First off, I’ll start this piece by saying how thankful I am to live in the great state of Florida. I think our governor Ron DeSantis has done an excellent job guiding Floridians through this pandemic. Florida has been able to flatten the curve while allowing golf courses to remain open; listing golf as an essential service. Florida isn’t alone in their declaration that golf is OK, 32 States continue to keep golf courses open with modifications to promote proper social distancing and reduce the risk of infection.
The most significant modification is the fact that golfers can no longer share a golf cart. Many courses have done away with carts and are only providing golfers with the option to walk. Golf Clubs that are allowing golfers to ride solo are having trouble keeping up with demand. Club fleets are sized based on having two golfers to a cart, factor in the amount of time it takes to clean and sanitize a cart between rounds, and the number of available golf carts around the country has dramatically decreased.
Usually, I would be the first person to start dropping F-Bombs if a cart wasn’t available. However, like so many other golfers across the country, I’ve rediscovered how enjoyable walking the golf course can be! Not to mention all the health benefits of walking the course, it can even help you beat COVID-19 by boosting your immune system!
#1 Burn More Calories
Duh! Walking the course instead of riding in a cart will help you burn more, and it offers fundamental exercise that you need to shed some weight. When playing an 18-hole round, you can accumulate up to 10,000 steps and burn an impressive 2,000 calories. A quick look at my Apple watch proves how many calories I’m burning, setting all new highs in my activity app!
#2 Good For Your Heart
Choosing to walk instead of riding a cart can lower your risk of heart disease, and it is also good for overall heart health. Your heart rate will increase, depending on age, your beats per minute when walking on the golf course can top at around 150 BPM. The increase in heart rate for the few hours that you are playing will help to keep your heart in good shape and keep cardiovascular disease in check.
#3 Reduce Stress
Golf is one of the best ways to deal with stress and anxiety after a long day or stressful week. And if you walk as you play, it will be even more useful in dealing with stress. Walking improves everything from blood flow to heart rate, and it will also take your mind away from the things that might be worrying you.
#4 Boost Your Energy & Improve Your Sleep
Walking might be tiring, but it can still boost your energy. Like most other physical activity, it will cause the release of adrenalin and also improve your blood flow and metabolism, which in turn leaves you feeling energized. The exercise that you do when walking and pushing your golf cart bag can even have a positive effect on your sleep. First, it helps you keep stress and anxiety in check, henceforth it becomes easy for you to sleep. Secondly, after walking while playing the 18-holes, you will be tired enough to sleep as soon your head hits the pillow.
#5 Enhance Your Immune System
Walking the golf course can also enhance your immune system. As hard as this might be to believe, it is still a fact. The few hours of walk and stop when playing golf will not only decrease stress and lower blood pressure but also increases your white blood cell count, which is vital in fighting off infections. Crazy to think that just by walking as you play golf, you can improve your body’s ability to fend off viruses, like COVID-19!
How to Convert to Walking Vs. Riding?
Start With Your Feet
First, make sure you have a comfortable pair of shoes and a great pair of socks! There are many options out there, but make sure you don’t go the cheap route, or you’ll regret it. My preference, a pair of Adidas ForgeFiber BOA golf shoes. These shoes are ultra-light and so comfortable, you’ll want to wear them everywhere! For socks, you can’t go wrong with Kentwool performance socks, the best socks in the world hands down!
Your Golf Bag
If you got the Rodney Dangerfield of staff bags, you’re in trouble. A lightweight golf bag is a must for anyone walking the course. I recommend picking up a Sun Mountain 2.5+ Golf Stand Bag. The bag not only looks great (highly recommend the USA theme bag), but features weight-saving technology like carbon fiber legs.
Need something a little more relaxed? If you like a retro look, Jones Sports Company offers some of the coolest carry bags around. Not as functional as the Sun Mountain 2.5+, but if you plan on going old school, they offer some of the best bags to lay next to the green while you sink that birdie putt.
Get Some New Wheels
If you’re like me and don’t mind walking, especially with all the added health benefits we’ve pointed out but need the creature comforts of the golf cart, you’ll want to pick up a new pushcart! We recommend the Speed Cart GX by Sun Mountain. Before Speed Cart’s introduction in 1999, three-wheeled, ergonomically efficient, folding push carts didn’t exist! Sun Mountain has cornered the market with the Speed Cart GX, easy to use and store you’ll find plenty of room for all your gadgets and gear!
For those that like making a statement, we recommend checking out the new Walker Trolley. The Walker Trolley is only available for pre-order, but as you can see, the classic design features whitewall tires, a polished aluminum frame, and leather handle. The Walker Trolley was designed with the best of old-world style and modern design in mind.