What Are Some Added Benefits of Playing Golf?

In addition to burning calories, playing golf has some hidden benefits, such as gaining greater balance and stability, adding flexibility, de-stressing, and making friends.

According to calculations from the UK-based website Skilled Golf (using research published by Harvard Medical School and combined with other datasets), if golfers walk a full 18 holes while carrying their own clubs, which usually takes roughly four hours, an “average, healthy, and able-bodied person weighing approximately 155 lbs.” would burn upwards of 1,640 calories.

There are other added benefits to playing the game, as well:
– You’ll Gain Greater Balance and Stability—Research published last summer revealed that—especially for older golfers—playing the game enhances both muscle strength and stability. For the study, researchers recruited several non-golfers to a public course to partake in a 10-week training program. Among other findings, the researchers concluded that golfers under the age of 80 had better balance and strength than sedentary non-golfers of the same age. They showed “better dynamic balance and static balance,” specifically.
– You’ll Gain Flexibility—Anyone who has ever learned to do “a proper turn” in golf knows that the golf swing is nothing short of a true athletic movement, in which flexibility is not only important but essential. “Stretching is an important part of the game, and flexibility is paramount to the swing and reducing injury,” Andrew Creighton, DO, physiatrist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), explained to Well+Good.
– You’ll De-Stress—This one is debatable, given that many golfers get so frustrated with the game that they end up breaking their clubs or quitting altogether. But for most amateur golfers, the game is a healthy release. For starters, it’s a walk in nature, which is one of the most important things you can do to bolster your mental health. According to a 2019 study published in Frontiers in Psychology, spending only 20 minutes in nature will send your stress hormones levels plummeting. For the study, the researchers recruited nearly 40 volunteers who were asked to spend time in nature, where they either walked or simply sat down, for at least 10 minutes, 3 days per week for two months. Their cortisol levels were measured by saliva sample before and after their bouts with nature. “Moderate exercise, including golf, is proven to reduce stress and anxiety,” said Bradley Myrick, Director of Golf Operations at TPC Danzante Bay in Loreto, Mexico.
– You’ll Have More Friends—Having a regular golf game with pals is a terrific way to stay connected with others, especially as you get older and your social calendar starts to thin out. Believe it or not, it could extend your life.
According to a new international study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, individuals around the age of 60 who consistently, or even just sometimes, feel lonely tend to live 3-5 years less on average than their similarly aged peers who never feel lonely. Meanwhile, individuals aged 70-80 years old who regularly perceive themselves as lonely can expect to live roughly 3-4 (70 year olds) and 2-3 years (80 year olds) less than their age-peers who very rarely feel lonely.