In the article, environmental psychologist Professor Jenny Roe of the University of Virginia, explained: “Contact with nature slows down our stress response and induces calm. It is promoting stress resilience, it is improving our mood, it’s decreasing our risk of depression and increasing our social wellbeing, particularly on a golf course where you are interacting with other members of that community.”
Scientific research published in 2019 has also indicated spending at least two hours per week in nature is good for health and wellbeing.
Mark Birchmore, Syngenta’s Global Head of Marketing, Turf and Landscape, said: “This is a simple, snapshot survey with a small sample, but it gives an indication of some of the reasons people have joined golf clubs in recent months and suggests further research into golf and mental welling would be worthwhile.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues of stress in day-to-day life, the reality is that the experience of spending time in nature on a golf course has always been one of the sport’s key benefits – it’s just rarely communicated as a marketing message. But it is something clubs might consider as it could be an important factor in the value proposition for golf and club membership.”
