The era of ‘golf widows’ (as Katherine Ryan famously coined it) is set to change as record levels of female golfers in Britain step up to the first tee, ready to reap what the game has to offer.
The latest participation report from the European Golf Association revealed that over 117,000 female registered golfers participated across Britain, indicating an increase of several thousand from the year previous. Not only that, England Golf recorded a staggering 57,000 rise in the number of scored rounds submitted by women in 2024, showing a clear interest in retaining a playing handicap.
So, what does this tell us? Not only are women getting into golf, but they’re hooked once they start and rarely look back. With this surge in participation comes growing recognition of the game’s wider impact.
UK travel insurance provider and host sponsor of the 2025 PGA Seniors Championship, Staysure, worked with Dr Asimah Hanif to explore how this growth in the women’s game is now a powerful trend for health and social benefits.
Teeing your way to a healthier body and mind
Golf offers a unique blend of benefits that can contribute to holistic wellbeing. A round of golf gives you hours of gentle outdoor exposure, helping you unwind from everyday stress. It’s the perfect mix of calm walking with moments of focus that help promote mindfulness.
Golf can also play a role in achieving our health goals and improving your overall physical health. Aside from burning calories, Dr Asimah shares a few more health benefits you might not have considered:
- Low-impact exercise – Unlike running and heavy lifting, golf puts far less stress on joints, ligaments and tendons
- Lower body strengthening – Similar to outdoor walks and hiking, playing a round of golf effectively works your glutes, legs, core and calves, as well as supporting bone density and joint health.
- Improved heart health – Given that a round typically takes around 4 hours, the low-intensity cardiovascular exercise can help reduce blood pressure and improve circulation.
- Long-term movement – Golf is a sustainable activity that can be enjoyed well into later life, keeping us active as we get older.
Dr Asimah also notes that golf can be a healthy remedy for women seeking to get active as they navigate the challenges of menopause. “Some patients who visit our practice could benefit from the physical and mental boosts golf can provide. Because of the nature of the sport, golf can provide a safe haven for women who want to exercise but are faced with menopausal challenges.”
Dr Asimah explains, “For example, pelvic floor instability can quickly cut down the list of available sports, and unexpected hot flushes can make high-intensity sport incredibly uncomfortable. General fatigue and low energy are also common for women going through menopause. However, with golf, this can be mitigated by simply choosing to play half a round or opting to go to a practice area near the clubhouse, where you can sit down, relax, and recover should you need to.”
Another benefit that can easily be overlooked is that walking across the more challenging terrain of a golf course and pushing a golf cart is an excellent way to maintain bone density as we age.
“Throughout the menopausal phase, oestrogen levels in the body are dropping, and this can disrupt the balance of bone remodelling that maintains density,” says Dr Asimah. “The gentle yet sustained loading of your skeleton when playing golf stimulates your bones and may help slow the natural loss of bone density during and after menopause.”
Accessible and available: Golf is everywhere
With well over 2,000 golf courses across England (more than double the number of any other European country), and more than 500 top courses in Scotland alone, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be a course close by for you to take your first swing and get into the game.
When you’re ready to take your game to the next level, the step for many golfers is to look abroad for their next challenge and see what Europe has to offer. Recent research has even found a massive 157% increase in bookings for golf holidays for couples, and given the boom in the women’s game, this trend is set to continue.
Planning to pack your clubs and book a golf holiday? Dr Asimah reminds, “It’s always handy to consider specialised golf travel insurance, making sure you’re covered against cancellations, unexpected medical issues, or adverse weather. Some insurers even offer ‘hole-in-one cover’ – with a monetary reward to cover the bar bill after your first hole-in-one!”
So, whether you’re seeking a new way to stay active, connect socially or just spend more time outdoors, there’s never been a better time to get on the course. With more women than ever embracing the game, golf is evolving into a sport that truly welcomes everyone.
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