15 Reasons Why Kids Benefit From Golf -

There are dozens of great reasons why you should have your kids golf. Amongst the best are the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and constant life lessons that golf teaches us.

There are clearly more benefits to playing golf than stated above, in this article are listed the top 15 reasons why kids benefit from golf.

1. golf’s PHYSICAL BEnEFITS

Golf is a great, low-impact aerobic activity. Carrying or pulling a golf bag also helps build strength and endurance.

Golfing regularly will also help keep stubborn body fat off, children and adults alike! Walking can burn up to 500 calories per hour, while riding a cart can burn up to 300 calories per hour!

Golf is great for hand-eye coordination, especially shots off of uneven lies, trying to slide the club underneath the ball in a bunker, trying to clip the ball for a chip with spin, etc.

Golfing along with kids playing multiple sports will greatly help their coordination, mobility, and strength.

2. Golf’s Mental Health Benefits

According to this European study, Golf has been proven to reduce stress as a result of physical activity and due to being outdoors in (hopefully) bright, sunny weather.

This same study also shows golf reduces anxiety and depression and golfers have an increase in life expectancy of about 5 years. This is all due to the moderate exercise we call golf.

Golf also increases our resiliency and personal growth by struggling to improve on the golf course through practice and golfing. This will help build mental strength and internal happiness as we face challenges head-on.

Humans are social beings. We thrive being around others.

Golfing at a young age helps our social skills by meeting new people and making new friends from all walks of life.

Learning how to interact with people of all generations helps out social skills of children. Some of my favorite memories of my grandfather were of golfing with him and I’m hoping my kids can say the same with my father.

If you are looking for some families to possibly golf with, check out my article for tips on how to make golf friends.

4. Golf helps teach important life lessons

Golf teaches humility, work ethic, and how to deal with adversity when things aren’t going your way.

Golf is a great teacher for everything in life. Life is never easy, and it is when things are the hardest is when we reveal our true character. Golf is full of bad breaks and bounces, and our true character is revealed in how we react to these moments.

Golf is a great way to instill that we must always maintain a good attitude and continue to try our hardest no matter what the scorecard says.

Golf also teaches the responsibility of being able to take care of their golf clubs and balls and keeping track of their own score.

5. Golf Helps boost self-confidence

Golf can help with various aspects of self-confidence. As your kids skill level increases, they will become more confident in pulling off shots they could not do the year before.

Check out this article for tips on how to get your kids into golf and keep them happy with the game as their skills progress.

A few examples are from gaining confidence by steadily improving our game and improving social skills by meeting new people.

6. Golf helps teach morals and values

There are few better ways to teach morals and values to kids than the life lessons golf provides.

A ball behind a tree? It would be easy enough to kick it out from behind the tree, but golf should instill life lessons in every moment.

Life has its ups and downs and can seem unfair at times with unlucky breaks. Golf should teach kids to take these challenges head-on. Instead of moping around about the bad break or cheating to improve your lie, punch the ball out to the middle of the fairway and try to get up and down for par.

7. Helps kids to control emotions

Golf is the most humbling sport in the world. One second you are on track for a personal best and next thing you know you just tripled the previous hole and now 3 putted from 8 feet.

It’s very important to teach kids to control their emotions so they don’t turn into the golfer throwing their clubs down the fairway or constantly cussing. All of these negative emotions and reactions not only look bad but actually makes your golf game worse.

Help your kids learn to relax when emotions start to rise. Whether it’s full concentration on the next shot or relaxing your mind and body, we need to convert that negative emotional energy into something positive.

8. Golf is Fun!

Is there any better feeling than shooting your personal best on a bright sunny day alongside 3 of your friends or family members?

Young kids are now growing up with technology trying to keep them indoors and communicating with friends through social media or video games.

Playing golf will help them get outdoors and have some fun with some friendly competition and help strengthen friendships along the way.

9. Be outdoors and learn to appreciate nature

Being outside on an open golf course is relaxing and therapeutic at times. It makes sense as our ancestors thousands of years back had to be outdoors for the majority of their life, so it only makes sense that being outdoors has various health benefits.

Being outdoors helps reduce our stress, cortisol levels, and heart rate – which are all factors for cardiovascular disease.

Being outside in nature helps mentally by lowering the risk of depression. Studies have also shown that being outdoors can help strengthen our mental capacities.

10. Golf teaches patience

Golf is a great test of patience for kids and adults alike.

Whether it’s a slow playing partner that has an incredibly long pre shot routine or an incredibly slow foursome in front of you- golf always has it’s moments where it can test you.

Being patient is a great skill to have for all aspects of life and golf can help strengthen it.

11. Low risk of injury compared to other sports

Golf is a low-impact sport and is as safe a sport as there is. There is always a chance for “golfer’s elbow”, caused by strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons in the forearm.

Using proper form swinging the club and carrying the bag properly will minimize your risk of any golf related injuries. Having a regular strength training or resistance exercise program will greatly help reduce the risk of injury and will help increase clubhead speed helping you hit the ball farther.

I have golfed alongside my brother, cousins, and friends for 25+ years and can say there hasn’t been one golf injury among us.

12. Great family bonding time

Between work and other events life throws your way, it feels like you never get to spend any quality time with your kids.

What better way to fix that than to get to spend time outdoors enjoying a hobby you love! Golf is a great way to get closer to your kids and help teach them important life skills through a hobby you can enjoy with them for the rest of your life.

I am blessed that I golfed (and still do!) with my brother and parents and want to continue that tradition onwards with my wife and kids.

Even if you have toddlers or babies, you can bring them to the course along with the older ones! Check out my articles on ways to golf with a baby stroller and ways to keep toddlers and babys entertained on the course.

13. golf presents Future opportunities

There are numerous ways golf can help you advance in life.

Having your kids be a well liked “local” by the owners or general manager of your favorite course could always give them a foot in the door as part time help during their teenage years.

If your kids practice and train hard enough, they may have a shot at saving some money and getting a golf scholarship.

There is a reason businessman golf and meet clients on the course.

Golf brings out the true character in people, good and bad. People can see this and will naturally like you if you have a good personality and can keep your cool under stressful situations.

14. Golf can help Grades in School

Golf is known to help increase mental, physical, and social health.

How does this relate to kids getting good grades? The healthier kids are, the more confidence they will have in all aspects of life, including schoolwork.

Golf is also a great stressor and puts you in uncomfortable situations at time. Struggles in life create personal growth and allow the human mind and body to strengthen and grow.

15. Golf teaches discipline and following rules

Having to follow a set of rules can be beneficial for children, now and down the road.

Obviously, the rules do not need to be followed strictly dependent on the age of the kid, but having a guideline of what kids need to do on the course is critical for everyone’s enjoyment.

Kids will also learn golf etiquette such as not talking or moving while someone else is trying to hit, not to step in someone’s line, etc.

Golf is a great game to teach personal responsibility as well in making sure kids take care of their equipment and are ready to leave for the course at a certain time.

Final Thoughts:

These were the 15 most beneficial reasons I could think of on reasons why kids should golf.

I’ve been swinging a club since I’ve been 2 as well as slowly easing my own kids into golf. It’s exciting to use the tips and tricks my parents used on me to get me hooked on golf as well as using a few of my own ideas.

Just remember to always have fun and never push it on the kids. It’s about their enjoyment, not yours. So have fun and enjoy golfing with the people you love!