Should You Be Worried About Living Near a Golf Course?

Unbiased Science: “…The researchers set out to investigate whether living near golf courses increases Parkinson’s disease risk, possibly due to pesticide exposure from course maintenance contaminating water and air. They analyzed data from 419 PD patients and over 5,000 matched controls in Minnesota and Wisconsin, comparing how close they lived to golf courses and their water sources. Here’s what emerged:

• Living within 1 mile of a golf course was associated with a 126% higher odds of PD compared to living more than 6 miles away
• People in water service areas with a golf course had nearly double the PD risk compared to areas without golf courses
• Vulnerable groundwater regions (areas easily contaminated by pesticides) showed 82% higher PD risk than non-vulnerable areas
• Urban areas showed stronger associations between golf course proximity and PD, possibly due to higher population density..”