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So, what's a golfer to do?  The problem can be remedied quite easily. The key is to get the blood circulating as quickly as possible for injury prevention. You never want to start swinging on cold, tight muscles. If you have three hours to play golf, you should take a minimum of five minutes to warm up for an increased range of motion. That's part of the sport.

Here's a five-minute warm-up plan:

Take a brisk walk 50 yards from and back to the tee - follow the yard markers down the cart path if you're not sure how far to go. Estimated time: one minute.

Overhead club stretches. Take a club out of the bag, bring it overhead with arms extended parallel to the ground with both hands as far apart as possible on each end of the club. Stretch back as far as you can, holding the club over your head for 10 to 15 seconds. Then bring the club directly over your head and bend over to one side and hold for 10 to 15 seconds, go back to center and repeat on the other side. Estimated time: 45 seconds.

Rotating torso stretches. Take the club behind your back (so it rests on the small of your back) and lock the elbows around the club to hold it securely. Extend backward as far as you can to stretch out the back and hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Now, stand upright with knees slightly bent and rotate to one side, keeping the club in the same position; hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Rotate to the other side and hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Estimated time: 45 seconds

Upper-back stretch. Hold the club in front of your body (arms straight, knees bent) and round your back to stretch the upper back muscles and shoulders for a count of 15. Estimated time: 15 seconds.

Hamstring stretch. Continue to hold the club in front of your body, straighten your knees and bend forward, stretching out the hamstrings for 20 seconds. Before you stand back up, bend the knees to help you move slowly straight up. Estimated time: 30 seconds.

Forearm stretch. Hold the club in front of you with palms up and arms straight. Curl the club with one hand 10 times; switch to the other hand for 10 times. Rotate your arms so your palms are down and curl the club upwards 10 times for each wrist. Estimated time: 40 seconds.

Calf stretch. Put the club down and bring yourself in a lunge position with both feet facing forward (one in front of the other) and lunge forward, pushing down the back heel for 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. Estimated Time: 30 seconds.

While the warm-up exercises might do the trick to get your body ready for a round, hitting the first ball off the tee straight onto the fairway is another story. Tom Sutter, a former player on the PGA Tour, knows all too well about the angst that comes with your first shot of the day. "Even Jack Nicklaus gets nervous on the first tee, so we want to do things to make us most comfortable."

Sutter suggests a three-step plan of attack for that first hole. First, pick a club you're most comfortable with, whether it's a 3-wood or a long iron. Leave the driver in the bag for now. Next, clear your mind. "Something probably happened to make you late for tee-off. Just forget about it and take some deep breaths," says Sutter. Finally, visualize your upcoming shot. Sutter suggests, "Just as you approach the ball, you want to start creating positive images. Think about the ball going down the middle of the fairway. As the round progresses, take each shot one at a time until you begin to get into a rhythm."

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