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Is walking while playing golf good exercise?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 15, 2026

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.

Is it good to walk when playing golf?

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.

Is walking 9 holes of golf good exercise?

If a golfer choose to walk while playing golf -- either nine holes or 18 holes -- they're going to burn a substantial number of calories. The golf industry likes to say that a golfer will burn as many as 2,000 calories playing golf if they walk all 18 holes while carrying a golf bag -- which is usually 20-30 lbs.

Can you lose weight walking a golf course?

Walking an 18-hole golf course in four hours can burn up to 800 calories, or even more if the terrain is hilly and if you are carrying your golf clubs in a carry bag. While you will lose weight quicker via cardio or weight training, walking the golf course is proven to help burn excess body fat.

How much exercise do you get playing golf?

Even golfers using a motorized cart can burn about 1,300 calories and walk 2 miles when playing 18 holes. When we asked adults who play sports which one they play the most, golf topped the list.

25 related questions found

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 far do you walk during 18 holes of golf?

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.

Is golf considered a workout?

Golf offers both cardiovascular and strength exercise. A full round normally equates to around 3.6 to 3.8 miles, depending on where and how you play. Granted, again, a cart user will walk a bit less but they will still get plenty of exercise and certainly more than you would sitting on the couch.

Does golf really burn calories?

The average person burns 350-475 calories per hour playing golf. At the driving range they will burn 200-300 calories per hour. The number of calories burned depends on your weight and the intenstiy of your activity. A 200-pound person walking and pulling their clubs will burn 515 calories per hour.

Do you play better golf walking or riding?

A golfer usually burns twice as many calories walking 18 holes as does one who rides. Walking 18 holes is equivalent to a 3.5 – 4 mile run and can exceed 10,000 steps during a typical golf round.

How far do you walk if you play 9 holes of golf?

The average 9 hole golf course is around 3250 yards so when converting yards into steps using a conversion tool, the total step count for 9 holes is 3900 steps. What is this?

Does golf build muscle?

Swinging a golf club, in and of itself, is not very difficult from a strength training point of view. However, as discussed above, golf courses typically have lots of hills and valleys. Walking up these hills is sure to work the quadriceps and hamstrings, which help to make up the muscles of the lower body.

Does hitting golf balls burn calories?

If you figure you hit about 100 or so golf balls at the driving range in an hour, it works out to about two calories per swing. A fair estimate is that you burn anywhere from two to four calories each time you swing a golf club.

How many calories do you burn playing golf walking?

Walking 18 holes equals about four undulating miles, and doing that while swinging and carrying your bag probably pegs your total calories-burned number to around ~1,400, according to an experiment conducted by the Director of the Center for Health and Sport Science and reported on by the New York Times, and sometimes ...

How many calories will an hour walk burn?

An hour walk burns between 210 and 360 calories for most people. At a casual pace you will cover 3 miles in an hour walk. Doing an hour walk 5 days of the week will burn an extra 1,050 to 1,800 calories. If your diet remains the same, this increased exercise could lead to ⅓ to ½ a pound of fat loss a week.

Is golf a vigorous exercise?

Studies of golfers have found that playing 18 holes is about equal to brisk walking in terms of intensity—even though golf walking is stop-and-go.

What muscles does golf work?

The most important muscles for golf are located in your core—which includes your chest and back—your forearms, and your butt. These muscles allow you to control the force and rotation of your swing, giving you more power over the ball itself.

Does golf work your abs?

Every time you swing your club, you're engaging your core muscles and improving their strength and mobility. It's no wonder pro golfers have some of the best abs around.

How long does it take to walk 5 miles?

But in general, briskly walking a mile can take anywhere from 13 to 20 minutes, according to UC Berkeley. As a result, the time it takes to walk 5 miles can range between an hour and five minutes to an hour and 40 minutes.

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.

What is considered a good golfer?

The survey found golfers around 16 to 20 handicap to be the average golfer. The USPAG puts the “official” average at a 15 handicap. This would mean a player who typically scores around 90 on the average course.

How many miles does it take to walk a golf course?

The average distance walked was 6.6 miles, or a distance 69% greater than the scorecard yardage alone. The shortest distance walked was 5.7 miles, or a distance 47% greater than the scorecard yardage alone. The longest distance walked was 7.8 miles, or precisely double the scorecard's yardage!

Do golfers live longer?

As golf can provide moderate-intensity physical activity – you can reap the rewards and outpace the grim reaper. A Swedish study found a 40% lower mortality rate amongst golfers, relative to non-golfers. That means a potential extra 5-years of life – regardless of age, or gender! Golfers live longer than non-golfers.

How many calories should Golfers eat?

The Food and Drug Administration recommends between 1,600 and 2,800 depending on those factors. For example, if a golfer needs 2200 calories per day, 1100 of those calories should come from healthy whole grain carbohydrates.