Working Harder Than You Think?
Golf gets its name as the Game of a Lifetime for a reason: this single sport manages to bring together social interaction, athleticism and exercise all in one 4-5 hour time period. So not only are you spending time with your buddies, but you are fine-tuning an athletic skill set as well as fitting in a great work out all at the same time! 
You are probably aware that there are many benefits to golf but for now, we will just focus on a few of the health benefits of the game because you might just be working harder than you think!
Calorie-killer
During the average game of golf, if you forgo the cart, a golfer ends up walking over 8km! That is like walking from Redwoods Golf Course all the way to the Freeway entrance at 176th street in Surrey! In just one 18-hole round a golfer burns up to 2000 calories if you carry your clubs instead of taking a pull cart! This is the equivalent of running on a treadmill for 2 1/2 hours …who would prefer to do that over playing around with your friends? Combine this with the hills we have scattered all around Redwoods and you will surely get your heart rate up during the game. Even if you choose to take a cart you can still burn around 1300 calories over the round.
Heart Healthy
With playing a sport comes an increase in heart rate. Even though golf appears on the surface to be more of a slower paced activity the combination of walking uneven terrain, carrying a bag, and swinging clubs do plenty to get your heart rate up which not only strengthens the heart but also works to prevent heart disease. With that in mind, the walking aspect of golf is also perfect for lowering blood pressure (when you aren’t getting frustrated shanking your ball into the trees and water hazards that is!)
The New Vitamin D Supplement
Although there are many golfers who play the game in all kinds of weather conditions, a lot of golfers seem to be fair-
weather players. This means that in one game of golf you are spending around four or more hours in the great outdoors breathing fresh country air deep into your lungs, and soaking up plenty of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is great for bone and muscle strength as well as immunity. While only 10-20 minutes of sunlight exposure produces a sufficient amount of vitamin D for the day, we West Coasters will rarely turn down a little extra sunshine on our skin!
Stress-reliever
While it might feel a little stressful when you aren’t playing your best, the overall combination of being outdoors, spending quality time with friends, and exercising is enough to put anyone in a fantastic mood free from the stresses and worries of the daily grind, at least for a few hours.
So next time you book a tee time and are out on the course make sure to remember all of the benefits that your round of golf is having on your health, and maybe swing by the restaurant to grab a pint and a bite to eat and celebrate it after!
