Recent studies have lifted the spirits of golfers around the world claiming the game is even better for our health than first thought. Next time you walk off the 18th with a triple bogey, take solace in the fact that you will statistically live a longer life! The research comes out of Karolinska Institute, a Swedish medical university based in the capital Stockholm. While we already know many of the benefits that golf provides, there was little statistical data available to prove that golfers live longer. The report was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports and sampled 300,000 golfers, finding the death rate among them was on average 40% less than the rest of the population, equating to an additional five years of life expectancy! The man behind the study, Professor Anders Ahlbom said, “A round of golf means being outside for four or five hours, walking at a fast pace for six to seven kilometres, something which is known to be good for the health. “People play golf into old age, and there are also positive social and psychological aspects to the game that can be of help.” Professor Ahlbom also noted that golfers with lower handicaps tended to have the lowest death rate. “Maintaining a low handicap involves playing a lot, so this supports the idea that it is largely the game itself that is good for the health,” he said. Despite this, there can be no doubting the fact that golf is great for your health whether you&aposre a one handicapper, a 20 handicapper or someone who has just picked up a set of clubs for the first time. This statistical evidence now backs up what we all thought was true – and it gives people all over the world one of the best justifications for taking off for a golf weekend!
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