Promoting Health Through Golf

There is no denying the benefits of exercise and golf is no exception. As well as keeping you physically fit, golf can help improve mental health and reduce symptoms associated with anxiety and depression.

Earlier this year (15^th-19^th April) the R&A promoted Golf Health Week, ‘a dedicated campaign to raise awareness of the health benefits of golf for all ages and abilities’. Golf Health week aimed to highlight five key topics, with one topic being the focus each day. The key topics covered are “Fitness”, “Mental Health”, “Disability Golf”, “Golf for Everyone” and “Club Level”.

The campaign aimed to promote the mental and physical health benefits of playing golf ran across social media and other digital channels with their unique hashtag #GolfHealthWeek. The aim of #GolfHealthWeek was to get people out on the golf course (or driving range) over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Research conducted by The University of Edinburgh suggests, on average, golfers will burn around 500 calories over 18 holes covering anywhere between 4-8 miles per round and even golfers using a golf buggy can walk up to 4 miles, surprising right?

If you’re looking to live longer you might want to listen up too, evidence suggests golfers will live longer than non-golfers and can help treat and prevent over 40 chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease as well as breast and colon cancer. With the findings also showing that golf most likely improves respiratory, metabolic and cardiovascular health, it’s no wonder the R&A is encouraging individuals to pick up a set of clubs and try the game out.

Golf Health Week also coincided with England Golf’s “Switch Off With Golf” campaign. This campaign was to promote “Stress Awareness Month”, which has been held every April since 1992 to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic.

Using their own hashtag #SwitchOffWithGolf, England Golf has teamed up with BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker and former Olympian Greg Whyte to encourage people to turn off their screens head out to the golf course, crush a little white ball and take their mind off daily life stresses.

Sounds simple, but when we consider that 85% of adults admit to commonly experiencing stress and more than 60% of men have revealed that throughout the last year they have been so stressed they have found it difficult to cope, campaigns like this have even greater importance and need shouting about.

Switch Off With Golf ‘aims to stimulate conversation around the importance of positive mental health and educate potential golfers about the physical and psychological benefits of exercising as a coping strategy for dealing with every-day stresses.’

Golf can be a frustrating game, it may feel like it’s not going your way on the fairway for whatever reason, but when you hit that perfect shot (whether you meant it or not) the feeling of that moment makes you realise that things aren’t too bad and there is always room to improve and get better.

Getting away from the daily stresses of life is vitally important to sustaining a healthier mind and finding a way to take yourself outside and relax is what this campaign is all about. Golf can massively improve a person’s wellbeing and studies have shown it can help combat anxiety and depression.

All this effort has been built on the work conducted by the Golf and Health Project who have been studying and publishing research since 2016 discussing the health and wellbeing benefits of golf. These studies have found playing golf can boost self-esteem and confidence, as well as generating opportunities for people to develop greater interpersonal skills, emotional control and enhance social connections.

In the past golf was known to be a sport for the upper classes of society, however, the game has changed and evolved over time to become more inclusive than ever before. The games handicap system helps competition between players be more evenly matched, meaning golf can be played by people of all ages and abilities and we at Carryway believe strongly in promoting equality within the game.

In May 2019, Carryway supported The Simpson Cup at The Home of Golf St. Andrews Links. For this competition, the teams are comprised of injured ex-service personnel from the UK and USA. These ex-service personnel have a range of injuries but have been supported by The On Course Foundation and have discovered golf to be an important factor in their rehabilitation process.

The On Course Foundation has been helping veterans suffering from mental and physical injuries to explore how golf can help them on their road to recovery and how the industry can provide employment as well as enjoyment.

Golf is a game that can bring positive change to many people’s lives, evident by some of the campaigns and foundations mentioned above. Explore more by searching the hashtags #GolfHealthWeek and #SwitchOffWithGolf to follow what work is being done to not only promote the game but help people along the way too. Mention these campaigns to your golf club and begin to create a conversation surrounding the huge benefits golf can have on peoples mental and physical health.

Follow the links below to find out more information on the topic covered:

• R&A: Golf and Health Week Launched
• R&A: Disability Golf
• Golf and Health
• Golf England – Switch Off With Golf
• The Solheim Cup 2019
• The On Course Foundation