How Many Calories Burned Walking 18 Holes of Golf?

Did you know that there are people who do golf as a form of exercise? Most people consider golf to be a leisure activity unless Tiger Woods is competing. However, a lot of energy goes into playing an 18-hole golf round because it requires walking around and swinging. 

There aren’t many studies that prove the number of calories that you can burn from playing golf. It is a good idea to know the number of calories that you can burn from playing golf.

The American Heart Society recommends that individuals should do at least 150 minutes of exercise. That translates to 30 minutes of cardio exercise per day.

It is possible to do brisk walks that total 30 minutes a day. Walking is a fantastic exercise for people of all ages, and it doesn’t affect the knee or ankle joints.

How Many Miles are 18 Holes of Golf?

An 18-hole golf course is roughly equivalent to 4 miles, which is a long distance. So even though golf players tend to walk and stop frequently, you can still burn calories playing.

It takes 4-5.5 hours to complete a game on an 18-hole golf course. That is a significant amount of time to stay standing and swinging.

Determining the number of calories is that it isn’t possible to measure the exact number of calories a person can burn playing golf.

Several factors need consideration when deciding how many calories you will burn. But, the bottom line is that you can burn decent calories when playing golf.

How Many Calories Can You Burn Playing 18 holes of golf?

It is common for people to ask themselves, ‘walking 18 holes burns how many calories?’ Harvard.edu has an article that estimates that you can burn 800-900 calories when playing an 18-hole golf game.

The calories can increase from 900 to 1400, depending on the complexity of the golf course.

The intensity of the game also matters. Therefore, you can put some effort into increasing the calories that you burn when golfing and adopt playing golf as an exercise.

The 800-900 calories are the primary measure for anyone counting calories from playing 18-hole golf rounds.

Therefore, if you play golf three times a week, you can burn 2400-2700 calories per week. 

Add a little cardio from walking or the gym, and you have a huge calorie deficit that can lead to weight loss. Here are some of the factors that can increase the number of calories that you can burn.

4 Factors That can increase burned calories of playing golf

Carry Your Golf Clubs 

Carrying golf clubs when playing 18 holes golf has been compared to hiking with a heavy backpack.

Golf clubs weigh 20-30 lbs, which can be heavy after 3hrs of trotting around the golf course with a bag. The estimate is that you can burn up to 1400 calories when you carry your gear.

It would be best to find a bag with a comfortable strap that won’t hurt your shoulder when you take it.

It would also be best to find a durable bag that won’t tear when you are in the middle of the game.

You will miss out on your exercise when you have to leave the game halfway. 

You may get tired of carrying your golf clubs the first few times. However, keep in mind that you are trying to maximize the calories you burn on the golf course.

When Pushing a Cart 

Pushing a cart doesn’t significantly reduce the number of calories that you burn when playing golf.

Neil Wolkodoff conducted a study to determine walking 18 holes of golf burns how many calories under different circumstances and shared his findings with the New York Times.

He found out that you can burn 718 calories for a 9-hole golf game. That translates to 1436 calories for an 18 holes golf game. In comparison, you can burn 721 calories when walking with a bag during a 9-hole match.

A cart is an excellent option for individuals who cannot carry a golf bag across the golf course when playing.

However, you will still expend many calories when you play a game pushing your golf cart. It is convenient to carry your equipment across the golf course when you are playing.

With a Caddie

Walking with a caddie can burn up to 621 calories during 9-holes, translating to 1200 calories when playing 18 holes.

Employing a caddie to carry your equipment ensures that you are free to walk around and reserve your energy for swinging.

The option burns fewer calories than carrying your bag. However, you will still burn a significant number of calories when using a caddie. In addition, the calories can add up to your weekly calorie deficit when you couple golf with other exercise forms.

Riding a Cart

Riding a cart is an excellent way for senior citizens to get across the golf course. Golf carts are also a source of income for the golf club.

There is a bad reputation for hiring golf carts, but it is an excellent option for people who cannot walk for a long distance of 18 holes.

You can burn 412 calories when riding a cart playing nine holes. Therefore, you can burn a total of 824 calories when playing 18 holes.

When using a golf cart, you burn calories, but you will still burn significant calories when playing 18 holes.

Being able to burn around 800 calories while riding the golf cart isn’t something insignificant. You can enjoy playing golf, burn some calories, and still travel across the golf course in style.

Are All The Calories Burns During 18 Holes from Walking?

A game of 18 holes requires a significant amount of calories. Intense games can even burn almost 2,000 calories for professional players and lean people.

Golf involves walking the course and swinging clubs to hit the ball. Unfortunately, separating calories from walking on the golf course from swinging a golf club isn’t easy.

However, it is impossible to ignore that an 18 holes game spreads across 4-5 miles of land. Therefore, you will still walk for four miles when playing the game.

Walking for four miles can count as a form of exercise on its own. It is okay to assume that walking makes up the significant number of calories burnt during an 18 holes game.

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What Other Factors Can Affect the Calories You Burn?

Several other factors can affect the number of calories you can buy and the calories above. For example, the distance you walk searching for lost balls will also add to the calories you burn during 18 holes.

The terrain of the golf course also plays a role in determining the number of calories you burn. For example, a golf course with steep climbs will require you to use more energy to move from one point to the next.

Finally, the number of players in the 18 holes game determines the duration that the game takes. Therefore, you are bound to take more steps when you spend more time on the golf course.

Playing with other people isn’t straightforward as playing 18 holes of golf on your own.

Can You Use 18 Holes of Golf to Lose Weight?

Golf burns a lot of calories, but you cannot play golf every single day. Therefore, you need to look for new ways to complement the calories that you burn in golf.

You can take up brisk walking, running, or cross-fit to burn extra calories and create a deficit of 3500 calories.

The goal of losing weight should be to burn 3500 calories per week by creating a 500 calorie deficit daily.

The bottom line is that you cannot use golf as a weight loss exercise. Instead, you need to create a schedule and use the extra calories you expend when playing golf to boost weight loss.

However, golf is a fun way to burn extra calories a few days a week.

How Many Times Can You Play 18 Holes?

It is impossible to play 18 holes in golf unless you are a professional golf player. You can only play 18 holes roughly three times a week or less when you have a busy schedule.

The essential fact is to ensure that they include other exercise forms to add on top of the calories that you burn from playing golf.

Conclusion

Golf is a physically intense sport that burns many calories even when you are traveling with a cart. You can benefit from playing 18 holes of golf and get in some form of exercise.

You can enjoy the maximum calorie burn by walking through the golf course carrying your bag or pushing a cart. However, research shows that taking the load increases the calories that you expend.

However, do not shy away from using a golf cart if you cannot walk the whole distance of a game of 18 holes.

Overall, golf is an excellent sport that helps you relax, socialize, and burn calories. In addition, you can take advantage of 18 holes games and do some exercise.

Fun fact, swinging a golf club to hit the ball engages almost all the muscles of your body. So you can try it and see whether the sport helps you shed a little weight over time.

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