They say you never forget how to ride a bike. The same goes for golf. No matter the length of time between swings ‒ whether days or decades ‒ the muscle memory of performing this repetitive action is buried in the recesses of your mind.
After a week of procrastination ‒ and seeking inspiration from the Andean air while visiting my wife’s family in Bogota, Colombia ‒ I read this article in the latest Professional Golfers’ Association e-newsletter that chronicles the motivation behind a program called ‘Fore’ Get Me Not Golf. The brainchild of English golf pro Tony Pennock, the program uses golf as a vehicle to help those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Pennock, general manager of Seckford Golf Club in Suffolk, England, developed ‘Fore’ Get Me Not Golf in 2022 after watching both of his parents suffer from dementia. Wanting to do something to help others ‒ sufferers and caregivers alike ‒ Pennock partnered with local private-care company Home Instead to develop this innovative program that offers dementia-friendly golf sessions which blend physical activity, mental stimulation and social interaction in a safe setting. The program also helps facilitate research into the disease. Immediately, the benefits to both patient and caregiver were evident.
As the golf pro told EnglandGolf.org, “for years, we’ve heard people with dementia say, ‘we used to’ and ‘we wanted to change that’. Getting a dementia diagnosis should not mark the end of participating in the activities which they love. From the moment Pennock handed a golf club to the participants in this program, he observed that “they can hit a ball like they’ve never forgotten.”
“You can see it lights them up and it gives you a huge sense of satisfaction. The carers can stay and hit balls as well, or have a bit of respite, and it’s just a wonderful thing.”
What started as a monthly program at Pennock’s home club evolved into a registered charity enjoyed by dementia patients and their caregivers at a dozen golf clubs. As the charity describes its mission on their website, through the power of golf, we aim to create welcoming, supportive spaces for people living with dementia and their careers, recognizing the profound positive impact that social connection, physical activity and nature can have on the quality of life.”
Reading about Pennock’s success with this program led the researcher in me to dig deeper and see what other literature and science are available to support the benefits of leisure activities and social programs which allow more people with dementia to access and play golf.
What I learned is that Pennock’s discovery of golf’s power to help those suffering from progressive neurodegenerative conditions is not new; there are many similar programs, not just for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, but also from other diseases ‒ such as Parkinson’s.
Both academic and scientific research show the many benefits of engaging in leisure activities for those suffering from dementia. According to the academic article, Nonpharmacological approaches for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in older adults: A systematic review of reviews, published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing (2014), “leisure activities can provide wide-ranging benefits for people living with dementia with research highlighting promising findings on quality of life, reduced agitation, social inclusion and improved cognition.”
Golf for Life
I discovered a program similar to Pennock’s in my hometown: Golf Fore Life. Created by the City of Kitchener in 2018, this program pairs players suffering from dementia with volunteer caddies who help them navigate playing nine holes together at a pair of municipally run courses ‒ Rockway Golf Course and Doon Valley Golf Course. The nine- or 10-week program runs for two days per week, throughout the summer.
According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds; globally, more than 57 million people live with the disease; Alzheimer’s is the most common form of this progressive neurodegenerative condition.
With World Alzheimer’s Day occurring on September 21, this story felt timely; it’s yet another reminder of the myriad ways in which golf is so much more than a game. It’s a leisure activity that people of all ages, from five to 105, can enjoy. Golf not only forces participants to calm their mind but, as Pennock’s program proved, along with other scientific studies in recent years, it can also help those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s to get respite ‒ and to find joy ‒ in an activity which they once played before this ‘disease with no cure’ took hold, forcing them to quit.
There are few of us who have not been affected by seeing a loved one suffer from one of these diseases. Reading about this innovative program resonated with me as I recalled the last years we had with my own grandmother, who lived to 95 years old; for her final five years, she lived on a secure floor in a retirement residence, suffering from dementia. I visited my Nana McPherson whenever I could. It was sad to witness her in this state of mental limbo not knowing who I was ‒ or where she was ‒ her mind forever wandering like someone lost in a Minotaur maze with no idea of where the exit was to return to the present.
I wonder whether a round of golf might have helped Nana rediscover some joy and find some respite from the prison of her dementia-addled mind?