People don’t play golf to mimic the incredible display of athleticism often seen in intense and high-impact sports. Most of us get into golf to take advantage of its many health benefits. For one, there’s a lot of walking when you’re out on the golf course. You can easily log over six miles in a normal 18-hole game. And then there’s the physical effort you’re exerting in your numerous swings. Golf is also a low-impact sport, which means there’s little chance of getting injured. You can play at your own pace and take several breaks. Finally, there’s the mental health aspect of the sport. Read this blog post to find out more about the benefits of golf.
Golf isn’t a flashy sport (loud golf clothing notwithstanding). Heart-pumping and sensational highlights, like the ones you see in professional basketball or football games, are non-existent, if not rare. But it is, as Bobby Jones famously said, “the closest game to the game we call life.”
And there is no denying the various health boosts we can get from playing golf, regardless of our skill level or experience. Below are several benefits you can enjoy when you take up your clubs and hit the green.
You can easily rack up 10,000+ steps
There’s more to golf than just hitting the perfect swing. You’ll be walking for miles at a time, for several hours, just to get from one hole to another. According to Golf Monthly, a popular golf magazine in the UK, golfers typically cover a distance of six miles in a standard 18-hole game.
Golf carts are a convenience that some players don’t shy away from, but if you can walk longer distances, why bother? If you go way back into centuries of golf history, players had few problems covering a lot of ground by simply walking the entire course.
With that mileage, plus the physical effort of carrying your equipment and hitting your swings, you’ll be sweating and racking up those steps in no time.
Flex your brainpower
Golf also has a cerebral aspect to it. If you want to move up the ranks, you’ll need to come up with the best strategies to complete all holes with the fewest number of shots.
How does strategy factor into a seemingly simple game that involves hitting a ball with a club? For instance:
-
Golfers need to avoid getting the ball into dead zones where it’s increasingly difficult to hit shots. These dead zones come in the form of water features, deep hollows, or sand-filled bunkers. Trees should also be avoided.
-
Ground conditions (wind speed, direction, humidity, etc.) can affect your carry yardage, which is the distance the ball travels through the air when you make the swing. For optimal carry, you may need to use a specific type of golf club.
Improve your mental health
Aside from the stimulation you get from developing winning game plans, golf has more subtle mental health benefits.
Physical exertion helps boost blood circulation. This, in turn, helps trigger the production of neurotransmitters like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These chemicals in the brain play a crucial role in improving our mood and relieving pain and stress.
And just the act of walking across a beautiful and expansive golf course — like the one at Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, California — can do wonders against negative thoughts, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Professional Golfers Association’s Helping Our Patriots Everywhere (HOPE) program uses golf to help military veterans overcome PTSD.
It’s low-impact
As long as you practice good form and warm up properly, golf is relatively easy on the body.
Injuries are possible, but it’s incredibly low risk. Unlike more intense sports like basketball, running, soccer, and football, you’re not subjecting yourself to tremendous amounts of physical stress. Walking has a particularly low impact on the knees.
It can be a different story for competitive and professional players who want to exert as much effort as they desire. But for casual players, it’s easy to get into golf without getting injured. You can take all the time you need to cover your ground and hit those shots.
Reconnect and socialize with people
Golf is even more enjoyable when you play it with friends. And it’s also a good way to make new ones. With all that walking, the sport creates plenty of opportunities for you to engage other players in light-hearted conversation. It’s common for players to exchange laughs and interesting stories as they move across the course.
As it becomes safer to go out and COVID-19 vaccines become more widespread, playing golf with friends and family can be a good way to catch up on some lost time and interaction.
Find neighborhoods that have access to picturesque golf courses
Have you considered finding a home in and around Blackhawk, CA? You can sign up for a membership at the world-class Blackhawk Country Club and reap the numerous health benefits of golf.
Let me and my team at Chawla Real Estate help you find your dream home in this beautiful master-planned community. Call our team at (510) 406-4836 or email [email protected]
