Coffee and Golf: Can Caffeine Help Your Golf Game?
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Golf rounds last four hours or more, mix long walks with moments of fine motor control, and end on the greens when you are most tired. So can caffeine help your golf game? A few controlled studies suggest that a small dose, roughly one cup of coffee before the round and another at the turn, can improve focus, reduce fatigue and even lower scores. The same research hints that a large dose may do the opposite on short putts, by adding tremor and nerves.
Here is what the studies actually tested, how to translate their doses into coffee, and a practical tee-to-18th plan.
Key takeaways
- In a 2016 study of low-handicap golfers, about 1.9 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight was linked to better scores, longer drives, more greens in regulation and less fatigue.
- A 2009 study found a caffeinated carbohydrate drink improved putting from 2 m and 5 m and increased alertness.
- A small 2022 conference study using a much higher dose (6 mg/kg) found fewer short putts made and more tremor and nervousness.
- For golf, a modest dose split over the round looks smarter than one big hit at the first tee.
In this article
- Can caffeine help your golf game? The studies
- Turning study doses into cups of coffee
- An 18-hole coffee plan
- Who should be careful
- FAQ
Can caffeine help your golf game? The studies
Study 1: tournament play (2016)
Researchers published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise followed 12 male golfers with handicaps between 3 and 10 over two 18-hole tournament rounds. In a double-blind crossover design, players took either a caffeine supplement or a placebo before the round and again after nine holes, for about 1.9 mg/kg in total per round. With caffeine, average total score was lower (76.9 vs 79.4), drives were longer, and players hit more greens in regulation (8.6 vs 6.9). They also reported more energy and less fatigue. Putting posture did not change.
Study 2: putting in a simulated round (2009)
A study in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism had 20 experienced male golfers play a laboratory-simulated round while drinking either a sports drink with carbohydrate and caffeine or a matched placebo. Total caffeine was about 1.6 mg/kg, split between before the round and holes 6 and 12. Putting at 2 m and 5 m improved with the caffeinated drink, and golfers felt more alert. Because the drink also contained carbohydrate, the effect cannot be credited to caffeine alone.
Study 3: a high dose and short putts (2022)
A smaller study presented as a conference abstract tested 10 low-handicap golfers in two simulated 18-hole rounds with walking between holes. This time the dose was much higher: 6 mg/kg before the round. Players made fewer short putts with caffeine than with placebo, and reported more tremor, nervousness and stomach upset, although shoulder fatigue ratings tended to be lower late in the round. As a conference abstract, it has not been through full peer review, so treat it as an early signal.
What the three studies suggest together
| Study | Caffeine dose | Main finding |
|---|---|---|
| Mumford et al., 2016 | About 1.9 mg/kg, split over the round | Better score, longer drives, more greens in regulation, less fatigue |
| Stevenson et al., 2009 | About 1.6 mg/kg with carbohydrate, split | Better putting at 2 m and 5 m, more alertness |
| Bishop et al., 2022 (abstract) | 6 mg/kg before the round | Fewer short putts made, more tremor and nervousness |
The samples are small, and only male golfers were tested, so none of this is definitive. But the pattern makes sense: golf rewards calm hands and steady attention more than raw power, so the low doses that sharpen alertness may help, while higher doses that add jitters may hurt the delicate parts of the game.
Turning study doses into cups of coffee
Here is the effective range from the first two studies applied to common body weights. An 8 fl oz (240 ml) cup of brewed coffee usually contains roughly 80 to 100 mg of caffeine, though it varies.
| Body weight | About 1.6 mg/kg | About 1.9 mg/kg | Roughly in coffee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 96 mg | 114 mg | About 1 cup |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | 120 mg | 143 mg | About 1½ cups |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 144 mg | 171 mg | About 1½ to 2 cups |
For comparison, the high-dose study’s 6 mg/kg would be 450 mg for a 75 kg golfer, above the FDA’s 400 mg daily reference for most healthy adults and well over EFSA’s 200 mg single-dose reference. More is clearly not better here.
An 18-hole coffee plan
- 60 minutes before your tee time: one regular cup of coffee with breakfast. Caffeine usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to reach its peak effect, as we explain in how long caffeine takes to work.
- At the turn: a small second dose, such as half a cup or a few sips of cold coffee from a thermos, plus a snack with carbohydrate.
- Back nine: water. Skip extra caffeine if your hands feel shaky.
- Late tee times: keep the total low or switch to half-caf to protect your sleep.
- Test it in practice first. Try your plan on a casual round or at the range before a competition, never for the first time on the day that counts.
On hot days, remember that coffee is not a replacement for water. Our article on whether coffee dehydrates you covers that question.
Who should be careful
- Golfers who are sensitive to caffeine or who notice a tremor in their hands.
- People with heart rhythm problems, high blood pressure or anxiety disorders.
- Anyone taking medications that interact with caffeine.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding golfers, for whom EFSA suggests staying at or under 200 mg a day.
- Junior golfers: caffeine is discouraged for children and teens, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics as cited by the FDA.
Coffee for the course
A thermos of cold brew is the easiest way to sip at the turn. Our Cold Brew Coffee is a coarse-ground dark roast blend made for steeping overnight, and it travels well over ice. If your round starts late or you want to stay in the lower dose range, a Half Caf mixes regular and water-process decaf for half the caffeine. For golf trips, our Instant Coffee pouch of 30 servings fits in a golf bag pocket.
Coffee and golf FAQ
Should I drink coffee before a golf round?
If you already drink coffee and tolerate it well, a normal cup about an hour before teeing off fits the doses that looked helpful in studies.
Does caffeine affect putting?
A low dose combined with carbohydrate improved putting in one study, while a high dose was linked to fewer short putts made in another. Keep the dose modest.
Are energy drinks good for golf?
Many contain more caffeine per can than a cup of coffee, plus sugar. Check the label and count it toward your total.
Can caffeine help with fatigue on the back nine?
In the 2016 study, golfers reported more energy and less fatigue over the round when they took caffeine before the round and at the turn.
Sources
- Mumford P.W. et al., Effect of caffeine on golf performance and fatigue during a competitive tournament, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2016.
- Stevenson E., Hayes P., Allison S., The effect of a carbohydrate-caffeine sports drink on simulated golf performance, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2009.
- Bishop N.L. et al., Caffeine negatively affects short putts made but reduces shoulder fatigue during 18-hole simulation, International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings, 2022.
- Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine, EFSA Journal, 2015.
Facts checked in October 2026.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor before changing your caffeine intake.
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