For most women, playing golf while pregnant is not a problem. You might be surprised to hear it can actually be beneficial.
However, it really depends on your specific case. While the workout is encouraged, hip and shoulder rotation can put your back out at a time when you need to look after yourself and your precious cargo.
Heat also poses a threat to a pregnant golfer. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest that pregnant women drink eight to twelve glasses of water a day. If you drink plenty of water religiously, you won’t find it challenging to keep yourself hydrated.
Sufficient water is only one part of keeping yourself safe in the heat. I suggest you avoid trying to tee off on sweltering days. If you catch heatstroke, you put yourself and your baby at risk.
However, if you avoid this advice, it’s worth taking a golf cart in warm conditions. The reduced stress lowers the risk of swelling feet and ankles, keeping you comfortable and pain free.
To demonstrate that it is possible to play golf while pregnant, we only need to look at Catriona Matthew. In 2009, while five months pregnant with her second child, she stormed to a five-shot victory at the HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup.
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Does The Trimester Matter?
Trillium Rose is the Director of Instruction at Woodmont Country Club. In 2018, she wrote an article detailing her experience as a pregnant golfer. Rose explained that besides the physical changes of her body, it was her energy that hampered her ability to play.
She explains that in her first trimester, she had minimal energy and wanted to sleep most of the time. As you can imagine, that impacted her motivation, and she did not have the will to play golf like before.
When she did play, she was cautious not to grip it and rip it, like days gone by. She felt like she needed to slow down her golf swing for low impact to protect her young one. But Rose says that it did not affect her mechanics and required no swing adjustments.
Trillium found she had more energy in her second trimester but could notice the changes to her body. As time progressed in that trimester, she felt her center of mass lower, and the additional weight worked to keep her posture through the swing.
Furthermore, her joints began to loosen at this point, and she was hesitant to over-extend her swing for fear of injuring herself.
Rose further states that the third trimester is where you realize you need to slow down with any intense exercise.
The excessive weight gain around the belly reduced her ability to optimize hip rotation. As a result, she decided to stand more upright and bend from her knees to increase power on the downswing.
Trillium found that bending down became unbearable to place her tee in the ground and pick up her ball from the cup.
Tips and Precautions to Keep You and Your Baby Safe
Pack Liquids
As ACOG suggests, pregnant women should drink eight to twelve glasses of water per day.
On days that you play, you will likely need more than usual. Blair O’Neal found optimal hydration boosted her energy and limited fatigue while playing:
Pack Snacks
Nine holes only takes two and a half hours, but you’re now eating for two. Blair O’Neal found that keeping her favorite snacks in the bag during her round maximized her energy to avoid fatigue and perform to the best of her ability.
Easy Warm-Up
Before you tee off, you definitely need to warm up. However, O’Neal suggests only hitting a couple of balls to loosen the muscles and then making your way to the first tee. A long warm-up is generally encouraged, but it will tire you out and hamper your ability to play a full round.
Putter Suction Cup
A putter suction cup is typically associated with older men with pot bellies. However, it’s also handy for those going through a pregnancy.
The instructions are simple. Attach the cup to the top of your putter grip, and press onto the ball to suck it up. All you do is lift the cup to your hand and grab the ball.
This eliminates the need to bend over and collect the ball is one movement less that could impact your health and that of your baby.
Golf Cart
Although walking improves your heart rate and is one of the safe exercises, it’s not suggested on super warm days. Exposure to the sun for several hours increases your risk of heatstroke, sunburn, and dehydration. If you already struggle with fatigue, I advise that you take a golf cart instead.
Consult Your Doctor
Golf is certainly not a dangerous sport like downhill skiing, gymnastics, or horseback riding. However, there are still risks associated with the game. Before you pack your bag for the golf course, check in with your doctor and see what they think.
While they’ll likely welcome your enthusiasm to exercise, golf may not suit your condition during pregnancy. The good news is plenty of women play golf while pregnant and suffer no complications.
Matt Stevens
Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini's father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years. Current Handicap: 8
