Simon Dyson column: Life on tour

Hi, I'm Simon Dyson and I’m writing my new column for Golf Magic in the second of a three-week European Tour swing in South Africa.

I’ve been doing this job for 16 years now, and with a schedule like this one week rolls into the next.

Last week was the Joburg Open where I got off to a great start but dropped back at the weekend. Plenty of positives, though, I reckon. This week we're in East London, which is another great course with some funky holes. It's beautiful and right next to the beach.

After that we move on to Pretoria for the Tshwane Open at Waterkloof. It’s not a course I know, which is something that doesn’t happen too often, but it’s exciting because it brings new challenges.

South Africa’s lovely, the weather’s great and the courses are brilliant, so I’m enjoying it down here, but I do miss my family loads on a trip like this.

My daughter Isabella Rose starts school next year so I’m going to bring her and my wife Lyndsey with me a bit more because there will be a time when I can’t. It's great when they are around because I can switch off from golf.

You spend so much time living and breathing the game when you’re out on Tour so it’s good to get away. I've played well and badly when they're with me, but I prefer them being here. 

Of the other golfers, Steve Webster’s the one I hang out with the most. He’s a good lad, Webby, and Ryder Cup star Jamie Donaldson's another of the gang when he’s here.

I also spend a lot of time with my caddie James Baker. The other day we met up at the shopping mall, went to the cinema, had a bit of lunch. He’s a really good lad and great company. I enjoy having a bit of banter with him on the course and I love our time off the course as well. We get on really well.

He gets the odd calculation wrong but I double check everything – I’m good at maths. We rarely get it wrong between us! He doesn’t mind me looking over his shoulder, at least I think he doesn’t.

We don’t generally stay in the same places. I tend to stay where I want, not necessarily in the players’ hotel.

This week and last week I stayed in hotels that have got good gyms. I assess it myself and book it up. I’ve been doing it for so long I generally know where I like and I’ll stay somewhere that’s got a nice restaurant, a good gym or nice spa facilities.

There are places you don’t know - for instance, I have no idea where to stay in Italy so I just stay in the Holiday Inn. It doesn’t have a gym but most of the time you have the European Tour physio van that has bikes and weights.

 John Muff at ISM helps organise my travel and he does a great job. I’ve never thought about what my annual travel bill might be. But I can’t not spend that money - it’s part of my job.

"Bakes" will stay with the same group of guys. He likes to be with his mates and it keeps the costs down for him as well.

It’s funny because at the start of every season I’m always really strict and I’ll work out all the time and there will be a stage in the season where I just ease back. This year I’ve really got into it and I think I’ll just press on and get really fit now.

I do a bit of core work, rotational work, strength and cardio at the end of the session. I’ve suffered with a bad back for the last three years and going on the bike for 40 minutes every evening works a treat for it.

I’d rather eat what I want and train harder because I love my food. I love everything. Down here in South Africa the steaks are the best in the world. It's ridiculous - last week I had a 350g fillet, with mashed butternut squash and a Coke and it was £9. I only had one, though.

Living this touring life you could never have a regimented six-week plan of what you’re going to eat.

There will be a time when you tee off at 14:00 and finish at 19:00, get back to your room and have a shower and you just want something quick because you’re up at 06:00 And you’ll need something substantial because you haven’t eaten since midday.

Even if it’s full of carbs, you’ll have spaghetti bolognese because you’re hungry.

I’m away for three weeks with a luggage allowance of 30kg so I can’t take that much gear with me. I have to wash my kit like everyone else.

I’ve just signed with Bunker Mentality. It’s the best clothing I’ve worn and I love it. And it washes great.

Often someone will organise bag runs so our clubs get transported to the next venue for us. They do it in Europe as well. Travelling without clubs is so much easier than travelling with them and it’s worth its weight in gold.

On the gear front, I’m not really one that tinkers and if I find something that works, I’ll stick with it. At the moment I’ve got a really good bag, driver, three wood, rescue, four iron to lob wedge and putter and I love them all. They will probably stay in for the rest of the year now.

But the thing with drivers is that they’re evolving all the time. I’ve got the Taylor Made R15 in at the minute, but come Wentworth week there might be a new one that will hit it 10 yards further than this.

My coach Pete Cowen once told me that Padraig Harrington will never sign a driver deal because if a new one comes out he wants to be able to use it. I can totally see that thinking.

The irons are a very personal thing. I’ve been trying a few sets out and not quite found them. I put my old set back in last week and it was different class.

Pete is away at the WGC event in Florida, but I’ve been doing this for so long that whenever I’m hitting a certain shot, I kind of know what I’m doing wrong so I just work on it myself.

I’ll see him whenever he’s out at the big tournaments such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and when I’ve got two weeks off after Morocco I’ll go and see him for a few lessons at his range in Rotherham.

The atmosphere on Tour is really good. Everyone’s going through different stuff on and off the course, and we all know how to deal with each other. There are some great lads and some that you don’t get on with, but it’s like any other job in that way.

I feel very fortunate to be a pro golfer because if I wasn’t, I’d still be playing at the weekend somewhere.

Until next month.