go-getter who’s really into golf (or just discovering it), this series is for you. Shall we get to it?

“I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME”—Breaking Down Barriers to Playing More Golf

Yes, golf can be time-consuming. If you play a municipal course, aka a “muni,” on the weekend, you’ll be lucky to get through a round in less than 5 hours. Add some driving range time and perhaps a stop at the 19th hole, and you’re looking at around 7 hours! Who’s got that amount of time consistently? I sure don’t. As a husband and father, evenings and weekends are nuts, and during the week, I’m grinding away trying to create the best golf shirts and golf hats you can find. It’s awesome, but it leaves very little time to play.

Here’s how I get it done:

1. Start playing early morning golf (at/before sunrise). These early morning golfers are affectionately referred to as “Dew Sweepers.”

2. Play during the workweek if possible. This is the best time to get a quick round in because it’s the least congested the course will be…unless you’re playing near a retirement community.

“So, Bobby,” you ask, “is that all there is to it?” Well, there is one caveat, and it’s a big one. You’re going to have to learn to play fast. Dew Sweepers don’t mess around—they know how to get around a course. This doesn’t mean you have to play speed golf, but you will need to learn to be efficient. When you join the ranks of the Dew Sweeper club, you’ll have to learn to finish 18 holes in 2.5-3 hours. We’ll get to tips on efficiency in a minute, but for now, just soak that in. You can play an entire round and finish before 9 a.m. (in the spring and summer). How cool is that?

Benefits of Early-Morning Golf:

Tips for Playing Early Morning Golf

Pre-round:

3. Practice the day before. Whether at the driving range or hitting into a net at home, practice the day before can be productive if done right. Even just rehearsing the swing the night before is better than nothing. Your goal with this practice is to rehearse your mechanics and find a tangible feeling you can bring to the golf course the following day. End your session with a mental rehearsal of your first tee shot—visualize the shot shape and lock that in. Diehard tip: Keep a “Swing Feels” diary where you catalog and refine the “Feels” that seem to be working. This is a useful reference when your swing gets away from you.

4. Get your gear ready for tomorrow. On the battlefield, SEALs have their weapons and kit staged and ready to go for a time-sensitive mission. Us diehard golfers will do the same here. Our goal in the morning is to get out the door as efficiently as possible, quietly, so we don’t wake the house.

• Golf Bag: Inspect, clean, and organize your clubs. Make sure your balls are marked per SOP. Pack the bag completely and have it by the door. Any snacks or drinks should be packed in the bag.
• Golf Shoes: Ensure you have enough good cleats on your shoes (replace as necessary) and set them by the door, or leave them in your car if you prefer to put them on at the course.

• Golf Apparel: Set out your golf apparel the night before (preferably your favorite Hoolie golf shirt and golf hat).

5. Warm up efficiently at the course. Plan for at least 10 minutes of warm-up and 10 minutes of chipping and putting. This is the bare minimum, but if you’re deliberate in what you do, you can get ready quickly. I’ll cover this warm-up routine in more detail in a future article, but here are the basics:

• Massage Device: Warm-up with a Theragun or similar device if you have one.
• Rotational Stretches: Banded rotational stretches (or non-banded exercises) to get the body, core, and arms activated.
• Hand, Wrist, and Shoulder Circles: Loosen up those joints.
• Practice Swings: Start with two clubs at once, then switch to a wedge, iron, and driver. Take a few swings of each and try to get a feel for your swing. Visualize your shots. Hit the practice green, focusing on finding a rhythm and gauging the speed of the greens.
• Mental Prep: As you walk to the tee in your badass Hoolie golf polo and hat, remember—you’ve put in the time, and you have what it takes to succeed today. Go get some!

During the Round:

6. Anticipate a slow start and set yourself up for success. Take conservative lines at first, but swing aggressively. Avoid nasty doubles and get through the first two holes unscathed. The goal is to warm up and avoid doing too much damage to the scorecard.

7. Be efficient on the course. Here are some tips to help you save time and get around the course quickly:

• Be Ready to Play: Do everything you need to do before your next shot so there’s no unnecessary delay. Use waiting time to get your yardage, pull your club, and be ready to address the ball when it’s your turn.

• Know Your Yardages: Early-morning conditions can affect ball flight, so anticipate that.
• Keep an Extra Ball and Tee in Your Pocket: If you go OB, drop and get on with it. You’ve got three minutes to find a lost ball—hustle and get a head start searching, but don’t waste too much time.
• Clean Your Clubs on the Move: If you’re walking or using a push cart, everything should be within reach. Clean, eat, and drink on the move.

On the Greens:

• The Pin: Most Dew Sweepers leave the pin in, but you do you. Leaving it in is just one less thing to deal with.
• Green Reading: Get this done while your partners are putting or come up with a quick process to read the green in about 10 seconds or less.
• Putting: When in doubt, putt it out. If you’re playing for score, by all means mark it, but if you can, clean up that putt and move on to the next.

Well, that’s not everything, but it’s a decent place to stop. Go get some out there!