Living Near a Golf Course Could Double Your Risk of Parkinson’s, New Study Finds
For millions of people, including my wife and me, who live just 25 meters from the fairway, life beside a golf course seems idyllic: peaceful mornings, immaculate lawns, and fresh open air.
But new research suggests that living near those lush fairways may come with an unexpected cost to your health.
A 2025 study published in JAMA Network Open found that people who lived within one mile of a golf course had a 126% higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared with people who lived six or more miles away.
That's not a typo, the risk more than doubled.
The finding doesn't mean golf causes Parkinson's, but it adds to a growing body of evidence that long-term, low-level pesticide exposure could play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases.
What the Study Found
The study, led by Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski of the Barrow Neurological Institute, analyzed detailed environmental and health data from thousands of residents in Minnesota.
Her team found several striking patterns:
- Living within one mile of a golf course → 126% greater odds of Parkinson's disease
- Living in public water districts that also served golf courses → almost double the risk
- Living in areas with vulnerable groundwater — shallow or porous soil — → 82% higher odds
- For every mile farther than three miles from a golf course, the risk dropped by about 13%
These results remained even after adjusting for age, sex, and socioeconomic factors.
Researchers believe the likely culprits are pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides commonly sprayed to keep golf courses emerald green year-round.
Over time, these chemicals can leach into groundwater or drift through the air, entering homes and water systems used by nearby residents.
Why Pesticides Matter
The link between pesticides and Parkinson's isn't new. For decades, studies have shown that chemicals such as paraquat, chlorpyrifos, and rotenone damage dopamine-producing brain cells — the very neurons that die in Parkinson's disease.
A 2020 review in The Lancet Neurology concluded that pesticide exposure is one of the most consistent environmental risk factors for Parkinson's disease worldwide.
Golf courses, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, use four to seven times more pesticides per acre than agricultural farmland.
Add that to the fact that many residential golf communities use shared water systems, and it's easy to see why scientists are starting to look closer.
What This Means for Homeowners and Golfers
You don't have to move or quit golf to protect yourself, but awareness and small changes can go a long way.
Here are some practical steps you can take:
- Ask questions at your golf course. Request a list of the products used for pest and weed control, and whether they use integrated pest management (IPM) or organic options.
- Avoid exposure during spraying days. Stay indoors, close windows, and keep pets and kids off the grass for at least 24 hours after chemical applications.
- Protect your water. If you rely on private wells or live close to a course, consider testing your water for pesticide residues and installing an activated carbon or reverse osmosis filter.
- Rinse and remove. After golfing or walking the course, remove shoes before entering your home and wash hands before eating or drinking.
- Support cleaner greens. Many courses across the U.S. are experimenting with organic or reduced-pesticide maintenance programs. Members and residents can advocate for these healthier practices.
Expert Perspectives
Dr. Krzyzanowski explains: “Golf courses use large amounts of pesticides that can move through soil and groundwater. Our findings suggest that residents nearby may experience long-term, low-level exposure that increases neurological risk.”
Other neurologists agree that pesticide exposure is a major clue to the rising rates of Parkinson's, ALS, and even certain types of dementia.
While genetics play a role, environmental toxins may be what “pulls the trigger.”
A Bigger Picture: Preventable Disease
Every day, new evidence suggests that many neurological diseases are environmentally preventable.
Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, warned more than 60 years ago that modern chemicals could slowly damage not just ecosystems but human health.
Today, her words are proving prophetic.
The good news? Awareness is power.
Communities that demand safer practices, transparency, and regular water testing can make a real difference, without giving up the sport they love.
Final Thoughts.
Golf courses are beautiful, but beauty shouldn't come at the expense of our brains.
If we can grow organic coffee, wine, and produce, we can also grow organic fairways.
By asking the right questions and making small changes, homeowners and golfers alike can keep both their greens and their minds healthy for years to come.
About the Author
Scott Oliver, 66, is living well with prostate cancer after dedicating more than 4,000 hours to researching the condition. His first goal is to help men reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer through proven lifestyle strategies.
When diagnosed, his mission is to help men avoid unnecessary prostate surgeries that can lead to devastating complications such as incontinence, bleeding, permanent impotence, and a loss of length.
Scott Oliver is not a doctor and does not offer medical advice; however, he is healthier and fitter than he has been in decades. Through his articles and videos, he shares hard-to-find, uncensored information on proven alternative therapies, effective fitness methods, and repurposed drugs, content that most doctors won’t mention and search engines suppress.
He is an accredited member of the National Writers Union (NWU) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest organization of professional journalists. Scott is also the author of What If Cancer’s Best Defense Is Free? Sleep as a Defense Against Cancer: A Former Royal Marines Commando’s 4,000-Hour Research Roadmap, where he reveals how sleep repairs DNA, restores immunity, and strengthens the body’s natural defenses against cancer.
You can always contact Scott Oliver here with your questions and suggestions.
Expert Resources Used By Scott Oliver To Research and Write This Article:
- Association of Living Near Golf Courses With Parkinson Disease Risk – JAMA Network Open (2025)
Peer-reviewed study by Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski and colleagues at the Barrow Neurological Institute. Found a 126% higher risk of Parkinson's disease among individuals living within one mile of a golf course compared to those living six or more miles away. Read the study - Parkinson's Foundation – Golf Course Study Summary (2025)
Accessible summary of the JAMA Network Open findings, explaining how pesticides used on golf courses may contaminate groundwater and increase neurological disease risk. Read the summary - US Geological Survey – Pesticide Use and Environmental Health
Government report outlining pesticide usage rates in the United States, noting that golf courses use significantly more pesticides per acre than most agricultural land. View the report - Pesticides and Parkinson's Disease: A Review – The Lancet Neurology (2020)
Comprehensive scientific review summarizing decades of evidence linking pesticide exposure, particularly to chemicals like paraquat and chlorpyrifos, with Parkinson's disease. Read the review - Annals of Neurology – Letter on Downwind Pesticide Drift and Parkinson's Cases
Brief clinical report noting that most Parkinson's patients in a small sample lived downwind from golf courses, suggesting airborne exposure as a possible pathway. Read the letter - Environmental Health Perspectives – Pesticide Exposure and Neurodegeneration
NIH-supported research exploring how chronic exposure to common pesticides may trigger oxidative stress and dopaminergic neuron loss linked to Parkinson's disease. View the article - News-Medical.net – Living Near Golf Courses Raises Parkinson's Disease Risk
Science news article summarizing the JAMA Network Open study and expert commentary on pesticide contamination and its neurological implications. Read the article - EPA – Pesticides and Groundwater Contamination
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency resource describing how pesticides migrate into groundwater, posing long-term risks to human health. Visit the EPA resource - Occupational Risk of Pesticide Exposure and Parkinson's Disease – Environmental Research (2021)
Meta-analysis confirming higher Parkinson's risk among farmers, landscapers, and groundskeepers exposed to pesticides, reinforcing findings from golf course studies. Read the study - Rachel Carson's Legacy: Silent Spring and Environmental Health Awareness
Retrospective article connecting Carson's warnings about pesticide use to modern neurological disease concerns like Parkinson's. Read the article