Is golf good for your mental health? Fans who follow the professional side of the sport have recently been quite critical about it. The constant battle between the PGA Tour & LIV Golf has seen both sides take some drastic steps in an attempt to better the quality of the product they are trying to provide.

The fans may remain divided regarding this issue for a long time. However, everyone would agree that playing golf is much better for their mental health than watching it. Or at least that is what the Golf Digest team seems to think.

In an insightful post on their official Instagram channel, Golf Digest shared the benefits of playing golf. With the caption, “Believe it or not, this game is good for you. 😂”, the post included a slideshow of the mental health benefits of indulging in the sport.

The first slide read, “Mental health benefits of playing golf,” as the post listed various ways golf helps players relieve stress. The first benefit was “Playing golf reduces anxiety,” suggesting that the sport helps calm your nerves. The third slide said, “Golf provides a form of therapy,” indicating that playing golf is a great way to self-reflect and improve your mental health.

The next slide was a bold claim made by Golf Digest as it read, “Golf reduces effects of depression,” hinting that playing golf will help you manage your lows better. The last two images read, “Golf offers beneficial social interactions,” and “Playing golf reduces stress,” which again, suggests that the sport is a great way to find mental peace. The last slide ironically featured Rory McIlroy smiling from ear to ear.

However, just like the manner in which the post’s caption ended, fans also didn’t take the words of wisdom from Golf Digest seriously. Many of them found the claims made by the media outlet humorous. Let’s see what they had to say about it.

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Fans believe “golf is a double-edged sword”

As stated by @jeremiahkdo commenting on the Golf Digest’s post, the sport is certainly “a double-edged sword,” as it can be a boon as well as a curse depending on the kind of form you are in. This is reflected perfectly in @lifeabovepar84’s statement as they said, “Golf can also cause all these things. 😅,” subconsciously agreeing with @jeremiahkdo. @back9guy shared their experience of the lows of the sport as they said, “Driving home after golf is some times the saddest moments in my life,” indicating that golf can lead to depression as well if it’s not your day on the course.

@esquiregolf shared “Believe it or not, you wouldn’t know with how many F bombs dropped per round 😂,” possibly hinting that golf can get extremely frustrating often. @symone.henriques’s “@emilymathews_1 gotta be fake news” suggests how ridiculous these claims made by Golf Digest really are. @kebabsgolf’s comment probably stole the show as they said, “That last frame is diabolical 😂,” stating that having Rory McIlroy‘s picture under the “Playing golf reduces stress” claim is quite contradictory considering how the world no. 3 is famously known for fumbling putts when he is under stress. Finally, @treesgolf’s “Literally all false 😂,” statement doesn’t come as a surprise as they too believe Golf Digest is delusional.

Well, whether the post is meant as a satire or meant to support the game, golf is in no way a game that is easy to master or even take up. What is your opinion about Golf Digest’s words of wisdom? Do you agree with them or do you also believe that golf can be exactly the opposite of what the media outlet is trying to claim?