Golf: a game of life and death – reduced mortality in Swedish golf players

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• The results of these analyses show that Swedish golf players have mortality rates that are about 60% of those in the general population after adjustment for socioeconomic status. This is true for both sexes and in all age groups.

• The mortality was the lowest in those with the lowest golf handicap, i.e., among the most skilled golfers.

• The benefits of leisure-time physical activities in terms of reduced risks of cardiovascular disease are well established through a number of epidemiological cohort studies

• We noted that the mortality is the lowest among the most skilled players, i.e., among those with the lowest handicap, which suggests that the level of intensity of the game plays a role.

• This in turn indicates that the reduced mortality, at least partly, is indeed due to the playing of golf rather than to bias.