Australian Golf Industry Council releases TV production to promote mental health benefits of golf

The Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) has released an inaugural three-hour-long slow TV feature film - Tee Your Mind - that promotes the mental health benefits of golf.

The film is a golf mindfulness experience that packages some of Australia’s most breathtaking courses into an 18-hole experience that accentuates the natural ambiences encountered on the fairway.

Golf has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic with many lapsed and disengaged golfers returning to the game.

To seize on this participation boom, the AGIC created Tee Your Mind to mimic the true golf experience in a digital format to engage more people to the game by highlighting the sport’s mental and physical health capabilities.

Tee Your Mind follows the rounds of men and women golfers at Collaroy’s Long Reef Golf Club and St Michael’s Golf Club in Little Bay and brings to life the calming and meditative sensations of the game, such as the trees bending by the coastal breeze and native birds singing.

Performance Psychologist Jonah Oliver advises “golf is the perfect sport for creating the conditions for true happiness.

“Happiness comes from finding the sweet spot between challenge and skill. Combine this with doing  exercise in nature and you have the perfect recipe for lifelong mindfulness and psychological health.”

AGIC Chairman and PGA of Australia Chief Executive, Gavin Kirkman notes “golf has been an antidote to an incredibly stressful year brought on by the once-in-a-generation challenges of COVID-19.

“Given golf can be played in a safe, socially distant environment, many new and returning participants have used the sport to reconnect with friends and nature. Our game is one of the best whole body and mind experiences and many have used golf as a valuable mental health outlet during this difficult period.”

Golf Australia Chairman Andrew Newbold said golf is a powerful respite to help people overcome their anxieties and added “the benefits of golf are diverse and extend beyond the physicalities of the sport.

“During COVID-19 we have seen more  Australians turn to golf and we think our sport, with its unique blend of open space and nature, can offer a solution for people exploring new ways to take a break from the day-to-day.”

The University of Southern Queensland is also exploring the role sport, including golf, plays in creating a strong sense of connectedness and belonging, by embarking on a research study investigating the relationship between sport participation and mental health issues.

University of Southern Queensland Professor of Psychology, Andrea Lamont-Mills advises “we know that our exposure to green spaces can have a positive impact on our overall well-being, we often feel happier, more relaxed and more positive. Alongside our research, this suggests our response to experiencing nature is emotional and essential to our mental health.

Over the course of the film, Tee Your Mind provides a peaceful escape for viewers to unwind and immerse in the calming elements of golf.

Tee Your Mind goes live from Friday 4th September 2020 on www.golf.org.au/teeyourmind/