Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas, Zach Johnson are in the fray.

All members of the #ElectricEight of www.golfbytourmiss.com. Maximizing their time there is not merely about winning but also about incorporating all possible golf sciences to give themselves an edge – all the time. And having fun while at it – by ‘checking out’ local offerings.

An important ‘local offering’ of Hawaii is the Musa genus of fruit – the ubiquitous banana. A scientific paper (Notes on Banana Varieties in Hawaii” by Simmonds) written in 1953 tells us that there are two main banana cultures in Hawaii – the indigenous, pre-European one termed the ‘Hawaiian’ and then the more recent one termed the ‘alien’.

With musical names like Popoulu, Maiamaoli, Iholena, Borabora, and Hamakua, how can any visitor to the Hawaiian islands not partake of the grand adventure of experiencing all things banana. Even a serious I’m-here-to-win-and-nothing-else golf professional?

Well, if the romance of it all is not enough to convince a golfer to enjoy such a fine local offering, the science of ‘why bananas’ surely will. Even though not yet pertinent to young, healthy golfers, it must be mentioned that banana consumption is considered to be beneficial for the prevention of many chronic diseases – asthma, cancer, heart diseases and diabetes, memory loss and mood swings.

Most importantly for a golf player, a banana is a source of a low-glycemic index carbohydrate, so extremely useful for keeping up one’s energy during a round of golf. ‘Low glycemic index’ means there is a slow release of energy into the blood, so as not to spike, then drastically let fall, blood-sugar levels (see http://www.livestrong.com/article/254976-the-glycemic-index-of-bananas/), and this keeps up a golfer’s energy over several holes.

A banana is not just a quick-during-a-round-fix but a ‘keeper’. It has 110 calories, of which 30 gm in carbohydrate and 1 gm as protein. It has no fat, cholesterol or sodium, which in itself make it a wonderful food. More importantly it is a great source of essential minerals and vitamins, including potassium, magnesium and folate as well as Vitamins A, C and three of the B vitamins. These B vitamins are very important for the energy pathways too, it is not always enough to have an intake of carbohydrates without the vitamins that help process them. (For a complete list if a banana’s micronutrient content see http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271157.php).

More energy during a round of golf anyone?