Golf requires you to spend a lot of time outdoors, in fresh air amidst nature, with plenty of walking, all of which benefit your health in various ways. Some of the benefits are detailed below:
1] Lower risk of chronic diseases:
Fresh air can help lower risks of chronic health diseases, including obesity, blood pressure and heart rate.
2] Improves intake of Vitamin D
Spending time in direct morning sunlight helps you get enough vitamin D, which, in turn, improves your immune system. It will be good to wear sunscreen, as you'd be surprised at how much sun exposure, you're getting from a round of golf.
3] Amidst nature
Almost all golf courses in South Africa are picturesque locations; you'll also benefit from experiencing nature. Killarney Golf Club in Johannesburg has several tall trees as you walk the course. Being close to nature helps lower anxiety and improves concentration. If you are with family, Killarney Country Club has something for them to enjoy. The country club houses a squash court, gymnasium, tennis academy, bowling greens, restaurants, etc.
4] Improves concentration and brain activity:
Golf is a sport where you must think a lot to envision where and how far you must strike. This creativity helps improve your focus, accuracy and thinking ability. Hand-eye coordination is essential in golf, as is knowing where your ball landed. Golfing is a reasonably active pastime; getting your circulation going means pumping more blood to your brain.
5] Improves social life
When you go to a golf course frequently, you are sure to talk with other golfers who are playing on the same slot as you are. Even otherwise, you can make new friends with like-minded golfers as you participate in daily games or tournaments. Complimenting each other on great shots will build a rapport and help you get closer to one another. Connecting with a golf club like the Observatory Golf Club or any other, you can make friends with other members, thus promoting acquaintance. It is an excellent chance to build individual and business relationships. Your families will have company while you are golfing. They can participate in club-sponsored activities and enjoy food at the dining hall. Observatory Golf Club started more than a century ago, in the year 1914 and is among the best in the Central Gauteng region.
6] Pro shops let out equipment on hire:
Every golf club has a pro shop where you can get golf clubs in every size, shape and colour. Watching you play, your kids or friends might want to learn so they can hire the required clubs and benefit from golfing and bonding. If you are new, you can hire the equipment and start playing, slowly buying and collecting the needed golfing gear.
7] Friendly competition:
When you make friends with a golfer, one of the first things they'll ask is your handicap. What starts as curiosity could turn into a sense of challenge to out beat each other sportively. You can have friendly games with them, stimulating you to compete and improve your skills.
Unlike other sports, most of which are team games, you can enjoy by yourself if you want to. When you play alone, there's no need to have a scorecard or even count the number of shots you take. You can attempt every hole at your own pace while playing alone.
8] Good exercise:
Golf courses are approximately 4 miles and if you walk the entire distance, you spend a lot of time on your feet to reach your daily step targets. While playing the strokes, you do a lot of muscle movement, strengthening your shoulders and other muscles.
9] Good for your heart and improves mental health.
Golf exercises your heart and keeps your heart rate up. This, in turn, lowers risks for heart disease and other cardiovascular issues and lowers bad cholesterol. Many people find a game of golf to be a stressbuster. Teeing off in a bad mood will direct your tension and stress into something productive. Plus, exercise helps your body release endorphins, improving your mood and reducing pain and depressive feelings.
10] Sleep better
The combination of exercise, fresh air and natural light all help you get an adequate night's sleep after a round of golf. The game requires a lot of workouts with low-impact activity at the time and many golfers claim they have better sleep quality, which, in turn, helps them focus better the next day and will eventually lower their handicap.
11] Burns calories and helps with weight loss:
Golf is not a high-energy sport, yet it can help lose weight. The 18-hole course walk, swings and putting all together add up and help you lose calories. However, if you use a buggy while moving around the course, the impact of walking will be much less and may affect your burning calories.
12] Not as risky as other sports:
Injuries can happen even if you are not into any physical activities. However, some games like hockey, cricket, football and many other team sports have players in physical contact with each other and are prone. Golf is certainly a low-risk sport. As a 'low hit' form of movement, golf seldom exposes you to serious injury risks. You may have the risks of muscle pulls or slipping, but perfecting your form and being cautious when bringing your kit should protect you from golfing injuries.
Conclusion:
Most business people play golf to get away from the stress and strain of the daily routine. There are possibilities of you meeting someone like-minded person that could help you improve your career/ business. You can use golf to improve your business relationships in a few ways. First, you can take business colleagues or bosses out for a round, enjoy each other's company and have a neutral location where it's easy to talk about anything. It can also help you make new business relationships. As you're making new friends on the course, you may find other businessmen in similar industries that you can work with.
