A Comparison Of Golf And Fishing As Retirement Pastimes

It seems like a good idea to prepare for retirement by taking up a healthy hobby or pastime

. This can not only provide motivation and interest, but help to keep you fit and healthy as well. There is nothing to stop you getting started well in advance of retirement.

There are of course many hundreds of different hobbies and pastimes that you could pursue, and you probably will want to try out a few new ideas. However, having a sport or hobby that you have been good at and can look forward to devoting more time than you have been able to when working is one of the good reasons for retirement.

Fishing and golf are both sometimes recommended because they will certainly get you out and about. Golf appears on the face of it to be the better choice in this respect as it requires the participant to walk around a golf course at least getting fresh air and exercise, whereas the impression of a fisherman is often sitting by the lakeside bored, which is not so attractive.

This is not the case, a round of golf does require a reasonable walk of perhaps two miles or so when playing a round of eighteen holes. It is better exercise than none at all, but hardly as good even as walking the dog. On the other hand, walking a river while stalking an elusive fishy quarry can demand walks of many miles. Therefore, it is no good trying to judge the relative merits of either golf or angling by the amount of exercise either provides during your old age.

The next aspect to be considered is the effort that is required to undertake each. Again this will depend on where you do the sport and the approach you take. But it is fair to say that golf can be a very gentle walk round a course, interspaced with spikes of activity when the golf ball is being hit with a wood or an iron. This is a stress point at which many people have been known to suffer heart attacks - and if you are fortunate enough to manage to make it round the course, then a regular couple of alcoholic drinks at the nineteenth hole will not improve your fitness. Again the criticism of golf in favour of fishing must be tempered. If your choice is spending long periods by the water, and then get a sudden huge unexpected bite, this can be just as stressful!

The question of whether or not golf will help you to keep your mind alert must be asked. Playing golf does not entail much in the way of thought - but a lively conversation with your partners will be stimulating. Going fishing means you will probably be alone, with the contents of your tackle box to keep your mind active.

Finally, there is the cost of each to consider. You may not be working and relying on a pension. In this case you might be looking for a sport that is reasonable in cost. Golf can be expensive if you join the top club, buy top branded carbon fibre and titanium equipment and play several times a week. However, a modest set of clubs need not cost a lot and you can always play at a "pay per game" local club. Fishing is the same, some venues are expensive and some very good ones reasonable. You may become a "tackle tart" and buy more shiny fishing tackle than you need, or you may happily fish for any species in any environment with adequate budget priced gear. In both sports the choice is yours.

There does not appear to be anything to choose between golf and fishing as a retirement sport. It will be governed by your view of chasing a little ball along the grass with a stick or sitting for hours beside the local village pond. On the other hand you might seek the social aspects of golf while visiting different stunning courses around the country - or chase after elusive monster fish in spectacular foreign environments. It is what you make of either that counts.

by: Mark Jenner

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