Golf’s current image and its future role as a health sport from (non-)golfers’ perspectives

Participating in golf improves various aspects of health, including physiological health, self-confidence and cognitive performance. A recent trend that has drawn attention is the positioning of golf as a health sport. However, the development of this initiative is still in its infancy. In this article, we examine the extent to which it makes sense to position golf as a health sport from the demand side. First, we evaluate the current image of the sport of golf in general. Second, we evaluate whether the positioning of golf as a health sport is a promising initiative and again compare golfers and non-golfers. The results show that golf is still a sport that is perceived differently by non-golfers and golfers. While golfers generally agree that golf is a health sport, non-golfers do not. This could be because the positive health aspects of golf have not yet been established in peopleʼs minds. In the future process of positioning golf as a health sport, it is recommended that golf clubs do not try to achieve this goal alone but rather also involve other stakeholders.