Golf might just be the most powerful health boost hiding in plain sight. And with millions gearing up for the Dubai Fitness Challenge, there’s no better time to spotlight a sport proven to help people live longer, feel better, and stay active – all while enjoying the great outdoors.
As someone who has spent more than a decade studying the relationship between physical activity and long-term health, I can say with confidence that golf is one of the most powerful – and often underestimated – forms of exercise available to people of all ages and abilities.
Scientific research commissioned by The R&A, golf’s global governing body, shows that golfers live an average of five years longer than non-golfers. Studies also confirm that golf can help prevent and treat more than 40 major chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and dementia.
The Health Benefits of Golf Are Proven – and Powerful
Walking the course provides moderate-intensity exercise that strengthens the heart, boosts metabolic function, and improves overall fitness. For older adults, golf significantly increases balance and muscle endurance – two essential pillars for maintaining independence later in life.
Yet beyond the physical benefits lies something equally important: genuine social connection. In a world where loneliness is one of the greatest health challenges of our time, the golf course remains a rare sanctuary where phones stay in pockets and conversations come naturally.
Whether you’re playing nine holes with friends, practising alongside other newcomers, or simply enjoying green space and fresh air, golf enriches wellbeing in a way few sports can match.
Golf Is Good x Dubai Fitness Challenge: 100+ Free Activities Across the City
That’s why The R&A is proud to see golf return to the Dubai Fitness Challenge through the expanded Golf is Good x Dubai Fitness Challenge initiative, delivered in partnership with The R&A and the Emirates Golf Federation.
Throughout DFC, more than 100 free golf activities will be available across ten venues – including lessons, simulator sessions, fitness classes, and the Walk to Win challenge at the DP World Tour Championship, one of several world-class events taking place during DFC.
For many, this will be their first taste of the sport. It’s an opportunity to discover that golf is accessible, enjoyable, and suited to children, families, complete beginners, and older adults. You don’t need expensive gear or years of experience. You simply need to start.
The Dubai Fitness Challenge makes that start easy. With the whole city committed to healthier habits, trying golf becomes both inviting and convenient. And the science is clear: clocking at least 150 minutes of golf, practice, or walking the course each week meets the World Health Organization’s exercise guidelines.
Growing the Game in Schools and Beyond
This year’s initiative also extends well beyond golf clubs. Through Unleash Your Drive in Schools, children across Dubai will experience golf in supportive, high-energy environments that promote confidence, physical literacy, and early enjoyment of sport. Positive childhood experiences often shape lifelong behaviour – and this programme ensures young people can discover golf in a fun, inclusive way.
In a world where physical inactivity contributes to more than three million deaths annually, we urgently need sports that welcome rather than exclude. Golf in Dubai is doing exactly that.
So this month, as the city embraces its annual 30×30 challenge, we encourage everyone – especially newcomers – to take advantage of the free sessions on offer. Step onto a driving range, pick up a club, walk the fairways, or join a fitness session at any participating venue.
You may just discover a sport that keeps you healthier, happier, and more connected – not just for the next 30 days, but for life.
