By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

For many people, warmer spring temperatures are a signal to dust off the clubs and hit the golf course. A favorite pastime of both men and women of all ages, golf is an excellent way to get some fresh air and sunlight, spend quality time with friends and family,and even get some exercise.

Not just a ‘leisure time activity’
Golfers’ views on the game vary as much as their handicaps and scores. Some people golf to socialize with friends and colleagues, while others see it as a competitive sport. However golf fits into your life, getting fit before you golf will not only improve your game but also reduce the risk of injuries and sore muscles.

“The primary mistake people make is they look at golf as a leisure time activity, and in fact golf is an athletic activity,” says Jo Ann Graser, a certified golf bio-mechanic who teaches a golf fitness class at Good Shepherd Hospital Health & Fitness Center in Barrington.

Graser says swinging a wood club works muscles at 80% of their peak level. To put the strength required to swing a golf club in perspective, Graser compares it to working out on fitness machines. She says if you were to work muscles at 80% of peak level at the gym, most people would only be able to complete four reps.

Lifetime golfer gets others back on the course
Pat Auch, who lives at Sedgebrook, learned to golf with her parents and has enjoyed the sport for most of her life. Auch golfs twice a week at the Deerfield Golf Course and Crane’s Landing Golf Club at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort courses, and plays on two different leagues.

“It’s a great game,” Auch says. “There’s a lot of good atmosphere on the golf course.”

To stay on top of her game, Auch works out at Sedgebrook’s on-site fitness center and walks on outdoor trails. “I try to maintain some kind of routine over the winter, because I find that the better shape you’re in, the less likely you are to injure yourself,” she says.

Auch’s enthusiasm for golf has motivated some of her Sedgebrook friends to get back into the game. She recruited fellow resident Margie Jamison to join the Marriott ladies league.

Jamison, who moved to Sedgebrook from Ohio, used to golf four to five times a week.

“Had it not been for [Auch], I probably wouldn’t have started playing here because I didn’t know anyone who played,” Jamison says. “I’m going to give it a try again.”

Quality time with friends
Paul Opsahl, who lives at Monarch Landing, golfs about twice a week at the nearby Naperbrook and Springbrook Golf Courses. He says he’s improved his game over the years by playing with skilled golfers.

“The main thing is practice,” Opsahl says, “and play golf with people who are good golfers, so that you pick up good habits.”

Opsahl appreciates the golf course as a way to stay fit, but more so as time to catch up with old friends.

“It’s good exercise,” he says. “But it’s also time with good friends. I still enjoy the
company of people I’ve played with over a number of years.”