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For immediate release
May 31, 2007

GOLF—MORE BENEFITS TO WALK THE COURSE
Study shows players log 13,000 steps playing 18 holes

NEW ORLEANS – Golfers accumulate significant steps and may attain health benefits from walking the course, according to research presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Golfers averaged more than 13,000 steps in walking to play 18 holes, and even those using carts logged more than 6,000 steps. Guidelines published by ACSM and others recommend walking 10,000 steps per day to maintain cardiovascular fitness and effectively control weight.

“This illustrates an enjoyable way to get the health benefits of walking,” said Cristina Sanders, lead researcher for the study, who presented the findings as part of her graduate work at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. “Some people play golf for 40 or 50 years, and it can be quite beneficial.” While previous studies have measured the energy expenditure of individual golfers, this study thought to be the first using pedometers.

Researchers asked golfers at three courses to wear a pedometer while they played 18 holes and noted their height, weight, and handicap. They also noted number of players in each subject’s group, whether he would walk or use a cart, and which tee box he played. After the round, researchers recorded how many steps each golfer walked.

“We had expected that golfers using a cart might take one-quarter as many steps as those who walked the course,” Sanders said. “We were surprised to find that, depending on the course, cart users logged up to half as many steps.” Measuring each course by GPS (global positioning satellite) allowed researchers to calculate minimum course distances, including tee-to-green, green-to-tee, and intermediate path point distances (bridges, paths around lakes, etc.) for each tee box on every hole. These minimum course distances averaged 25 percent longer than the published course playing distances.

Walking golfers and cart golfers took 13,145 +/- 1,736 steps and 6,280 +/- 1,428 steps, respectively. Interestingly, Sanders and her colleagues found no correlation between step count and the golfers’ height, handicap or tee box. Self-reported weight of walking golfers, though, averaged about 8.5 pounds less than that of golfers who used carts.

The golfers in Sanders’ study were all men. She proposed that future research include women, who often play from different tees.  Also of interest, she said, would be a large-scale look into golfers’ energy expenditure, accounting for the extra effort associated with carrying clubs or using pull carts.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 international, national, and regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

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The conclusions outlined in this news release are those of the researchers only, and should not be construed as an official statement of the American College of Sports Medicine.