Six Mental Health Benefits of Playing Golf

Six Mental Health Benefits You Get from Playing Golf

Looking to take up a new hobby? Perhaps you’re seeking a little justification to spend more time on the golf course? Regardless, it’s hard to deny the numerous health and wellness benefits you stand to gain from playing golf — whether it be recreationally, professionally, or somewhere in between.

Aside from the physical health benefits of spending time outdoors and partaking in a relatively low-impact cardiovascular activity, golfing also offers several potential benefits for your mental health. So, the next time you could use a little pick-me-up, it might be time to pick up your clubs and hit up your local course.

6 Mental Health Benefits You Get From Playing Golf

Although the physical health advantages of getting out and playing a round of golf may be more obvious, there is still no shortage of mental health benefits players can enjoy when they spend more time on the course. From a greater sense of excitement in life to reduced feelings of stress and anxiety, the bottom line is that golf isn’t just fun; it can be downright good for you.

1. Golf Offers Excitement of Playing a Fun Game

When was the last time you felt sincerely excited about a new hobby? Taking up a sport like golf can help you gain that renewed zest for life, giving you something to look forward to and focus on. For those facing challenges or obstacles in other areas of their lives, golf can offer a much-needed distraction that can make difficulties easier to overcome.

At the same time, a physical hobby like golf can be highly effective in keeping the mind active while introducing a healthy amount of challenge to your everyday life. By immersing yourself in the game, focusing on your technique, and delving deeper into different aspects of the sport, you can enjoy the genuine excitement and newness of learning a new skill.

Even if you never compete or don’t take your game too seriously, ample research has shown that the very act of getting out and trying something new can be beneficial to your mental health and overall wellness.

2. Golf Improves Life Skills

One PGA of America journalist, Monte Koch, recounts the many life skills he learned playing golf as a young man, maintaining that golf teaches responsibility, acceptance, maturity, and patience. And that’s just a small sampling of the numerous practical skills players can stand to gain from the sport.

Consider, for example, the strategic thinking and problem-solving that goes into choosing the right golf club or executing a precise chip shot. These are the kinds of skills that can be applied in plenty of situations beyond the golf course to a person’s professional and even personal life.

Likewise, golfers experience setbacks in their game all the time. From dealing with a difficult hole to sinking a shot into the water, golfers must learn to be both patient and resilient in order to improve their game. These skills can take players far, not just on the course but also in other areas of life.

3. Golf Reduces Stress

If you’re looking for a healthy way to cope with and even reduce stress in your life, golf might be able to help. By its very nature, golfing requires you to get outdoors in the fresh air. That alone has been found to be beneficial for stress mitigation.

Meanwhile, the level of focus and concentration required to line up the perfect putt with your golf club can help you achieve a sense of mindfulness that relieves stress and helps you feel more present in the moment. Many golfers also find the act of swinging and hitting a golf ball with a driver can be therapeutic, providing a safe outlet for releasing pent-up frustrations while reducing stress overall.

Of course, there’s the simple fact that going out for a round of golf allows you to disconnect from and forget about the stressors of everyday life.

4. Golf Decreases Depression

While certainly not a direct substitute for mental health treatment, physical activity (such as golf) can support relief for those who may be struggling with mild-moderate depression, according to Golf & Health.

How is this possible? First and foremost, golfing involves spending time outside in nature while engaging in mild physical activity (e.g., walking and swinging a golf club). These activities have been found to trigger the release of endorphins, or natural brain chemicals that can relieve feelings of depression and discomfort.

Additionally, the strategy required to play a successful round of golf can provide players with the brain stimulation needed to divert attention away from upsetting thoughts, offering cognitive benefits that can reduce depression symptoms. Combine all of this with the fact that improving your golf game can elevate your own sense of self-confidence, and it’s evident how this sport can be used to support depression treatment.

5. Golf Lowers Anxiety

It’s not uncommon for anxiety and depression to go hand in hand. Like depression, anxiety is a condition that should always be treated by an experienced and knowledgeable mental health professional. However, for those already undergoing treatment for anxiety, taking up a sport like golf could help to support that treatment.

For one, consider the tranquil and peaceful setting of many golf courses. When you play a round of golf, you can also enjoy time in a serene setting — where you may be surrounded by beautiful landscapes, calming waters, and greenery that can reduce feelings of anxiety and even slow down your heart rate.

Plus, because low-intensity aerobic activity can lower cortisol (stress) levels, golf can be remarkably effective in reducing anxious feelings and helping you relax.

6. Golf Encourages Social Interaction

One of the most unique aspects of golf as a sport is that, while it is not technically a team sport, players can partake in the game while engaging and socializing with others. Although many golfers will enjoy a quiet round of golf by themselves on occasion, many find that the game offers them an excellent opportunity to get out in the world, spend time with friends, and even meet new people.

Playing golf in a group setting, participants can enjoy a sense of community while building meaningful relationships with others. This can be especially helpful from a mental health perspective among players who are seeking camaraderie or battling feelings of loneliness or isolation. After all, time and time again, research has found a definitive link between social connectedness and overall health.

Learn to Play Golf

Playing golf can be an excellent way to get some physical exercise while enjoying mental health benefits such as stress reduction, decreased anxiety, and improved social interaction. The best news? You don’t need to be a professional golfer or spend hours on the course every day to reap these mental health benefits — even taking on golf as a recreational hobby can offer up the excitement of learning a game while improving your life skills and giving you something new to look forward to.

Whether you’re interested in learning how to play golf for the first time or are ready to take your existing passion for golf to the next level, a golf degree program from Keiser University College of Golf could help you expand your horizons and learn valuable skills.

Specifically, we offer the following golf programs:

Get in touch to learn more about any of our programs offered, or take your shot by completing an online application for admission today.