Golf Courses and Parkinson’s occurrence
 

I just posted in General but should have posted here. There are reports all over the news and social media lately stating that living close to a golf course raises your chances of developing Parkinson’s Disease by 126 percent! After digging I found TV has quite a large population of people with Parkinson’s. Thats very frightening to me. Since I haven’t moved to The Villages yet but would like to, what are others saying or doing about this to avoid exposure to dangerous chemicals that is causing this? (If you haven’t heard this yet, it’s simple to google it and find the info). I’m truly afraid but want to find an answers and solutions to ease my worries. Thank you

I don't know about golf course exposure but this looks like a bit of hopeful news:

Stanford study reveals enzyme inhibitor may slow Parkinson'''s disease | Fox News

Did you read the whole article? A lot of maybes and mights.

Perhaps reading the report would be informative.

(& most every credible source has criticized that report, it's methodology and its conclusions.)

Isn't it age related? A 55 and over community would probably be above average.

Where did you find data on the health conditions of Villages?

Sounds like you're getting something extra with a golf course view lot.

If it's online, then it's true. They can't put lies on the internet.

Just a moment...

is this the study done? published in JAMA

Guess with golf course view the course should provide homeowners who live close by copies of the safety data sheets (SDS’s) for the chemical products you maybe exposed to?

If you are a Golfer and you have even a trace of Parkinsons you notice it right away. So many older golfers struggle putting because of tremors.

So does living on a golf course give you Parkinson's or make you notice it sooner?

Can I see the rest of that report? Is that from The Villages? I was referring to a national report which is why it made me wonder the situation in The Villages

The study from which the social media has sourced is here in this post, published in JAMA

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...623-post8.html

In other golf course Parkinson's news, one of the long time managers at our local municipal course has Parkinson's. .

Researchers and experts implicate pesticide exposure—from heavy chemical use on courses—via contamination of water or airborne drift. The study shows a correlation but can't prove that living near a golf course causes Parkinson’s. Other factors—like genetics, head injuries, or other environmental exposures—were not fully accounted for. Only the three years prior to diagnosis were included in the exposure analysis—though Parkinson’s typically develops over decades. Conducted in a specific region; results may not generalize broadly. Golf course pesticide use and water geology differ elsewhere. The study assumed exposure based on proximity and water system overlap, but did not test tap water or soil directly for pesticide levels. A disproportionate number of cases were urban, raising questions about air pollution or other urban-area triggers. Experts describe the findings as “striking” and “biologically plausible” due to known pesticide neurotoxicity. But they emphasize that more research is needed—ideally with broader geographic coverage, longer time frames, and actual pesticide measurements.

Residential Proximity to Golf Courses Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

Life expectancy
 

Here another rumor you can push on social media. "Because of activity levels the average Village citizen lives 10 years longer than those who do not live in The Villages."


Chemicals are everywhere. From micro plastics in your table salt, to your toothpaste there is not getting around it in a modern country. Even the most pristine stream have some level of pollution in them, as well as most of the food you eat. Long story short, none of us are getting out of here alive, so you might as well enjoy yourself while we are here.

Best medical response to the JAMA article:

May 18, 2025
Limitations
Marcus Shaker, MD, MS | Dartmouth Health
Thank you for this thought-provoking analysis. As the authors highlight, environmental toxins likely have an underrecognized impact on human health. Still, before calling your realtor, it is worth highlighting several limitations of this study.

First, the authors present data on relative risk, so it is important to remember that the absolute risk of Parkinson disease (PD) is low, and even considering the elevated adjusted odds ratios, most individuals living near golf courses will not develop PD.

Second, as the authors note, there is not a dose response seen for those within a 3-mile radius of the golf course. Together with the lack of statistical significance provided in Table 1, this raises concerns for confounding. It appears that the risk of urban residence and White race are higher in cases than distance from a golf course. From Table 1, cases live a median 1.72 miles from a golf course and controls live 1.98 miles away. Is a median difference of 0.26 miles likely to have a plausible impact when there is no dose-response gradient within 3 miles? Are pesticides used on golf courses within 3 miles of a residence more likely to impact PD risk than those used on individuals' own lawns, or those used inside their own homes? And what of the health benefits of green spaces?

Overall, this study reminds us to be aware of unrecognized harms, but further research is needed before planning your next move because of proximity to a golf course.

Add to that it was a retrospective study of only 419 patients and a control group of 20 and what you have is basically a useless study with no valid conclusions. Don't move to the middle of the desert just yet.

Parkinsons
 

You have to also remember that The Villages has a very large number of veterans. How many of those were in Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange. Parkinson's is a presumed disease related to A. O. However many Villagers were exposed to pesticides through their occupation - i.e. farmers, landscapers, etc. Not to worry.

move here, but don't buy on a golf course.

Or one near a retention pond, one with grass growing around it, one with a pool.🤦*♂️

Best response here

And how “old” is this “long time manager”? Seems Parkinson’s is more prevalent in older adults and aren’t we that population here in The Vil?

Interesting study. Thanks for sharing that. Does our water come from a deeper aquifer? I think it does for at least most of The Villages.

If Parkinson’s can be caused by pesticides on golf courses, I would urge all golfers to stop licking the soles of their shoes clean after playing.

There probably is a correlation, I know of many farmers who have suffered from Parkinson's disease and they handled many of those types of sprays, weed and pesticide control. But what's the diff..., we all have to die of something and it's hard to beat a golf course view.

Lived here over 10 years in 3 different neighborhoods and I don't know anyone with Parkinson

Golf Course living well
 

Ive lived on a golf course my whole life, now 71! I've played golf on golf course since I was10. I currently live off of #1 Green at Southern Oaks. I , my wife and children are all healthy, and no Parkinson's. Maybe that information can calm your fears. But probably not! Do you know that more people die in cold months than in hot months...maybe you should come on to Florida regardless of Parkinson's! Good luck...
I

Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.

Yes, do not ask a civil question here because it's not the place for a civil answer!

Oh stop it …..live your life and stop worrying about everything you read , much of what is false or unproven……

The research should be on US greens keepers. See if there is an above average incident of Parkinson's in that group.
As GE pointed out, the test group was so small as to be irrelevant in the report.

So here's some info:

Parkinson's afflicts mostly old people. The older you are, the higher the likelihood you are to develop it (notice I didn't say risk - age isn't a risk factor, it's just the window of time when the disease is most likely to present itself).

The Villages is the largest community of old people in the country.

The Villages also has more golf courses than any other single community in the country.

The take-away from this: More old people move to the Villages to play golf than any other demographic. And so, you're likely to see more old people here getting Parkinson's than anywhere else. Not because of golf, but because of age.

Probability/statistics stuff. When mother nature wants to go fishing, she doesn't go to the pond with only 10 fish. She goes to the one with 1000 fish. The Villages has 150,000 fish.

Just remember if you are looking for credibility, this publication was all in in the COVID vaccine push.

Stop drinking tap water, stop eating all food you didn't grow, stop using all cleaning products unless you wear a haznat suit, stop washing your clothes. The list of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis goes on and on. To blame chemicals around a golf course for Parkinsons disease is ludicrous.

Allowing fear of the unknown and the what ifs to stop you from living your life is sad.

Bottled water for drinking/cooking might be a good idea?

I attend the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America conference every year as a vendor. That profession has one of the highest rate of cancer of any profession due to the herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers they are exposed to every day. It's so prevalent, that a significant amount of the training they go through at these conferences includes dealing with cancer insurance claims.

It's not a stretch to assume that some of these airborne chemicals can also impact the residents who live next to a golf course. The guys spraying this stuff are wearing gloves, respirators, and long sleeves. That stuff then drifts into your yard where you have none of those protections. If I had a home on the course, I would NEVER leave my windows open, and I would only enjoy the outdoors well after the chemicals had been applied and the grass had been mowed.

Europe bans most pesticides and insecticides because of these reasons. There are alternatives that can keep the course in top shape and reduce the known health risks. But they are expensive and would require regulations to force compliance.

Here is one of thousands of articles on the subject - Pesticide Dangers at Golf Courses Much Higher in the U.S. than Europe, Study Finds - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog

??????

There are quite a few that spend almost as much time on the golf course playing as in their home. How dose the Villages Parkinson's compare to the national average?

Please, no facts!:evil6: You are upsetting those Villagers hugging their security blankets. There is nothing to see here... keep walking.:ohdear:

You know in statistics, we could make just about anything correlate to anything else. It depends on which particular set of data you chose to use. My father-in-law died of Parkinson’s and he never was near a golf course. My gut instinct tells me that this correlation is highly unlikely.

Thank you for this
 

Thank you for finding this for me.