Discover The Golfer In You - Youre Never Too Old

Many people do not start playing golf until they are getting older, often after playing sports that are more physical when younger. Unfortunately, it can get to the point where you still want to play competitive sport, but need to take it down a level of two. Golf is an ideal sport in this respect.

Average age of golfers is 42

Although increasing numbers of younger people are playing golf, the average age of golfers is still as high as forty-two, as there are still a large number of people who pick the game up later in life or even after retirement.

Social benefits

Apart from the physical benefits of outdoor exercise, golf can provide a healthy social life through golf club membership and playing with various groups of friends. Having time to converse with different people is considered just as important as physical exercise as you get older.

At your local golf club, you are also likely to find summer barbeques, dinner dances and fun evening functions that you can attend if you want to. And golf clubs are always on the look out for volunteers for both their golfing and social activities.

Highly technical sport

People often think they will not like golf before they have tried it, owing to the misconception that it is just a bunch of old blokes hitting a ball around a field, but there is much more to it than that. In fact, golf is a highly technical sport requiring great precision and mental toughness.

Golf is not a straightforward sport and every golf course is different. Every time the ball lands, you have a different lie and challenge, with lots of bumps and hollows across the course. You never play exactly the same shot twice and you have to weigh up all these challenging parameters and play to your own strengths and weaknesses.

This also applies when you get to the greens, which are cleverly designed, so that you have to think carefully about what you are doing. You may believe that you have done the hard work, but there is still a lot of skill and thought required to finish off the hole. For a start, you have to work out how the condition and shape of the green will affect the speed and direction of your ball and how hard to hit it.

Great exercise

Golf will help you to keep you in good physical condition. Each game takes about four hours and all that time you are walking, bending and playing your shots. It might not be as energetic as some other sports, but you are still on your feet and moving around. Try playing several times per week; you will be surprised how physical demanding it is.

Family sport

The golf course is also a great place to bond with your offspring. There are many families where every family member plays golf. It is a great opportunity for parents and grandparents to continue to play sport and have fun with their children.

There is definitely a feel good factor to playing sport and getting into golf can be a very sociable way of exercising and staying competitive.