Golf and the benefits to our mental health

We invite you to explore more than just golf at #getgolfing. Let’s spark conversations that last beyond 18 holes.

Nick, from Get Golfing sat down with Barney Dunn, a Child & Family Psychotherapist, to learn more about the possible mental health benefits to golf, in recognition of Children’s Mental Health week. Barney was a great sounding board. He is passionate about the wider benefits of sport and played golf as a junior. Barney recently lead a football-based group therapy project, Sport & Thought, at the Brent Centre for Young People. The project helps young people who are at risk of school exclusion find a safe space on the pitch. Sessions bring together group discussion and specific drills to help participants learn to talk about their feelings. We wanted to hear about some of the difficulties the children he works with face and better understand some of their needs.

Golf is an activity that promotes physical activity and tackles one key issue that’s been highlighted across our camps with children struggling with a variety of complex needs – inactivity. In our conversation, Barney explained how ‘physical activity is associated with better mental health outcomes across all age ranges, often reducing anxiety and helping combat depression.’

When thinking about golf in particular, Barney talked about how going through the ‘ups and downs of a round of golf’ with other young people could be strengthening. He also suggested that the act of slowing down, focusing on your form and taking a breath before each stroke could help build regulation skills associated with mindfulness. Barney added, ‘Having a clear beginning and end to each hole can also give a child a real sense of achievement. Playing in pairs allows children a good balance of tackling a challenge together, but also having time for themselves and for personal reflection.’

For children struggling with more complex learning difficulties such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) it offers a physical outlet to satisfy the hyperactive aspect of the disorder. Having been diagnosed with ADHD at age 11, golf offered me an escape and provided a focus outside of the rigmarole that schoolwork was for me. Golf has allowed me to be creative and I’ve never found It hard to motivate myself to get better which is interesting. Children with ADHD are far more likely to stay motivated through immediate reward and whilst we can agree there is a an element of that in golf you are far more likely to have failures, mild rewards and eventually long term gratification. The game of Golf has helped me learn to deal with such failures and I would like to help the game reach as many children struggling with ADHD and other complex learning difficulties.

It’s sure to be an exciting year for golf and one player who has made headlines is a truly unique golfer, Matthew Wolfe (pictured above) – recent convert to the highly scrutinised LIV Golf Tour. Matthew’s swing is a true expression and represents a new wave in the game. With Netflix soon to release ‘Full Swing’, an immersive documentary following some of the top players on the PGA Tour.. and doing so after one of the craziest years in the sports history we can look forward to more storylines.

I’m excited to be joining Get Golfing and help this unique charity build on the success they had in the community in 2022. Get Golfing provided over 2,000 hot meals across our Free School Meals programme. Our Monday Club initiative, pioneered by our Community Officer, Stuart Williams is set to roll out across our nine sites in 2023. The children attending Monday club are selected by their schools for a wide variety of reasons, but most are in receipt of benefits related to Free school meals.

These children are non-traditional golf club users, would rarely afford or have access to play and learn golf in a safe, inclusive space and are exactly who we want to have this opportunity.

The children will benefit from access to a great individual sport and an opportunity to learn and play golf in a stunning facility that is open for all while making new friends.

Children with an interest and aptitude should then transition onto our free holiday time camps and then onto our junior memberships and weekend junior golf lessons.

Monday club starts at Redlibbets on Monday the 6^{th of} March 4 -5.30pm.