Health club

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEC DOHERTY

If the past few years have taught us anything, it is how important fresh air, exercise and social activities are for our wellbeing. Anyone for a round of golf?

Words by Alex Moore

Over the past two years the amateur golf scene has blossomed. Over the past two years the amateur golf scene has blossomed. While some sports took a hard hit during the pandemic, life While some sports took a hard hit during the pandemic, life on the links up and down the country pretty much sailed on on the links up and down the country pretty much sailed on regardless, after a mere seven-week hiatus. In fact, around regardless, after a mere seven-week hiatus. In fact, around Europe and the US, more rounds were played during lockdown Europe and the US, more rounds were played during lockdown than ever before.

Apparently, much of the increased footfall came from Apparently, much of the increased footfall came from non-golfers looking for an outlet and a way to ease the non-golfers looking for an outlet and a way to ease the malaise of the sort of constrained, screen-dominated life so malaise of the sort of constrained, screen-dominated life so many of us endured during that time. But now that we have many of us endured during that time. But now that we have emerged from that strange pandemic era, the lessons of the emerged from that strange pandemic era, the lessons of the benefits of golf are still being felt. New studies increasingly benefits of golf are still being felt. New studies increasingly show that the sport is not only good for our physical wellbeing, show that the sport is not only good for our physical wellbeing, but also for our mental health.

Dr Roger Hawkes is the executive director of the Golf and Dr Roger Hawkes is the executive director of the Golf and Health Project, an organisation leading research into the Health Project, an organisation leading research into the potential health benefits of golf. “Golfers will enjoy telling potential health benefits of golf. “Golfers will enjoy telling you that on average they live five years longer than nonyou that on average they live five years longer than nongolfers – it’s pretty well documented,” he says. “But my more golfers – it’s pretty well documented,” he says. “But my more cynical friends are often quick to reply, ‘What’s the point in cynical friends are often quick to reply, ‘What’s the point in living longer if you have to play golf?’”

The answer is: quality of life. Hawkes and his team have proved that golf is good for strength and balance, especially in the elderly, which means that those who play should be less likely to fall and injure themselves. What’s more, they’ve seen particularly profound results with dementia and Parkinson’s disease among golfers. “Policymakers and politicians are more interested in these kinds of facts,” he says. “It costs an awful lot of money for people to live longer if they have no quality of life.

“Meanwhile, we know that golf is a moderately intense physical activity for certain age groups, and we know that these activities reduce anxiety and can help with mild depression. There has been some really interesting work done on social interaction, which golf can claim to offer plenty of. If you look at older people and all of the risk factors for them dying over a five-year period – blood pressure, cholesterol, etc – the biggest risk was lack of social interaction.”

Golf is often described as the most mentally focused of games. As Dr Gio Valiante, one of the PGA Tour’s performance consultants, describes in his book Golf Flow, in order to play well, golfers must enter that elusive zone known as “flow state”, in which time slows down, awareness is heightened and focus is absolute. There is a meditative aspect to all of this, akin to the sort of mindfulness practice that is so often recommended by doctors and therapists advising patients on stress. No surprise, then, that golf brings such emotional as well as physical benefits.

So next time your other half harrumphs as you set off for an afternoon’s game and a couple of swift G&Ts at The Kennels, tell them it’s all on doctor’s orders. For more information on golf, visit www.goodwood.com/ golf. Please get in touch to arrange a juniors taster session. Special events this autumn include: Revival Golf, Friday September 16 – step back in time with hickory shafts and mashie niblicks on the Downs Course; Greenkeepers’ Revenge, Saturday October 15 – our greenkeepers set up the course in weird and wonderful ways; and Christmas Roll Up, Saturday December 17 – enter the festive spirit with this popular event.