Politicians have come out in support of golf following a University of Edinburgh report which details a number of health benefits.

According to the study, playing the sport regularly decreases the risks of more than 40 major chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and colon and breast cancer.

Golfers who walk 18 holes cover four to eight miles, and typically burn a minimum of 500 calories.

The sport has also been linked to reduced levels of anxiety, depression and dementia.

Co-chair of the Parliamentary Golf Group, Stephen Gethins MP, tabled a motion in the House of Commons welcoming the review and its results.

He said the review would be of “major interest to policymakers in the UK”.

“It reveals the benefits of sport for longevity, but also quality of live,” Gethins added. “I look forward to seeing further research into the impact of the sport on health, particularly for older people.”

Karl McCartney MP, Gethins’ co-chair, said: “I welcome this review, and in particular its finding that golfers of all ages and abilities can gain the same health benefits as those at elite level, including better physical and mental health outcomes, and a likely longer life.”