Some people play golf for fun.
Some of us play just to torture ourselves with the most challenging game there is.
However, there is a large group of people who will play golf for the exercise.
Golf was not always thought of as an activity that can help you lose weight and get into shape, but it absolutely can be.
If you have ever wondered if golf is a good exercise, then you are in the right place.
How Many Calories Do You Burn Playing Golf with a Cart?
When you play golf with a cart, you will burn around 1000 calories during an eighteen-hole round.
You can expect about half as much when you play nine holes of golf.
The exact number of calories burned while playing is going to depend on your physical condition and the type of course you play.
If you play a golf course that requires you to park the cart far from the greens and walk, you will burn more calories.
If you take more swings than the average golfer, you will also burn more calories.
The total of 1000 calories burned while playing is a combination of the calories you burn while swinging and while walking the golf course.
How Long of a Walk Is a Golf Course?
An average golf course is about five miles long.
If you are walking the course entirely, you may walk anywhere from four to seven miles.
The reason for the range is the path you take.
If you are one of those golfers who is hitting shots from other fairways all the time, you will take a much longer walk.
Although you won’t get a full five miles in when you ride on a golf cart, you may be surprised when you look at your pedometer at the end of the round.
Chances are there will still be a few miles and plenty of steps to meet your daily requirement.
When you play a round of golf, you are on the golf course for an extended period, and that is what adds to the calories you burn.
If you went for a five-mile walk and tried to do it in an hour, it would feel a lot more like exercise, and it would be a lot less pleasant.
We like to say that playing on the golf course is a bit like sneaking in some exercise.
Is It Better to Walk the Course with a Push Cart or to Carry a Golf Bag?
Many golfers think that, if you want to burn the most calories during a round of golf, you have to carry your golf bag and walk.
This is true, but it is not always the best decision.
Walking with a golf bag on your back is difficult and can cause fatigue to your back and shoulders.
You are much better off walking with a pushcart and saving your body from this extra stress and pressure.
The difference in the number of calories you burn will only be a few hundred, and that is certainly not going to be worth it when it comes to the potential for damage to your body.
Walking with a pushcart also allows you to keep all of your gear organized, set up an umbrella for some added sun protection, and enjoy a great walk around the course.
Do You Need to Be in Good Shape to Walk a Golf Course?
If you are new to the game of golf and you are taking it up as a way to exercise, you should probably ease into it.
Many people are surprised as to how sore their body is after their first round of golf.
The golf swing requires you to use muscles you may not otherwise use, and because of this, you may want to give yourself a bit of time to adjust to this new sport.
We highly recommend playing a nine-hole round using a golf cart before heading out on the golf course for a walk.
You can build up some of the muscles you will need to get you to the point of walking the golf course.
Once you have a few eighteen-hole cart rounds in place, play nine holes walking with a pushcart.
If you feel like you can do more, then by all means, give the eighteen holes a shot.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that playing golf burns a lot more calories than you probably thought.
For a person who wants a bit of extra exercise on a Saturday morning, you can undoubtedly count your golf round.
If you want to know the exact number of calories burned while playing golf, wear a fitness tracker.
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