Golf can help improve your relationships, boost your career trajectory and more
Whether you got into golf as a kid or you picked up your first club as adult, there was something that drew you to the game. Golf appeals to both women and men because it’s fun, it’s challenging and it keeps you active. But can it have other benefits as well?
Golf may be good for your relationships
Though being part of a marriage or long-term relationship can be incredibly fulfilling, I don’t have to tell you that it’s not always easy. Between dealing with kids, money and other everyday stresses, it can be challenging to find time to have fun with your partner. Research from the University of Denver, however, shows that it’s an important part of any relationship.
“The correlation between fun and marital happiness is high, and significant,” Howard Markman, one of the study’s authors, told USA Today. Fortunately, playing golf with your partner is one great way to start having more fun with them.
It’s important for couples to feel like they share things outside of their responsibilities. If that thing happens to be golf, that’s great. But if your partner doesn’t golf, there’s still a silver lining. Many strong couples acknowledge that having separate interests can ultimately enhance a relationship. As important as it is to have fun with your partner, it’s also important to have time for yourself. Playing a round can be a great opportunity to clear your head after a stressful week of dealing with work and family.
Plus, is there anything that teaches patience better than the game of golf. Just like being in a relationship, golf often challenges you and sometimes drives you crazy, but ultimately you love it.
Golf can benefit your career
Growing up, I remember seeing my dad head to the course to play golf with his colleagues, and it was the potential career benefits that initially sparked my interest in the sport. Golf can be a great way to connect with your co-workers and your clients – plus it’s an excellent reason to get out of the office on a Friday morning.
Playing golf isn’t as integral to moving up the career ladder as it once was, but it can still help you connect with your peers and particularly your boss. Though women have made lots of strides in the workforce, there are still more men than women in upper management positions, and women in high-level positions often have to work harder to get there.
Being able to hit the links with your company’s bigwigs may help you break through the glass ceiling. For better or worse, golf gives women an opportunity to prove their abilities to their male colleagues and earn their respect.
In addition, golf is great for building mental toughness which is a tool that comes in handy as you’re trying to reach new heights with your career … particularly as a woman.
Golf can enhance your overall wellness
Having spent much of my life on the Gulf Coast of Florida, it’s safe to say that most of the women I encounter on the course are a bit older, and that’s one of the things that makes golf so special. Compared to other popular sports, almost anyone can play it.
Not only does it keep you active, but golf actually burns more calories than you might think. A study from the Rose Center for Health and Sports Science showed that, even when using a cart, the average golfer burns up to 400 calories per nine holes. Not to mention, golf is a lot more fun than an elliptical.
Researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet found that regular golfers live, on average, about five years longer than people of the same age, sex and socioeconomic status who don’t golf. The sport, which requires lots of focus and problem solving, can be good for your mental health as well.
--
The 18Birdies mobile golf app provides easy to use scoring, stats keeping, side bets, social feed, tournament organizing and a GPS all free at cost. Let’s make things interesting!
The 18Birdies app is now available for iPhone and Android devices. Click here for your free download. For more information, check out all the latest news at 18Birdies.com/marshal.
