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Golf for Stress Relief - Fact or Fiction

By Michael Lee
May 26, 2009
Does golf really relieve stress or create stress?

Many ardent golfers would argue that the four or so hours spent each weekend on their favorite course is their way of putting (or putting) themselves back together again for the week ahead.

There is fresh air to breathe, some walking (even for cart users), time spent in nature, and even meditation involved, if you count the focus of attention on a little white ball. And golf is most likely one of the most zen sports there is with it's "less is more" scoring method.

At the same time, there are more websites on the internet offering information for golfers on how to overcome stress caused by golf than there are sites exuding the benefits of golf for stress reduction.

Is golf to blame for creating more stress than it cures? Perhaps not! Maybe it has less to do with the game and a lot to do with the player!

For some, golf is indeed a relaxing and stress relieving pastime. For others, its a way to crank up the stress level even higher than it was at the office during the week.

If you are a golfer here are some questions to ask yourself to see if golf is good for you as a stress reliever or not.

1. When you golf do you curse a lot? Or mutter to yourself when you make a bad shot?

2. Do you ever throw your club, intentionally break it, or bang it hard on the ground when you duff?

3. Do you ever find yourself saying things like "I'll never play this stupid (bleep) game ever again!"

4. Do you do ever cheat a little (or a lot) to improve your score? Like giving you ball a little kick to get a better lie?

5. Is shaving strokes off your handicap one of your most important goals in life for you?

If you scored a "NO" on all of the above, golf is most likely a great way for you to de-stress.

If you answered "YES" to two or more of the above questions you probably experience some stress when golfing but that would be par for the course. If all five questions got a "YES" from you, not only is golf stressful for you but you could be addicted to both golf and stress as well as playing with a huge handicap.

However, you probably won't quit and do something different to relieve your stress, so be sure to carry some aspirin in your golf bag, just in case one of the strokes isn't the kind that counts towards your score.
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