Playing Golf - A Matter of Life and Death?

Is golf good for your health? Many people agree that there are physical as well as mental benefits to playing the sport that is said to last a lifetime but can the sport also be a life saver?

In a recent tweet, Annika Sorenstam asked her followers this simple question, "Want to be healthy and live longer? Play golf."

Want to be healthy and live longer? Play #golf @GolfAndHealth

— Annika Sorenstam (@ANNIKA59) October 16, 2016

Normally, I might retweet this statement and move on to the always updating thread of my Twitter feed, @Golf4Beginners (...follow me) but Annika got me to thinking about the whole "mind-body" relationship of golf and whether or not the sport can truly help players to live a longer, healthier life.

I visited the site she linked to, GolfandHealth.org, to review an infographic on the benefits of golf which included:

1. Live Longer
2. Healthy Mind
3. Healthy Body along with wellness benefits
4. Reduced Risks of Chronic Conditions

Still, I was not totally convinced - I even typed this query into Google: "Do you live longer playing golf?" When I did, the results were an overwhelming, "YES!"

Researchers located at the purported home of golf, namely, Scotland, conclusively stated that golfers live five years longer, that the sport improves mental health, helps to prevent chronic diseases and can burn up to five hundred calories.

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Although "injuries and illnesses associated with golf have been identified", lead researcher, Dr. Andrew Murray states in the British Journal of Sports Medicine,  "golf's contribution to muscular strengthening, balance and falls prevention" as well as the ability to offer "moderate intensity aerobic activity" with an improvement in "self-efficacy, self-worth... improved confidence, interpersonal skills and emotional control", all lead to the conclusion that golfers can have an increased life expectancy.

So, the next time your spouse says you have something more important to do than to go out with your Sunday foursome, just say, you have to go; it's a matter of life and death!

Do you agree that playing golf can add years to your life? Comments welcomed in the section below of this golf blog and on our Twitter page, @Golf4Beginners.


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Tiger Woods Sorry - Playing It Safe After #Golf Tournament Withdrawal

The original title to this golf blog was intended to be something like "Two Huge Draws to Boost Napa Safeway Golf Tournament...Tiger Woods and...?" Unfortunately, days after Tiger Woods had committed to playing golf at the Safeway Tournament in Napa this week, he withdrew.

According to Woods,

"After a lot of soul searching and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA TOUR or compete in Turkey. My health is good, and I feel strong, but my game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be."

A practice session proved to Tiger that he was not yet ready for the big league but why wait until only three days before the tournament? Woods said he "wasn't ready to compete against the best golfers in the world." He also apologized and said that his game was close but obviously not good enough.

Ticket sales were said to have been boosted by a minimum of thirty to forty percent and visibility on TV, radio and social networks would have been increased by more than any event in recent memory, not to mention advertisers who booked time (probably attached to a healthy sum) based upon Woods' okay.

Wonder what all of those folks are thinking who specifically bought tickets to see the return of the former number-one golfer in the world play alongside of Phil Mickelson? I guess they will have to watch the golf game for the pure enjoyment of the sport.

According to Golf Digest, The PGA Tour was so excited at the prospect of a Woods-Mickelson pairing that it released the information as soon as confirmed; usually, this information is not available until the Tuesday before the Tournament! The Safeway Open website was said to have a banner which read, "See Tiger, Daily Tickets Only $30. 'Now the banner says, See Phil, Daily Tickets only $30." There were reports of fans requesting refunds.

Think about it... what could be more exciting than a return to the greens by one of the greatest golfers of all time, being paired with a current top-ranked player whose back-and-forth duels have been likened to some of the best sports moments in history?

Mentioned on ESPN.com, "in 1,139 rounds in his PGA Tour career as a pro, Woods has been paired with Mickelson just thirty-two times -- or less than three percent of their rounds."

I am sure that many golf fans can remember a few of the more exciting Mickelson-Woods moments; my favorite is the 2005 "Duel at Doral" where Phil played his best but where Tiger Woods rallied at sunset to regain the world number one ranking. Sorry folks, not this time.

Mickelson is raring to go with Woods; Phil and Tiger spent quite a bit of time together during the Ryder Cup and mentioned in an interview last month, "that would be really fun. I would love it."

I guess Tiger Woods fans will have to wait until his foundation's "Hero World Challenge" to get a peek at the game gone south of our former hero.

What do the fans think of Tiger's comeback flip-flop right before the Safeway Tournament?

Tweet using our handle @Golf4Beginners and feel free to post below in the comments section of this golf blog.

photo: SafewayOpen.com.

What Did YOU Learn from Watching The Ryder Cup? #golf

Every golf tournament can be considered a learning experience by players and fans; the Ryder Cup is no exception. Some writers looked into the seriousness of the individual golfers and teamwork displayed while others wrote about the validation of the USA "family".

It was said many times during the Ryder Cup that this tournament is like no other event in golf; the seriousness is there but the cheering and jeering elicits so many different responses in the players that they must seek out their zen place in order to close out distractions. In a recent article by Golf Digest, it was suggested that players do not try to block out pressure but, instead, embrace and channel it.

"You probably aren't playing in front of a 50,000-person gallery, but everybody will get to a shot that gets the butterflies going," related top PGA Teacher Randy Smith.

 "The trick is to practice drifting into the past, to access the good shots you've hit on that hole or in a similar situation. When you do that, you're reminding yourself that the situation isn't completely foreign. The nerves are there, but they're part of the experience."

The Golf for Beginners mantra is that we are always learning...and sharing our thoughts with golfers of all levels so, here are a few observations as to how to use Ryder Cup model to your advantage during a friendly competition with your mates.

1. Managing Emotions: As discussed above, emotions do play a role on the golf course but the key is how to use those feelings to your advantage.

Preventing a meltdown is easier said than done when you slice your ball so badly that it splashes into the green-side pond or when you have a few shekels on the line and miss that three-footer to go down by three in the match. Dr. Deborah Graham suggests using Dave Stockton's "2 Second Rule" as a quick fix to a possible emotional disaster.

Basically, give yourself two seconds to react to a bad shot - release frustration and then change your thoughts to something you can control and move on to the next shot.

2. Try a Different Format: Match Play format is sometimes the better format when going out and playing with friends. You can have a blowup hole without losing the match as in stroke play; the game also moves along faster because of gimmee putts and takes less time for when you need to finish in under five plus hours (ah, the publinks experience!)

3. Try Playing as Teams: The team experience can be very rewarding, creating a sense of cameraderie during the round.

About the idea of playing with a team, Karen Stupples mentioned that solo golf can be very "selfish" and said with regards to her experience in the Solheim Cup, "You have to be aware of what everybody else needs as well and you may have to make some sacrifices. You will definitely feel more pressure in this type of format because you don't want to let your team down."

I personally like the option of playing best ball and believe that the joint strategy offers less pressure because the team is shouldering some of the weight. Ham and egging it has its advantages!

What did you learn from watching the Ryder Cup matches?

Now that the Ryder Cup is officially in the books, we congratulate both teams for their incredible winning spirit. Next up in the way of team sports is the Solheim Cup slated for mid-August of 2017 and then the President's Cup at the end of September, 2017.

Are you a fan of team sports? What can you offer about your experiences playing with a team? Tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and feel free to comment in our golf blog below.