Fitness - Golf
Related: Learn more about golfing with top golf instructor Michael Breed.
Sport of Golf
Hitting a small ball, with a small club, into a small hole, hundreds of yards away!
Furthermore, it’s a boring sport, it’s not fun, it’s too hard…and the lowest score wins?
So why do we play golf?
According to National Golf Foundation, 37.5 million Americans played golf in 2021. Whether they’re on a course, off-course, or in places such as driving ranges, simulators, or entertainment venues, it should be no surprise there are some benefits to golfing. The benefits range from physical and social well-being to concrete scientific evidence and everything in between. Most notably, golf is just plain-ole-fashion fun.
With that mentioned, here are some more benefits.
- Exercise: Golf is not considered a physical sport, however, most courses are spread out over large acres of land. Walking, not riding a cart, is a great cardio workout. Swinging a club has incredible an impact on your core and arm muscle, therefore initiating the need for fitness.
- Reduces Stress: This has to do with playing golf outdoors can lower your levels of cortisol. Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone that works with parts of your brain to control your mood, motivation, and fear.
- Keeps you Fit: A round of golf can burn up to 1500 calories and helps keep your weight down (win or lose).
- Lifetime Challenge: The game will challenge you to find ways to improve different aspects of golfing. This in turn promotes you to set goals to perform better each time you play.
- Improves Business Relationships: Many business relationships have improved with positive results on golf courses. Golfing provides plenty of opportunities to network and rapport with uninterrupted communication. In addition, you may find yourself creating more networks with other businessmen/women in your industry.
- Brain Simulator: Golfing increases your heart rate, which improves the blood supply to your brain. With more blood in your brain, it works better, and it also reduces the risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
- Builds Character: Golfing has basic rules of respect and integrity. How you play the game can determine whether there is a need to build stronger values and principles. It’s a slow-moving game that provides an opportunity to be introspective.
- Anyone can Play: There is no age limit. However, many people do not take up golfing until later in life – and spend their retirement playing the game.
Bottom line: The sport of golf is tough (and addicting). A lot of athletes from other sports find golfing to be more difficult than they initially thought. Most can transition their athleticism into this sport but many find it extremely difficult to the point they become addicted to the sport of golf.