There are several reasons to get out on the green and enjoy a game of golf – in addition to being therapeutic and relieving stress, golf also builds character and allows a 10-year-old to compete with an 80-year-old in a fair game. But that’s just the beginning.
1. It brings you close to nature.
Not only will you get to explore courses surrounded by huge pines and live oak trees in a golf cart, but this great game will take you along the ocean, as well as creeks and ponds, where alligators can often be found. A variety of birds also make appearances on golf courses all across the island throughout the day – you might even see a bald eagle.
2. It builds character and relationships.
As with any sport, golf builds character, but it does so in a unique way. Unlike soccer, football and other impact sports, golf requires you to wrestle with your conscience and not other players. It will reveal how disciplined you are when you hit a bad shot and require you to recall strategies to get out of bunkers.
It also allows players to leave the world behind and be together, undisturbed in a beautiful setting. Closeness, fun and memories will result. Those who play together stay together.
3. It’s good for your health.
On average, players burn 1,500 calories during an 18-hole round of golf. One course, which is typically 7,000 yards, equals about four miles, which is a good walk in anybody’s book. It’s not advisable that golf is the only exercise you partake in, as you’ll certainly need some anaerobic exercise such as running or swimming to get your heart rate up. But the good news is that as you play more golf and you want to improve, you’ll start taking your exercise away from the course more seriously. Breathing, stretching and visualization techniques learned will make each shot better, plus they also ward off Alzheimer’s, increase flexibility and lower your heart rate.
4. It’s for all skill levels and ages.
How many other sports can a 10-year-old tee it up against an 80-year-old or an 80-year-old compete with a young pro? Using the handicap and tee placement system both can have a great competitive round of golf!
5. It’s good for your career.
No more being excluded from the informal networks your colleagues are building on the course and then leveraging for career advancement. An estimated 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs play golf. According to Barron’s, one quarter of the 25 million golfers in the U.S. are top management executives. Wall Street Journal even reported a study that professional golfers live longer than the top executives because they have learned how to handle stress properly. Another benefit to professional golf is you get to play more golf as you live longer.
Written by former PGA touring pro Doug Weaver, who is the Director of Instruction at the Palmetto Dunes Golf Academy. He conducts “Where Does the Power Come From,” a hands-on interactive clinic and demonstration, every Monday at 4 p.m. You can reach him at (843) 785-1138 or (800) 827-3006.
