Studies Suggest Golfing Offers Significant Health Benefits

Based in Merced, California, Greg Opinski is a construction management professional and the president of OP Development, where he oversees project superintendents and assesses the qualifications of all subcontractors. Aside from his professional responsibilities, Greg Opinski enjoys hobbies including flying planes and golfing. Golf provides a range of scientifically proven health benefits, some of which are discussed below.

According to research conducted at Harvard Medical School, male golfers from the ages of 48 to 64 who played two or three times each week over a period of 20 weeks experienced enhanced aerobic capacity, decreased abdominal fat, increased muscle mass, improved cholesterol levels, and accelerated weight loss. Studies completed by the Norwegian Golf Federation (NGF) also indicate that golf promotes weight loss and determined that during an 18-hole round, a male golfer burns approximately 2,500 calories, whereas a female burns about 1,500 calories. 

A study conducted by the International Council on Active Aging demonstrated that golfers had an average increase in life expectancy of approximately five years. In this study, the mortality rates of Swedish Golf Federation members were compared with national mortality rates and indicated a 40 percent reduced mortality rate among golfers compared to non-golfers.