How many calories does golf burn per hour? Playing golf can burn between 300 to over 1000 calories per round, depending heavily on whether you walk or ride and other factors. It’s a fantastic way to get exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and yes, burn a good number of calories. Many people wonder about golf calorie expenditure and if it truly counts as a significant workout. The simple answer is yes, it absolutely can, especially when you choose to walk the course.
Golf involves much more than just hitting a ball. A full round means walking several miles, carrying or pushing clubs, and making hundreds of swings and movements. This physical activity adds up. It contributes to your overall daily calorie burn. Thinking about golf in terms of calories burned per golf round helps show its value as part of a healthy lifestyle.
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Grasping Golf Calorie Expenditure
Knowing how many calories you burn doing different things can help you manage your weight. Golf calorie expenditure is not a fixed number. It changes a lot based on how you play. The main factors are how you move around the course and your own body.
Calorie burn is often measured in METs (Metabolic Equivalents). A MET is the ratio of your working metabolic rate to your resting metabolic rate. One MET is the energy you use sitting still. Light activities are 1.1 to 2.9 METs. Moderate activities are 3 to 6 METs. Vigorous activities are over 6 METs.
Golf falls into the light to moderate range for most people.
- Riding in a cart is less active. It uses fewer METs.
- Walking and carrying your clubs uses more energy. It uses more METs.
The number of calories you burn per minute depends on your body weight and the MET value of the activity.
- Calories Burned per Minute = (METs * Your Weight in Kilograms * 3.5) / 200
This formula shows that a heavier person burns more calories doing the same activity as a lighter person.
Calories Burned Golf Round: The Numbers
Let’s look at average calorie burn for a full 18-hole round. The distance of a golf course is typically around 5,000 to 7,000 yards (about 3 to 4 miles) from tee to green. But you don’t walk in a straight line. You walk to your ball, sometimes back to the cart, maybe look for a ball off the fairway. You might walk 4 to 6 miles in total, perhaps even more on a hilly course.
The time it takes to play 18 holes also varies. It can be anywhere from 3.5 to 5 hours, sometimes longer. This extended period of activity adds up.
Here are some estimates for calorie burn during an 18-hole round for a person weighing around 155-160 pounds:
| Method of Play | Estimated Calories Burned (18 Holes) |
|---|---|
| Riding in a Cart | 400 – 800 calories |
| Walking with a Cart | 800 – 1500 calories |
| Walking with Carry Bag | 1000 – 1700+ calories |
Note: These are general estimates. Your actual burn will differ.
These numbers show that just playing a round of golf gives you a good workout. Walking makes a big difference.
Walking vs Riding Golf Calories
This is the biggest factor affecting golf calorie expenditure.
When you ride in a golf cart, you spend a lot of time sitting. You get out to hit your shot, maybe walk to your ball, and then get back in. The walking you do is minimal. You still swing the club, which burns some calories, but the main activity of moving around the course is missing.
When you walk, you are covering miles. This is like taking a long walk or hike. If you walk 18 holes, you are likely covering 4 to 6 miles over several hours.
Let’s break down the difference in walking vs riding golf calories more clearly.
H4 Riding in a Cart
Playing 18 holes while riding is less physically demanding. You burn calories mainly through:
- Swinging the club (driving, irons, chipping, putting).
- Walking short distances from the cart to the ball and green.
- Getting in and out of the cart.
This is similar to light activity. The calorie burn is lower. For a 155-pound person, riding might burn about 250-400 calories per hour of play. Over a 4-hour round, that’s roughly 1000-1600 calories burned from just existing and making golf swings. No, wait. That’s too high for just riding. The total for the round is more like 400-800. So per hour, it’s maybe 100-200 calories above resting. A 155lb person burns about 70-80 calories per hour resting. So riding adds 30-120 calories per hour of game time.
Total riding calorie burn for 18 holes (4 hours):
* Resting burn: ~300 calories
* Activity burn (swings, short walks): ~100-500 calories
* Total: ~400-800 calories (This aligns with the earlier table).
H4 Walking the Course
Walking increases the calorie burn significantly. You add the energy used for walking several miles.
Two main ways to walk:
- Walking with a Push Cart: You push your clubs on a cart. This saves your back and shoulders the weight. It’s still a good workout. You are walking the full distance and pushing weight. This is moderate activity.
- Walking and Carrying Your Bag: You carry your clubs on your shoulders. This adds weight to your body as you walk. It works your legs, back, and core more. This can push the activity into the moderate-to-vigorous range, especially on hills.
For a 155-pound person walking:
* Walking with a cart might burn 200-300 calories per hour above resting. Over 4 hours, that’s 800-1200 calories just from walking and pushing. Add the swing calories. Total for 18 holes: 800 – 1500 calories.
* Walking and carrying might burn 250-400 calories per hour above resting. Over 4 hours, that’s 1000-1600 calories just from walking and carrying. Add the swing calories. Total for 18 holes: 1000 – 1700+ calories.
The difference is clear. Walking burns significantly more calories. It turns a relaxing ride into a substantial walk.
Golfing Weight Loss Potential
Can golf help with golfing weight loss? Yes, it absolutely can, especially if you walk. Losing weight requires burning more calories than you eat. A deficit of 3500 calories is roughly equal to one pound of fat loss.
If you play 18 holes walking with a cart once a week, you could burn an extra 800-1500 calories each time. Do this for a month (4 rounds), and you’ve burned 3200-6000 calories. This is close to or more than one pound of fat loss just from the golf.
If you play more often or carry your bag, the numbers go up. Playing 9 holes walking a couple of times a week also adds up.
Golf for weight loss works best when it’s regular. Making it a habit adds consistent calorie burn to your week. Combine it with eating healthy, and golf becomes a great tool for weight management.
Think of golf as a long, moderate-intensity exercise session. It might not feel as intense as running, but the duration makes up for it.
How Many Calories Does Golf Burn Per Hour? Looking Closer
We touched on this when comparing walking and riding. Let’s give more specific ranges for how many calories does golf burn per hour. Remember, these numbers are for a person weighing around 155-160 pounds and are total calories burned (including resting metabolism).
- Riding in a Cart: ~150 – 250 calories per hour
- Walking with a Push Cart: ~300 – 450 calories per hour
- Walking and Carrying Bag: ~350 – 500+ calories per hour
These hourly rates help you estimate calorie burn for different game lengths (9 holes vs. 18 holes) or practice sessions.
For a 9-hole round, which might take 2-2.5 hours:
- Riding: ~300 – 625 calories
- Walking with Cart: ~600 – 1125 calories
- Walking and Carrying: ~700 – 1250+ calories
Again, body weight matters a lot. A person weighing 200 pounds will burn roughly 25-30% more calories doing the same activity than a 155-pound person. A person weighing 120 pounds will burn roughly 20-25% less.
Health Benefits of Golf Beyond Calories
While burning calories is a great benefit, the health benefits of golf go far beyond just weight loss. Golf is good for your body and your mind.
- Cardiovascular Health: Walking the course is great for your heart. It gets your heart rate up to a moderate level and keeps it there for hours. This improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure over time. Regular moderate exercise lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Muscle Strength and Tone: Carrying a bag builds strength in your shoulders, back, and core. Swinging the club works muscles in your arms, shoulders, core, and legs. Walking uses leg muscles. Pushing a cart works arms and shoulders. While not a heavy weight workout, these movements build tone and endurance.
- Flexibility and Balance: The golf swing involves rotating your body. This helps maintain and improve flexibility, especially in the back and hips. Balancing during the swing also improves your overall balance and coordination.
- Vitamin D Exposure: Playing outdoors means you get sunlight. Sunlight helps your body make Vitamin D, which is important for bone health and your immune system. Just be sure to use sunscreen!
- Stress Reduction: Spending time outdoors, focusing on the game, and walking in nature can be very calming. Golf can reduce stress and improve your mood. The social aspect of playing with friends also helps mental well-being.
- Improved Sleep: Regular physical activity like golf helps you sleep better. Burning energy during the day can make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
- Social Interaction: Golf is often played with others. This social connection is vital for mental and emotional health. Spending time with friends or meeting new people on the course is a big plus.
Looking at these benefits, it’s clear golf is more than just a game. It’s a healthy activity that supports overall well-being.
Calorie Calculator Golf: Estimating Your Burn
How can you get a more personal estimate of your golf calorie expenditure? This is where a calorie calculator golf tool or fitness tracker comes in handy.
Many online tools and fitness apps let you enter details about your activity. For golf, they usually ask for:
- Your body weight.
- How long you played (or number of holes).
- How you got around the course (riding, walking with cart, carrying bag).
- Sometimes they ask about terrain (flat vs. hilly).
These tools use the MET values we talked about earlier. They plug your weight and activity duration into a formula like the one shown before to give you an estimated calorie burn.
Fitness trackers like smartwatches (Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, etc.) can be even more helpful. If you wear one while playing, they can track:
- Your heart rate: A higher heart rate means you are working harder and burning more calories.
- Your movement: They use GPS or accelerometers to count steps and estimate distance walked.
These devices use their own formulas, often combining heart rate data with your profile information (age, weight, height) to give a more precise calorie estimate for your specific activity.
While no calculator or tracker is 100% perfect, they give you a much better idea of your personal calorie burn during golf than general averages. If you’re serious about tracking calorie expenditure for weight loss, using a fitness tracker during your rounds is a good step.
Interpreting Golf Activity Intensity
Thinking about golf activity intensity helps understand its fitness value. We use METs to describe intensity.
- Riding Golf: This is light intensity. METs are low (around 2.0 – 2.5). It’s more active than sitting, but not a significant workout.
- Walking Golf (Push Cart): This is moderate intensity. METs are higher (around 4.0 – 5.0). This is similar to brisk walking. It gets your heart rate up and maintains it.
- Walking Golf (Carrying Bag): This can range from moderate to moderate-to-vigorous intensity. METs are higher still (around 5.0 – 6.5+), especially on hilly courses. The added weight increases the effort.
Health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.
An 18-hole round of walking golf (4-5 hours) easily meets or exceeds the weekly recommendation for moderate activity. Playing just one walking round provides 240-300 minutes of moderate activity.
Even a 9-hole walking round (2-2.5 hours) gives you 120-150 minutes of moderate activity, getting you close to the weekly goal in just one outing.
This perspective shows that walking golf is a solid way to meet your weekly exercise needs.
Calories Burned Driving Range
What about practice? Does hitting balls at the calories burned driving range count as exercise? Yes, but much less than playing a round.
When you are at the driving range:
- You stand or sit.
- You walk short distances to get balls or hit from a different mat.
- You make repetitive swings.
The main activity is the golf swing itself. The amount of walking is minimal.
For a person weighing 155-160 pounds:
- An hour at the driving range might burn around 200-300 calories total. This includes your resting metabolism plus the activity of swinging. The calories burned above resting might only be 120-220 per hour.
Compared to 300-500+ calories per hour for walking golf, the driving range burns significantly fewer calories. It’s great for improving your swing, but not a major calorie burner on its own.
However, any movement helps! And hitting hundreds of balls does use muscles and energy. If you spend an hour at the range hitting balls actively, it’s certainly better than sitting on the couch.
Exercise Equivalent Golf: Comparing Activities
How does golf stack up against other common forms of exercise? Looking at the exercise equivalent golf helps put its calorie burn and intensity into perspective.
Consider a 155-pound person:
- 1 Hour of Walking (Moderate Pace, 3 mph): Burns about 300-350 calories.
- 1 Hour of Hiking: Burns about 400-550 calories (more on hills).
- 1 Hour of Cycling (Moderate, 10-12 mph): Burns about 400-550 calories.
- 1 Hour of Light Jogging (5 mph): Burns about 550-650 calories.
- 1 Hour of Playing Tennis (Singles): Burns about 550-700 calories.
Now compare that to our golf numbers per hour (total calories):
- Golf, Riding: ~150 – 250 calories per hour
- Golf, Walking with Push Cart: ~300 – 450 calories per hour
- Golf, Walking and Carrying Bag: ~350 – 500+ calories per hour
Based on hourly rates:
- Riding golf is like light walking or very easy cycling.
- Walking golf with a cart is similar to moderate walking or easy hiking.
- Walking golf carrying your bag is similar to moderate hiking or moderate cycling.
The key difference is duration. While the hourly rate might be similar to shorter, more intense activities, a round of golf lasts much longer.
A 4-hour round of walking golf (carrying) burns 1400-2000+ calories. To burn this many calories with other activities:
- You’d need to walk briskly for 4-6 hours.
- You’d need to hike for 3-5 hours.
- You’d need to cycle for 3-5 hours.
- You’d need to jog for 2.5-3.5 hours.
- You’d need to play tennis for 2-3.5 hours.
This comparison highlights that a walking round of golf is a significant block of moderate-intensity exercise. It’s a great way to accumulate a large number of burned calories and physical activity time in one session.
Factors Affecting Golf Calorie Burn
Beyond walking vs. riding, several other things change your golf calorie expenditure.
H4 Your Body Weight
As mentioned, this is a major factor. A heavier person uses more energy to move their body and swing the club. If you weigh more, you will burn more calories than a lighter person playing the same round under the same conditions.
H4 The Course Terrain
Playing a hilly course burns more calories than a flat course. Walking uphill requires much more effort and uses more muscles. Even riding carts on hills uses a bit more energy than on flat ground, though the difference is small compared to walking.
H4 How Fast You Play
Playing faster (less waiting, walking briskly) can slightly increase the hourly calorie burn. However, the biggest impact comes from the total time you are active. Playing faster might mean less total time on the course, potentially leading to a lower total calorie burn for the round, even if the per-hour rate is slightly higher while you’re moving.
H4 How You Carry Clubs (Walkers)
Carrying your bag burns more calories than using a push cart. The extra weight makes your body work harder to walk and maintain balance. A golfer carrying a 20-30 pound bag over 5 miles is doing significantly more work than someone pushing a cart.
H4 Weather Conditions
Playing in hot, humid weather can increase calorie burn slightly as your body works harder to cool itself. Playing in windy conditions can also require more effort.
H4 Your Skill Level
This has a minor effect. A less skilled golfer might walk further if they hit more shots or stray off the fairway more often. They might also spend more time looking for lost balls. This extra walking adds to calorie burn. A more skilled golfer might walk straighter lines but might also play faster, potentially reducing total time and thus total burn. The effect is usually small compared to walking vs. riding or body weight.
H4 Practice Swings and Movements
Every practice swing, every walk around the green to read a putt, every time you bend down to tee up a ball or pick up a ball – these are all small movements that add up over 4-5 hours.
Considering all these factors gives you a more complete picture of your personal calorie burn on the course.
Maximizing Calorie Burn on the Course
If your goal is to use golf for fitness and calorie burning, here are some tips:
- Always Walk: This is the single most effective change you can make. If possible, avoid the cart entirely.
- Carry Your Bag: If your body can handle it, carrying adds significant extra effort and calorie burn. Make sure you have a comfortable bag and consider using a double strap to distribute weight.
- Play Hilly Courses: Seek out courses with elevation changes for a greater challenge.
- Walk Between Shots: Even if you ride in a cart, try to walk from the cart path to your ball, to the green, and around the green. These extra steps add up.
- Walk Instead of Waiting: If the group ahead is slow, use the time for some extra steps nearby instead of just standing still.
- Carry Your Putter and Wedge: When you reach the green or approach area, take your putter and wedge(s) with you instead of waiting for the cart.
- Skip the Driving Range Cart: If you warm up at the range, stand and hit balls actively instead of sitting on a stool.
- Add Off-Course Training: Combine golf with other exercises like strength training or more intense cardio to boost overall fitness and metabolism.
By making conscious choices, you can turn a round of golf from light activity into a robust workout that supports your health and fitness goals, including golfing weight loss.
Comprehending Golf as a Workout
It’s clear that golf, particularly walking golf, is a legitimate form of exercise. It might not raise your heart rate to the peak levels of running or high-intensity interval training, but its strength lies in its duration and the moderate effort sustained over several hours.
This type of consistent, moderate activity is excellent for cardiovascular health, endurance, and burning a significant number of calories. It fits well with health recommendations for physical activity.
Thinking about golf as an exercise equivalent golf activity helps you value it in your fitness routine. It’s like a long walk or hike. This makes it a great option for people who enjoy being outdoors and prefer lower-impact activities than running or jumping.
The calories burned golf round are substantial, especially when walking. This makes golf a fun and effective way to contribute to calorie expenditure and support weight management efforts.
So, the next time you head to the course, consider leaving the cart and enjoying the walk. Your body will thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
H4 Q: Is golf good exercise?
A: Yes, golf is good exercise, especially if you walk the course. Walking 18 holes can involve covering 4-6 miles and burns a significant number of calories. Even riding offers some movement and calorie burn from swings.
H4 Q: How does walking vs. riding affect calorie burn in golf?
A: This is the biggest factor. Walking 18 holes can burn 800-1700+ calories, while riding might only burn 400-800 calories for the same round. Walking significantly increases calorie expenditure by adding the energy needed to cover several miles.
H4 Q: Can golf help me lose weight?
A: Yes, golf can help with weight loss as part of a healthy lifestyle. Walking golf burns a notable amount of calories. Playing regularly and combining it with a healthy diet creates the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
H4 Q: How many calories does just hitting balls at the driving range burn?
A: Hitting balls at the driving range burns far fewer calories than playing a round. An hour at the range might burn around 200-300 total calories (including resting metabolism), mainly from the swings.
H4 Q: What other health benefits does golf offer?
A: Besides calorie burning, golf offers many benefits: improved cardiovascular health, muscle strength and tone, flexibility, balance, Vitamin D exposure, stress reduction, improved sleep, and social interaction.
H4 Q: How can I estimate my personal golf calorie burn?
A: You can use online calorie calculator golf tools or wear a fitness tracker (like a smartwatch) that tracks your heart rate and movement during your round. These tools can give you a more personalized estimate based on your weight and how you played.
H4 Q: Is golf considered a moderate-intensity exercise?
A: Walking golf (especially carrying your bag) is generally considered moderate-intensity exercise. Riding golf is light intensity. Walking golf meets the criteria for beneficial cardiovascular activity.
H4 Q: How many miles do you walk playing 18 holes of golf?
A: When walking, you typically walk between 4 to 6 miles for an 18-hole round. This distance can vary based on the course layout and how straight you hit the ball.
H4 Q: Does carrying your golf bag burn more calories than using a push cart?
A: Yes, carrying your golf bag burns more calories than using a push cart. The added weight makes your body work harder with every step, increasing the overall calorie expenditure.
H4 Q: Is a round of golf equivalent to other exercises like walking or hiking?
A: A walking round of golf is equivalent to a long walk or hike in terms of distance and calorie burn, spread out over several hours. It’s a significant form of endurance exercise.