Is Golf Still Safe Amid COVID-19? It May Be Better For You Than You Realize And Here’s Why…
With it seeming like there may be another resurgence of the current pandemic in our country causing us to have to spend even more time without many of our favorite activities, now is the time to double down on the ones that you can still enjoy!
One of which is golf!
However, with so much information coming out every day and things changing very quickly, we wanted to give golfers and non-golfers alike the complete overview of how golf fits into all of this and the (in some cases surprising) benefits that it has during these unprecedented times.
The Facts
First off weâll start with the objective facts based on the recommendations and statements of the CDC and the analysis of medical doctors in regards to what activities are safe and why.
Based on a graph put together by the Texas Medical Association, they have categorized common activities and recommended activities by risk level.
As you can see on this list, golf has been given a ranking of just 3 out of 10 making it just a little riskier than going camping or pumping gasoline which, compared to most other activities, is really low.
In fact, based on this list, golf is one of the lowest risk sports that you can play, preceded only by tennis.
And the reason why is because of the size of the golf course and standard distance that you keep from other golfers, as well as the virus not being able to survive as well outdoors.
Itâs almost like golf was built to be the perfect sport for social distancing!
And on top of that, based on the statements of doctors, professors, and scientists, including Virginia Tech’s Engineering Professor and Aerosol Scientist, Linsey Marr, we can better understand why golf is still one of the recommended activities.
According to the current understanding of the virus, it doesnât thrive outdoors and it doesnât for 2 reasons…
First of all, sun exposure helps to kill the virus more quickly, so being outdoors, especially during the summer months causes it, if it is present, to die more quickly.
Second, the wind and open air of the outdoors causes the virus to become âdilutedâ in the air and as, as long as you maintain safe social distancing, makes your risk “very low.”
These two things come together make one of the best environments to reduce the spread of the virus!
And when proper sanitization methods are followed, it lowers your risk even more.
Physical Benefits
Next we have the physical benefits beyond it just being relatively low risk.
In addition, golf is also a great form of exercise amid the recent shutdowns with so many gyms and other fitness facilities no longer being accessible.
When you are golfing, you walk an average of 3 – 6 miles when you play a round of 18 holes and burn upwards of 1,300 calories or more of you carry your clubs!
A bit less than that if you use a pushcart, but either way, walking the course is an incredible way to get great exercise and have a great time.
Not only that but you’re outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and boosting your immune system with the vitamin D from those awesome sun rays!
Mental Benefits
Lastly, golf has a great impact on your mental health which is even more important amid the current circumstances.
There have been numerous studies that have shown that golfing helps to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as many other mental health benefits.
In fact, golf is even a recommended sport in some treatment plans for those struggling with anxiety or depression.
And now, as a result of the current outbreak and the shelter in place orders all around the country, everyone has been responding differently to changes.
In many cases, people have been dealing with anxious or negative thoughts that have been having an effect on their mental health, whether they realize it or not.
This uptick in stressful stimuli makes golf even more important due to the benefits it can have both physically and mentally, making coping with and adapting to the changes easier.
Overall, amid everything that is going on we are glad to still be able to safely offer golf to residents of the Sacramento Region and beyond.
If you would like to get out of the house and enjoy some time outdoors, just go here to book your tee time today!
We look forward to seeing you at the course!
Sources
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200518/more-vitamin-d-lower-risk-of-severe-covid-19
https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/covid-19
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html
https://golf.com/travel/catching-coronavirus-outdoors-golfers-should-know/
https://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/covid-19-safety-on-the-golf-course
