Golf is one of the oldest sports in the world. It officially began in 15th century Scotland, and there are roughly 60 million golfers around the world today. Reasons for this sport’s admiration are numerous but they can be narrowed down to a few key points.
Golf is a great way to get out and feel the sunshine. The human body craves vitamin D for a variety of reasons such as bone strength, immunity boosts, and overall cell growth. Golf is a great way to combine the recommended 30 minutes per day with a fun activity.
Speaking of fun, golf is a very social sport. Whether you are taking your whole family out for a full day of wholesome fun or making new friends on the course, it’s a great time to let your guard down and relax. Even if you are planning on doing business instead of being in vacation-mode, many successful deals have been agreed upon during a friendly game of golf between associates. While it is technically a competitive sport, it is also a fun, cooperative sport that encourages friendly rivalry.
As far as setting your own goals, golf is a great way to compete against the one person who really matters – yourself. It’s a challenging sport that allows you to strive for personal excellence. Success breeds success, and there’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a personal goal.
Exercise is another reason to explore the world of golf. On average, golfers walk 10,000 steps during an 18-hole course. This meets the recommended amount of exercise recommended by the CDC minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Just by playing a round of golf, a person could conceivably burn 3,500 calories, enough to lose an extra pound each week.
Golf also builds character because it is largely unsupervised. Many rules of golf are respected solely on the honor system. There is an unspoken trust among players that rules will be abided by. To play the ball where it lies is perhaps the most important code of conduct.
Another life lesson that golf teaches people is the importance of staying humble. No matter how well a game is played against someone, it’s also known how easily a loss is a bad stroke away. Success should always be met with gratitude and humility.
This blog was originally published on Nordo Nissi’s website.