The Relationship among Perceived Restorative Environment, Serious Leisure Golf Benefits and Wellness for Golf Participants of The Middle-Ages and The Elderly

This study aimed to examine the structural relationships among perceived restorative environment, serious leisure golf benefits, and wellness for middle-aged and elderly golf participants, in order to provide practical strategies for promoting a healthy life in late adulthood in the context of a super-aged society. A total of 223 survey responses were analyzed. First, frequency analysis was conducted to examine the demographic characteristics of the participants. To ensure the validity and reliability of the survey items, confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis were performed. Additionally, correlation analysis was conducted to check for multicollinearity, and structural equation modeling(SEM) was employed to test the causal relationships within the research model. Finally, bootstrapping was used to examine the mediating effects. The results of the study are as follows: First, perceived restorative environment significantly influenced serious leisure golf benefits among middle-aged and elderly golf participants. Second, serious leisure golf benefits significantly affected participants' wellness. Third, perceived restorative environment significantly influenced wellness. Fourth, serious leisure golf benefits mediated the relationship between perceived restorative environment and wellness. Therefore, to enhance the restorative environment of golf courses, comprehensive considerations such as nature-friendly landscape design and efficient participant flow management are required. In addition, providing level-appropriate tasks and guidance to develop serious attitudes and expertise, along with organizing various competitions, is expected to improve serious leisure golf benefits.