[Photo: Dmitry Kuznetsov]
Competitive golfers face a difficult task after each tournament round: how are they going to kill time before their next round? And not only that, how are they going to do it in a way that doesn’t exhaust them physically? Going for a run or spending hours in the gym isn’t necessarily a recipe for recovery. How are they going to spend that time in a way that doesn’t exhaust them mentally, either? A delicate balance must be struck: think just enough about what must be done to be able to play one’s best, without thinking too much about it.
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Finding the right activity that helps an athlete mentally check out is crucial, says Christen Shefchunas, a performance coach who works with Olympic medallists, predominantly swimmers.
“Balance is such an important part of being an athlete,” Shefchunas says. “When their entire world revolves around sport and they’re always thinking about sport, burnout is almost inevitable.”
Sitting in the hotel after a round, going over every shot, relentlessly strategising about the next day, isn’t setting a golfer up for success. It’s exhausting. It can be challenging to disengage mentally, but it’s necessary. Finding a hobby can help.
That’s where Lego comes in.
Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko have both spoken about using Lego as their post-golf downtime activity.
“I’ve always loved Lego,” Korda said during the 2025 LPGA season. “It’s just another way to get your minds off things.”
Lego ticks the first box: it can be done while sitting down. So it’s not working the body after a long tournament round, which allows for physical recovery. Building Lego also works well for the mind, Shefchunas says, because it requires focus. Watching a movie doesn’t demand enough attention, allowing a player’s thoughts to slip back towards golf. The intricate nature of Lego requires more thought, pulling athletes into the present moment.
Lego isn’t the only activity that can do this. Shefchunas was working with a swimmer who started weaving tapestries to get her thoughts away from the pool. She became so prolific that she now has an online store devoted to it.
“It keeps their mind in the present,” Shefchunas says. “As athletes, it’s so easy to go out into the future and obsess over how the next competition is going to go. This will leave them mentally drained by the time they get to the competition. I am a big believer that athletes need to be healthy and balanced. When they’re at golf, be all in with golf. When they’re not at golf, be present and enjoy life outside of golf.”
