Walking while you Golf burns more calories

I dedicate this article to my friend, Topper Knepp who gets 36 holes in per week.

Feb 19 2009
According to Brent Kelley golf is good for you.

Golfers know that getting out there on the course, swinging the club and - especially - walking is a bit more than just a leisurely stroll in the park. We already knew that golf requires coordination, concentration, and, yes, physical effort, to play successfully.

The scientist who conducted the study is Neil Wolkodoff, who is the director of the Rose Center for Health and Sports Sciences in Denver, Colo.

During these 9-hole outings, the golfers varied their means of transportation (walking, riding in a cart) and also their means of transporting the golf bag (on a golf cart, on their shoulders, on a push cart, on a caddie's shoulders).

Among the findings were these numbers (remember, the figures cited are for nine holes only):
Calories Burned
• Walking: 721
• Using push cart: 718
• Using caddie: 613
• Riding: 411

Miles Walked
• Not riding in cart: 2.5
• Riding in cart: 0.5

The study concludes that golfers who walk 36 holes a week will burn around 2,900 calories per week. The threshold of 2,500 calories burned in a week is an important one; according to the AP article, "studies have shown that those who burn 2,500 calories a week improve their overall health by lowering their risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer."