The object of golf is to hit a 1.68 in. ball, with a club, around a marked course and into a series of 4.25 in. holes. Players need a combination of skills and abilities to play the game. These have been humorously described as a cross between the fine motor control of a surgeon, explosive power of the sprinter and the tactics of a chess player. Aerobic fitness, strength, power, flexibility, co-ordination, fine motor control and concentration are all relevant. But golf is also extremely adaptable in terms of performing the basic skills. For example, the putt is a small, simple move requiring minimal strength or flexibility. Most facilities have dedicated practice putting greens and many golfers enjoy this challenge as much as playing the full course.

Another feature of the game is the variety of playing facilities available. These stretch from the seaside crazy golf courses costing as little as £1, through to driving ranges, short municipal courses and expensive private member courses. Although the average course is over 4 miles long, there are numerous short courses around the country less than 2000 yards. While traditional clubs can be exclusive, in responding to the needs of a changing population, the English Golf Union have introduced rule changes reflecting a move away from ‘member-only’ courses. Significantly, golf permits unique opportunities for social interaction. Golf is perhaps the only sport where a male teenager might be seen playing with grandma, something that is unlikely in our national sports of football, cricket and rugby. Age wise, children as young as 4 play while people in their 90s also play.

It is not the technical difficulties and adaptations of golf that cause the greatest concern in a mental health context. The biggest problem with golf is that it is has a reputation for being elitist, sexist, homophobic, racist, classist and able-bodyist. This issue represents a major concern in the context of people with serious mental health problems for whom the biggest challenge is not the illness itself but, rather, stigma and discrimination [1]. Without doubt, at present, one would be ill advised to take a stigmatised group to most private member courses. However, the increasing diversity of modern golf may offer a way in for socially excluded groups—there is the possibility of introducing people with mental health problems to golf and golf to people with mental health problems .

How might golf contribute to social inclusion for people with severe and enduring mental health problems? Firstly, sport is highly valued and viewed as socially significant in our society. It is also an enduring and important element in the social and cultural life of most modern societies and an activity with the possibility of offering meaning and opportunity. Sport is an important part of life for many sectors of society. Secondly, sport has been challenged to make itself more socially inclusive and less elitist. [2] In this climate, can sport be used as a vehicle to challenge society’s fear and ignorance of people with SMI and as one way to provide this population with opportunities for social inclusion? If so, how might we begin to explore this possibility and what support and adjustments are necessary? Is it possible that golf—a sport that boasts one of the highest participation rates in the country—might contribute? These are some of the overarching questions this project sought to explore.

The impetus for the project arose during PhD research being undertaken by the second author (DC) at the University of Bristol [3], which explored the contribution of physical activity to recovery among a group of men with serious mental illness (SMI) . This research took place at a mental health rehabilitation day centre where a variety of sport and exercise groups were offered and many service users and mental health professionals were positive about the benefits of these groups. Golf, however, was not an activity previously considered. We decided to explore whether golf might be a beneficial activity for some service users and, despite some understandable reservations, mental health professionals agreed to cooperate with us on this novel initiative.

A charity event was organised to raise approximately £5000 to cover the costs of the programme. This money was significant because it meant that the programme (including equipment, course fees, refreshments, tuition, and minibus transport) could be provided free of charge to service users.

The first aim of the project was for us to ‘give back’—to reciprocate—something to the mental health centre and those people with SMI who had participated in DC’s PhD research. Was there a way that we, as researchers, could contribute something they might find valuable and meaningful?

Our second aim was to deliver a golf programme that might provide some of the benefits outlined above.

Our third aim was to document the effects of participation experienced by service users. Would service users participate? Would the programme be experienced as beneficial? We explored these questions through an ethnographic research project into the programme’s delivery and effects [4–6].

A 9-week golf programme was planned and delivered by the first author (KD) (a qualified Professional Golfer’s Association coach), who provided coaching in line with our ethos of facilitating a positive experience for the group members. We sought to take the group from secure and familiar territory into less familiar public golf environments, teaching skills that not only made it possible to play the game, but also to initialise independent participation. We felt it highly important that each member of the group was able to work at their own individual pace, that technical information was purposeful and limited, and that the game was altered to maximise positive experiences and confidence, especially in the early sessions. As with all good coaching, encouraging an enjoyable, socially inclusive atmosphere was important.