
Walking the Course How It Affects Your Game
- Watch for fatigue. This is an obvious point, as you may wind up getting tired near the end of a round when you walk the...
- You might find a better rhythm. For some golfers, walking the course instead of riding is a great way to get into a...
- Gain a better understanding of the course. Walking up the fairways has yet another...
What are the benefits of walking the golf course?
Experience – You can fully enjoy the natural beauty of the course from tee to green. The benefits of walking are not limited to the golfer, they extend to the golf course as well. A walking golfer has much less of an impact on the turf than those that ride in a golf cart. Walking the course, believe it or not, also speeds up play.
Should you walk or ride when playing golf?
Expect to receive comments from people once you make the decision to walk while playing golf. These comments will either be positive or negative. Regardless, you are out playing golf. A purist on walking or riding are taking away from the enjoyment of the game.
How often should you walk on the golf course?
Walking a couple rounds a week or a month could have good positive impacts on your health and fitness. The time between golf shots can be a critical few moments. When walking, it provides a golfer the time and opportunity to think about the next shot.
What are the health benefits of playing golf?
Physical - The most obvious benefit is the good walking does for your health. You burn almost twice as many calories as you would riding in a cart. A typical round of 18 holes stretches up to four miles, or more in some cases and allows the golfer to get in over 10,000 steps.

Is it better to walk the golf course?
A typical round of 18 holes stretches up to four miles, or more in some cases and allows the golfer to get in over 10,000 steps. Walking the course can help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid all of the complications that go along with weight gain, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
How many miles is a golf course if you walk it?
The World Golf Foundation estimates that golfers who walk an 18-hole course clock about 5 miles and burn up to 2,000 calories.
How many calories do you burn when you walk a golf course?
Yes, golfing burns calories. There are many factors involved, but golf burns 600 calories per hour (walking or using a push cart), on average, which equates to: What is this? Golf is actually on par (no pun intended) with other sports concerning caloric burn per hour if the golfer is walking and carrying their clubs.
Is walking a golf course faster?
It's a very common misconception that it takes longer to walk the course than it does to ride in a cart. Pace of Play is such a large subject in Golf that the USGA has dedicated tremendous amounts of time and money to conduct research and provide resources on how to help speed things up.
Do pro golfers walk the course?
Yet on the PGA Tour, professional golfers walk the entire course with their caddy lugging the clubs without so much as a hand cart. This is because all the major tours, the PGA Tour included, believe that walking is an integral part of the game and requires all golfers to walk the course.
What percentage of golfers walk?
Still, before this year, nearly 70 percent of rounds were played with a golf cart, according to National Golf Foundation. But in a foundation survey last summer, 33 percent of golfers who played regularly said they were walking more frequently.
How far do you walk playing 9 holes of golf?
Golf can be great exercise. It is said that walking 9-holes on the course is the equivalent of walking over 3 miles! But if you do walk, you still want to be able to play at a decent pace to keep up with the 15- minute a hole standard.
Does golf count as exercise?
Golf can be good for your health and your heart. Walking an average course for a round of golf can be between five to seven kilometres. If you walk 18 holes three to five times a week, you'll get an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart.
How many steps is 18 holes of golf?
Subjects walked each course while wearing a pedometer to record step data. Analysis revealed that each golfer took a mean ± SD 11,948 ± 1781 steps per 18-hole round of golf. Regardless of handicap level, sex, or course played, most subjects exceeded 10,000 steps during a typical round of golf.
Is it bad to walk a golf course?
Walking a golf course is good for your health, good for the course's health and good for the game's health.
Is walking 18 holes of golf good exercise?
Walking golf is a great exercise for children and adults who love playing this invigorating sport. People who forgo the golf carts and hoof it on foot can find themselves burning off between 1,000 to 1,500 calories when playing all 18-holes. You can burn off more calories by carrying your clubs.
How hard is it to walk 18 holes?
Our results were astounding. During a standard 18-hole round (measuring the distance walked from the first tee through to the 18th green) each golfer in our test walked around 8.5km. When we added the off-course measurements (Carpark, clubhouse, practice area) the total was closer to a whopping 9.5km!
How far do you walk in 9 holes of golf?
Golf can be great exercise. It is said that walking 9-holes on the course is the equivalent of walking over 3 miles! But if you do walk, you still want to be able to play at a decent pace to keep up with the 15- minute a hole standard.
How many miles does a golfer walk in 18 holes at Augusta National?
Play a round of regulation 18-hole golf on most courses and you'll walk anywhere between 3 and 6 miles, depending on the length of the course, how much walking you do before and after your game, and how often you have to wander off course in search of lost balls.
How many calories do you burn when you walk 18 holes of golf?
1,200-3,000 caloriesFor an 18-hole round of golf, which can run from 4-5.5 hours, a walking golfer can burn anywhere from 1,200-3,000 calories. A golfer won't burn quite as many calories if they're walking the course but using a push cart, but the energy expended to push or pull a walking cart will come close to making up the difference.
How long does it take to walk 18 miles?
Here are some figures for different walking paces:MilesRelaxed PaceNormal Pace15 miles5 hrs3 hrs, 45 mins16 miles5 hrs, 20 mins4 hrs17 miles5 hrs, 40 mins4 hrs, 15 mins18 miles6 hrs4 hrs, 30 mins35 more rows•Oct 8, 2020
Why do you walk on a golf course?
It's a way to learn more about the courses you play, to gain an appreciation for the nuances of a golf course that just aren't visible from a golf cart.
How long does it take to walk while playing golf?
Also, according to Golf Science International, a researcher named Gi Magnusson calculated that four hours of playing golf while walking is comparable to a 45-minute fitness class.
What does a golf cart do to a golf course?
Golf Cart Damage. Golf carts damage fairways. They damage rough, they damage areas around bunkers and around greens (of course, carts aren't supposed to get into areas around bunkers and greens , but depending on who's driving, they sometimes do).
Why are golf carts used?
One of the reasons golf carts were introduced in the first place was to allow more players onto a course at the same time. And carts do that by speeding the time it takes a group on the No. 1 tee to reach its first shots of the day down the fairway. That shortens the gap between tee times.
How much does walking golf reduce cholesterol?
As for those scientific studies: Among others, researchers in Sweden found that walking golf equated to 40-percent to 70-percent of the intensity of a maximum aerobic workout (assuming 18 holes played). In another, cardiologist Dr. Edward A. Palank's study showed that walking golfers reduced their levels of bad cholesterol while keeping their good ...
How to play golf with a partner who rides?
Walk one set of nines, ride the other. If you are at a course that requires golf carts, walk down the fairway to your ball while your partner brings the cart up. If playing with a partner who rides, ride only on the cart path and walk to and from the cart to your ball on every hole . It's also a good idea for walkers to look after their backs ...
What publication offers suggestions for beginners or veteran riders who want to walk but aren't yet in shape for it?
An article in the Northern Ohio Golf Association publication Fairways offered suggestions for beginners or veteran riders who want to walk but aren't yet in shape for it:
What are the benefits of walking on a golf course?
Benefits Of Walking The Golf Course 1 Helps to lower high cholesterol and diabetes 2 Improvement of joint pain 3 Reduction of muscular pain, arthritis, and overall stiffness 4 Extend your life 5 Save money on cart fees
How many steps does it take to walk a golf course?
Walking the golf course is considered a great form of exercise. The typical golfer will walk between 4 and 6 miles during the round, taking nearly 10,000 steps (depending on his or her stride length), and burn up to 900 calories. Not to mention the additional calories you can burn from swinging the golf club throughout your round.
How to not get invited back to golf?
Don’t distract your group when they are hitting. Checking your phone consistently during the round is one of the easiest ways not to get invited back to play.
How long does it take to finish a golf round?
Be Sure to Keep Up. For many, the game of golf already takes too long. Most courses are happy when you finish your round in under four hours and thirty minutes. If you are like the writing staff at AEC Info, this is at least 30 minutes too long.
How long does it take to walk 18 holes in golf?
A foursome with average golf skills should take about four hours walking 18 holes on a typical course. The experience and skill level will play a role in the length of the round. Playing golf while riding in a cart takes roughly the same amount of time unless you are restricted to the cart path only, and if that is the case a walking player can ...
How many steps do you need to walk to play golf?
A typical round will have you walking between 4 and 6 miles, or roughly 10,000 steps. Several factors will go into the distance traveled, such as the golf course’s length, how straight you hit the golf ball, and the length of your stride. Doctors and other health professionals usually advise taking at least 10,000 steps a day, ...
Why is it important to avoid golf carts?
Helps to lower high cholesterol and diabetes. Improvement of joint pain. Reduction of muscular pain, arthritis, and overall stiffness. Extend your life. Save money on cart fees. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of avoiding the golf cart and walking while you play is that you keep the body moving. You certainly have heard the phrase “use it ...
How many miles should a golfer walk?
Golfers should walk on a regular basis to build up cardio endurance. If a golf course averages 6 miles, a golfer should be able to briskly walk 2 to 3 miles in order to endure a length of 6 miles at a slower pace. Golfers who take up jogging do even better at walking the course and keeping up optimal game performance than those who don't do any conditioning. Light weight bearing exercises will also help build muscle tone and endurance. This will help prevent early onset muscle fatigue when carrying a bag.
How do golfers get around?
Before golf carts became the easiest way to get around the golf course, most golfers got around by walking. Many golfers still enjoy walking the golf course for the exercise and social aspects of being able to walk and talk. Studies are now being done trying to prove that walking affects a golfer's game more than golfers who use only a cart. Golfers are also curious about how their golf games change when they carry their bags while walking as opposed to walking and having a caddy carry the bags or follow behind in a cart. Studies are beginning to show that golfers who walk an entire course while carrying their bags do show a decrease in performance by the end of the course.
Is golfing a sport?
Every golfer knows that golfing isn't seen as the type of sport that's known to build endurance and stamina. Golfing is stressful on the body, especially if someone's out of shape or not used to exercise. For this reason, golfers who try to walk the course and carry their bags may actually be hurting their golf game.
Can you walk while golfing?
While golfing provides a decent workout and can even help some people lose weight and improve fitness levels, walking while golfing can affect a golfer's game . If you enjoy walking and golfing, make sure to condition your body a little bit. This will help you maintain optimal performance, especially when playing in a tournament.
Do golf courses require carts?
Many golf courses require that golfers use a cart on certain paths to help maintain the lushness of the green. But some courses still allow golfers to walk. If a golfer enjoys walking but doesn't want to have it affect their game they need to improve their fitness level.
What are the methods of improving pace of play in golf?
In addition, golf courses need to embrace all methods of improving pace of play open to them – including technology, course logistics (including tee time intervals), course set up, and properly prepping golfers before they tee off as to the expectations of the day.
What would happen if golf courses raised green fees?
If a course raised greens fees and lost some customers, three things would happen: pace of play would improve, the course would have happier customers and it would have the same, if not more, revenue. One problem: fewer golfers means a drop in food, beverage and Pro Shop sales, which is where money is made.
What is improving pace of play?
Improving pace of play isn’t about rushing through the round – it’s about a predictable and smooth-flowing round. It’s far more enjoyable to have a consistent pace with little to no waiting.
How many responses did MyGolfSpy receive?
Several weeks ago, MyGolfSpy ran a survey in our Community Forum (you can check it out here ). We received nearly 650 responses – certainly not definitive by any stretch, but it does give some insight into the opinions of avid golfers who frequent golf forums.
How many people say slow play keeps them from playing certain courses?
49% of the respondents say slow play keeps them from playing certain courses, but only on certain days; only 2% said it keeps them from playing at all.
Where is John the Golfer?
John is an aging, yet avid golfer, writer, 9-point-something handicapper living back home in New England after a 22-year exile in Minnesota. He loves telling stories, writing about golf and golf travel, and enjoys classic golf equipment. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” - BenHogan
Is there a magic wand for slow play?
How many articles, Tweets or posts do you see about a single rider vehicle or other doodads, ideas or technology, asking if this is the answer to slow play? The truth is there is no one single solution, no one magic wand that will cure pace of play concerns. Pace of play can certainly be improved, but only if golfers and golf courses look in the mirror.
