Any talk of golf as exercise could make cyclists choke on their energy bars. But a new study suggests that a round of golf can confer longevity benefits just as robust as a 100-mile bike ride.

The study in the Christmas edition of BMJ—the peer-reviewed publication formerly known as the British Medical Journal—is based on the mortality records of 9,889 athletes who competed in the Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936. "Engaging in cycling and rowing (high cardiovascular intensity) had no added survival benefit compared with...