I agree - this probably isn’t the smartest thing to do, but… Do you frequently find yourself running behind schedule and rushing to get to the golf course so you don’t miss your tee time? Or dashing from the parking lot to the tee and hitting your first shot without tying your shoes? How often do you use the first four holes to warm up for your round?

Ideally we would always have time to go to the practice area to get stretched out and hit a few balls before playing. But all too often it doesn’t seem to work that way. We end up “practicing” on the golf course, hoping we only need a small bucket of balls to warm up, and not a big bucket. A few days ago I saw a guy hurry to the tee, hit his tee shot and then comment, “Looks like I’m playing a fade today.”

When you’re stuck in traffic trying to get to the golf course, don’t get stressed out with the situation you’re in. Take these adverse circumstances and use them to your advantage. If traffic is at a standstill, you can do some exercises to stretch the muscles in your back, shoulders and neck. (I won’t give any specific exercises because I’m not certified in “Stretching with Your Steering Wheel.”) If you’re moving in traffic - rather than stressing and seeing how high you can get your blood pressure - work on breathing long and slow to help release some of the tension in your body. This will also get more oxygen into your system, enabling you to more efficiently make that dash to the tee when you do get to the golf course.

Try remembering what you’ve been practicing and the swing tempo you want to use. Think about good shots you’ve had in the past, the trajectory of the shot, the way it landed on the green and then rolled towards the hole. Or, how about remembering the great balance you had after hitting one of your best drives ever, the soft hands that released the club effortlessly to the ball, sending it flying so far that for a moment you couldn’t believe it was you that hit it.

Then think about a day you had where it seemed like you couldn’t miss with the putter. Everything went in. The hole looked like it was a bucket and everything sloped into it. Your stroke was long and smooth and the ball rolled to the hole like it had a motor in it.

If you have trouble multitasking or the driving is so crazy you couldn’t possibly think about golf and negotiate traffic at the same time, I recommend you focus on the traffic. Slow down a little and make sure you get to the golf course in one piece - better late than never! And, if you’re doing your deep breathing exercise, at least you arrive in a calm state of mind and ready to play.

Kim Anders is the Director of Golf at Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort. An accomplished player early in his career, Kim now focuses on the administrative side of golf and helping others find enjoyment in the game. Contact Kim at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .