According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports of mental health issues are on the rise — and at an alarming rate.
There are several contributing factors.
Most recently, many of us know friends, family or colleagues whose lives have been disrupted by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Toss in the uncertainty that accompanies an election year marked by ugly rhetoric and slander, partisan media reporting, identity politics, an uncertain economy and ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine, and it is no wonder why so many people report having concerns about their own mental health.
Forty-three percent of adults say they feel more anxious than they did last year, up from 37 percent last year and 32 percent in 2022, according to the CDC. Seventy percent of adults report feeling anxious about current events, and 77% are stressed about the election. About 1:4 adults report feeling persistently sad or hopeless, according to the CDC.
I was an Eagle Scout and loved being outside. Loved exploring, traveling, digging in the dirt and having a dollar in my pocket." ~ Thomas Bastis, CGCS
Superintendents might not feel lucky when confronted by angry golfers or committee members, but during times of high stress off the golf course you should consider yourself fortunate. Research indicates you have chosen a profession that, although not stress proof, is naturally insulated more than others against such difficult times.
To that end, ask any superintendent how and why they started in the golf business, and one of the responses that almost always comes up is some form of a desire to be outdoors.
Thomas Bastis, CGCS, spent nearly 20 years as a superintendent before becoming a PGA Tour agronomist in 2017. When he is not on a golf course, Bastis (at right) spends much of his free time competing in extreme sports, and says he was always destined for a career that allowed him to spend time outdoors.
"(It was) pretty much everything," Bastis said when asked what role working outdoors played in his vocational choice.
Indeed, there are seemingly countless anecdotes and similar responses about the perceived benefits of working outside vs. an indoor career where one is insulated from the sunrise, fresh air, the sound of birds chirping and just being able to reach down and touch grass, both figuratively and literally.
Paul MacCormack, general manager and superintendent at Fox Meadow Golf and Country Club on Prince Edward Island, has built a brand on helping superintendents reduce stress and knows all too well the benefits of his profession.
"Working outside played a huge role in my decision to become a superintendent," MacCormack said. "I had always loved working outdoors as a teenager, and after trying my hand at a few indoor gigs I knew that I needed a bigger office space.
"Working on a golf course offered me that and then some. The connection to the natural world and the seasons is vitally important to me."
That therapeutic feeling that comes with working outdoors is not all in your head. There is science-backed evidence of the curative and restorative effects of working in the great outdoors.
Biophilia is the term for the idea that people have a natural connection with nature and other living things. Few jobs allow people to get in touch with their inner biophilia than working on a golf course.
There are a variety of benefits that come with working outdoors, according to several research studies on the topic, including improved energy and focus, increased productivity and fewer days lost to sickness, reduced stress, better teamwork and creativity and reduced stress.
"I'm glad I chose this type of job," said Joe Wachter, who is retiring at the end of the month as superintendent at Glen Echo Country Club in St. Louis. "Being involved in organized athletics from 6 to 21 years (of age), I sold my soul to the outdoors, along with hunting, fishing, camping and floating during my kid and young adult years."
A 2020 study by researchers at the University of Montana and Penn State University showed a link between being in a parklike setting and positive wellbeing.
Dr. Edward Laskowski, co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, linked the sedentary lifestyle of working indoors with a host of health concerns, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Likewise, researchers in Australia published a study in 2016 indicating that those who spend extended time in green spaces had lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and stronger social interactions than those who did not get outside regularly.
"I never thought about it, and it would be hard to quantify how much, but I absolutely have had a preference for being outdoors my entire life," said Carlton Henry, superintendent at Dedham Country and Polo Club in Massachusetts. "The only other job I have ever worked was washing dishes in a Greek restaurant in high school, during the winter, and I quit. I don't know if it's particularly because I was indoors, but it wasn't for me."
Working outside played a huge role in my decision to become a superintendent. I had always loved working outdoors as a teenager, and after trying my hand at a few indoor gigs I knew that I needed a bigger office space." ~ Paul MacCormack
Although there is no scientific evidence about the detrimental effects that come with being exposed to rude restaurant customers or irate golfers, a University of Michigan study shows that spending just one hour outside can reduce levels of the hormone that can cause stress by 20 percent.
Bastis knew early on that he likely would be working in some vocation where he could spend time outdoors. Unlike many children today who are more at home wiling away the hours indoors with a gaming device or cell phone, Bastis spent much of his childhood outdoors.
"I was an Eagle Scout and loved being outside," he said. "Loved exploring, traveling, digging in the dirt and having a dollar in my pocket."
When you think the stress of current events is becoming too much, go outside and touch some grass, and be grateful you can, because not everyone is so fortunate.
