In the 35 years I’ve been playing golf, I’ve always appreciated the many health benefits the game offers; from the physical exercise involved in walking 18 holes to the mood benefits of being out in nature with time and space to think.
A round of golf, whether with friends or on my own, has been the ‘healthy’ way I have sought to deal with sadness, disappointment or stress (I’ve coped in ‘unhealthy’ ways too, mainly by reaching for a drink). Until recently, golf had almost always done the trick of clearing my mind and getting me back on track.
However, things were different this year. My usual relentlessly optimistic outlook had changed and I found myself stuck in a place where my thinking was very negative; I was constantly anxious…
