Turn on a television on any weekend during the summer, and you’re bound to find at least one channel that is broadcasting a golf tournament. It is the ubiquitous summer weekend daytime television programming, just as you’ll normally find soap operas and television judges on television during the week during the rest of the year.

But golf is not merely a sport for highly-paid professionals. Golf courses proliferate the American landscape, dotting the horizons like so many lush oases of relaxation and recreation. Plenty of Americans who have no business being within a hundred miles of a professional golf tournament spend some of their free time out on the links, taking out their frustration on a dimpled golf ball and feeling the stress-relieving effect that it has. Golf is an excellent way to relax and have a good time with friends, while also benefitting from the exercise that the game affords, and is a game that is accessible to people of all ages.

The game of golf has long been seen as the bastion of highly-paid white collar workers who make small talk at the first hole and conduct business deals on the back nine, but that impression is wholly off base. The abundance of municipal courses, where anyone with a set of clubs can play, no membership required, has fueled an interest in golf for the workaday Everyman. Whether someone is playing nine holes in the morning before work, or a full round on the weekend, golf beckons to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. It is even quite common for company retreats to be held at golf courses, co-workers driving golf balls and unwinding from the stress of the office.

Even though golf enjoys a massive popular appeal, the real benefits of playing golf on a regular basis, the benefits that can be quantified, come from the exercise value. In a round of golf, a golfer can be walking quite a ways all over the golf course. Even if the golfer hits the golf ball straight and true on every single fairway, he or she will still be walking at least a few miles. When you factor in that very few golfers, especially amateur ones, can hit the ball with that kind of accuracy, you can begin to understand just how much walking is involved in a game of golf. That’s the kind of exercise that you cannot get from just watching a tournament on television.

Another characteristic that makes golf such a great recreational sport is that people of any age can play golf. Although many of the world’s top golfers are under the age of forty, it is not at all uncommon to see octogenarians hitting the links on a weekly basis. Many professional golfers are known for their longevity, and additionally, many golf courses offer senior citizen discounts.

Golf is an excellent sport for people young and old to play, and it’s a great way to relieve stress and get a little exercise at the same time. At the end of the day, it’s the perfect recreational sport.

Author Bio: I write for TIR Massage Stone about hot stone massage and massage stone therapy including hot and cold applications.

Category: Sports
Keywords: golf,golf courses,recreational sport