Golf & Spectators

Watching live sport is often a guilty pleasure – sat down at a stadium (often accompanied by some sweet treats & beverages) watching athletes of incredible talent exercising often to absolute exertion. Seem familiar? Well maybe not so for golf fans.

Spectating at a golfing event is slightly unique, in that in order to follow a favourite player or a specific match of interest, fans often have to traipse around the course with the players. This not only means that spectators (of which there are often thousands) share in the heartache or glory, but often walk a comparable distance to the players themselves. We know that golf is associated with many health benefits, including longer life expectancy and reduced risk of chronic diseases (amongst others), but could all that walking around whilst spectating mean that even this is good for you?!

During the Ryder Cup in Scotland, spectators were encouraged to walk to all areas of the venue by offering prizes for those who checked in at points around the course. The result? Over the course of the event, spectators had collectively walked more than four times around the world! Likewise, at recent events where spectators were given pedometers on arriving, it wasn’t uncommon to see spectators accruing upwards of 10,000 steps, with some even totalling over 20,000 steps. Needless to say, these results confirm that all the walking associated with spectating could indeed be linked with potential health benefits, and should be taken seriously.

Whilst more research is being performed to try and quantify the potential health benefits, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy some great sport whilst keeping up with the recommended physical activity guidelines, you could do a lot worse than going to watch some golf!