How Far Do You Walk During a Round of Golf? With Walking Distance Calculator
It should come as no surprise that the game of golf is a physically demanding sport that requires a lot of walking and movement. It may look slow paced but if you leave the cart at the club house you really get your daily steps in. How many is what we will answer below, with a walking distance calculator so you can work out your own course walking distance.
A typical 18-hole round of golf can cover anywhere from three to seven miles. On average for a 6500 yard course length a golfer will walk 6.5 miles which equals 14,000 steps or 10 kilometers. This can depending on the course length design, the golfer’s speed, weather and other factors.
In this article, we’ll explore the average distance a golfer walks during an 18-hole round and what affects the length of the walk and how much exercise you actually do, when your swimmer or cycling friend suggest that you do some exercise they might just be surprised.
How Far On Average Does a Golfer Walk Around a Golf Course.
We can only go on averages here as every golfer, every game and every course is different. Holes are longer or shorter, time is spent looking for balls, or using a cart but according to a study done by the website Inside Golf (link takes you to the results) , the average distance a golfer walks during an is aroudn 77% more that the total yardage of the course.
So if an average golf course is between 5000 -7000 Yards long (when adding up the length of the holes) So if we take the middle number of that of 6000 years it means you walk 6000 yards when you play golf right?
Nope, there is much more to it than that as you will spend time looking for your balls, walking between holes, and just milling about – maybe waiting for the group in front to finish up.
So the study by Inside Golf actually discovered that a full round can add on average 77% more to the distance. We have a table example below and a calculator for you to work out your local course as well.
Inside Golf
Golf Walking Distance Calculator
We have made this Golf walking distance calculator to help you judge how far yoru round of golf actually is ( if you walk it that is!) now of course there are many factors that can impact how far it is for each individual golfer and we get into that later, but for this calculator it adds 77% of the yardage of your course and works out how far in Miles, yards, Kilometers Steps taken and even Calories burnt during the round!! Pretty cool huh!
Golf Walking Distance Calculator
Estimated Walking Distance:
Yards:
Miles:
Kilometers:
Average Steps:
Estimated Calories Burned:
For golfers who use carts, the average distance walked is closer to two miles, while those who walk the course typically cover an average of five to six miles. For your course you can try the Golf walking distance calculator above and see jsut how much of a workout you are getting.
Of course this number can vary significantly depending on the course and the golfer’s walking speed. On a shorter course, a golfer may walk just over two miles, while on a longer course they could walk up to seven miles or more. We take a look at those factors that affect how far you walk on a golf course in the sections below.
Factors that Influence the Distance Walked:
The distance a golfer walks during an 18-hole round depends on a large number of different factors. We highlight them below.
- Length of Golf Course:
The biggest and most obvious factor on how far you will walk in a round of 18 holes is how long the course is. Obviously the longer the course the further you will walk! Courses can range from little 1500 yard Pitch and Putt courses all the way up to championship 7500 plus yards.
- Course design
Courses may well have holes and the following tee boxes close together or they may not. if they are far apart it will add distance to the round. Hazards like water or sand traps may need to be walked around as well.
- Speed of Play
Faster does not mean longer, and a slower round, be it waiting around for a fourth player will all add steps to the round, as none of use ten to just stand still for 18 holes while others are playing! Slower times means more time on the course, which will result it longer walking distances.
- Weather conditions.
Weather conditions such as hot and humid weather or heavy rain or storms will also add to the distance of yoru round of golf. You may want to take more breaks, or even speed up if you see the rain clouds rolling in.
- Equipment
The main one here being use of golf carts, if yo sue these of course your walking distance will be greatly reduced, but trollies can also impact if you have to seek out smoother ground to pull them over. A golf bag will be about the same, but will certainly increase the calories you burn if you carry that round for 18 holes! wee have an article here on some of the better bags if you do want to walk the course.
Golf is Exercise: Be Prepared
Golf is exercise no matter what your other sporting friends may say, and it is important to prepare. warm up and bring the proper equipment. it can be hard going if you are not used to walking so far
This includes comfortable walking shoes or special golfing shoes, a golf bag with a sturdy strap even if you are using a cart you still need to move the clubs, and a water bottle or hydration pack.
You should also be prepared for changes in weather in case you get caught out on the course and even if the weather is hot, 3-4 hours in the outdoors is asking for sunburn. Take some hats and sunscreen in your golf bag just in case.
Walking 18 holes of golf can be a challenge for everyone and especially for golfers who are not used to being physically active. The combination of heat, humidity, and walking can be physically demanding, so it is important to be prepared and take breaks when necessary don’t be to proud to take 5 when you need it.
How Many Steps Is A Round Of Golf?
While the number of steps it can take will vary due to the factors we mentioned above. It is possible to work out if you don’t have a smart watch, or don’t really fancy counting up that high!
In fact we have put the equation to work out the number of steps in a round of golf into the golf walking distance calculator above so you can work it out very easily by trying that out. However the average is below.
On average, a golfer can take anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 steps during a round of 18 holes. This can equal to 4 to 6 miles of walking, making golf a great form of exercise.
If you prefer to do your maths on some paper rather than your PC screen, or phone screen (or wherever you are reading this) You can take the miles walked and multiply it by 2250 to get the average steps.
The average number of steps to walk a mile is about 2000-2500 so we went for the middle of that to work out the average. You can test the equation in the calculator above.
6000 yard golf course = about 6 miles long x 2250 = 13577 steps (on average)
How Many Calories Does a Round of Golf Use?
Calories is a tricky one as it can depend on so much, like a player’s weight, the speed of play, the length of the course, and the type of terrain, the elevation, what you are carrying and even the weather.
So we can only work on a rough average, Which is as follows
a person weighing 150 pounds can burn approximately 500-800 calories during a round of 18 holes of golf this takes into account the 100 or so calories ( VERY ROUGHLY) burnt when walking a mile and then adding some on for all the swinging and hitting of balls you are doing!
We do have this estimate built into the Golf Walking distance calculator above to give you a ballpark figure as well.
Is Golf a Good Workout ( Equivalent Calories in Other Sports)
Whiel this is an article in its own right, and we will get there! Golf is actually a great workout. While walking on a golf course can burn between 500-800 calories, its not jsut the walking that has a benefit. Golfing uses muscle groups all over the body, and is great for flexibility and toning muscles.
It also can be a great stress reliever ( if you are better at golf than us that is)
and as we promised, just to give some facts for your friends who think you have it easy while they run, cycle or swim for their exercise we have some rough comparisons with other sports below.
Here is a rough estimate of how long it might take to burn the equivalent number of calories as a round of golf through other physical activities:
- Running: You can burn approximately 100-140 calories in a 10-minute mile run. So, to burn the same number of calories as a round of golf, a person would need to run for approximately 4-6 miles.
- Cycling: You can burn approximately 150-200 calories in 30 minutes of moderate cycling. To burn the equivalent number of calories as a round of golf, a person would need to cycle for approximately 2-3 hours.
- Swimming: You can burn approximately 450-550 calories in an hour of moderate swimming. To burn the same number of calories as a round of golf, a person would need to swim for approximately 1-1.5 hours.
- Tennis: You can burn approximately 300-400 calories in an hour of singles tennis. To burn the same number of calories as a round of golf, a person would need to play 2-3 hours of singles tennis.
Golf can be a great form of moderate physical activity and can contribute to a healthy lifestyle when combined with other forms of exercise and a balanced diet and don’t let anyone tell you any different!
And Beware The 19th Hole
The danger of undoing all that hard work lies in the 19th hole or the club house. After 3-4 hours in the outdoors that restaurant or bar is certainly an enticing prospect, and after all that work surely a beer or to can’t hurt…. can it?
Well we don’t have a golf calculator for that, but a rough estimate is around 208 calories in a pint of beer, we will let you do your own maths from there!
how to measure how far you walk on a golf course
There are numerous ways, from a pen and paper to a fully functional Iwatch or google watch while we list them below, you can take a look at our full article on the ways when it’s written here.
- Step counter or a Pedometer – A pedometer is a small device that can be attached to the golfer’s waist or shoe to track the number of steps taken. It provides an estimate of the distance covered based on the number of steps taken.
- Golf GPS watch – A golf GPS watch can track the golfer’s position on the golf course and display the distance to the hole. Some models also have a pedometer feature that can track the number of steps taken and estimate the distance covered and some even have rangefinders.
- Golf Cart GPS – Some golf carts come equipped with GPS systems that can track the distance traveled around the course and display it on a screen although of course you won’t be walking!
- Smart watch: Most smart watches have step counters built in, and even have special apps that can record your exercise and movement for multiple sports including golf.
- Manual Tracking – The simplest way to keep a record is to manually track the number of steps taken and distance covered using a golf scorecard or a notebook. This method does not require any electronic devices and can be useful for golfers who prefer a more traditional approach.
- Our handy and free golf walking distance calculator above!! Can you tell we are quite proud of it !
We also have a more basic golf walking distance calculator which takes the average of the hole length on the golf course as well if you wish to try it. you just add in the average length of holes on your course, and how many holes you played and it does the rest.
Walking Distance Calculator for Golf
Conclusion
Golfers can be walking between 5 to 7 miles during a full 18 hole round of golf which is a good moderate workout. It is comparable to swimming for 90 minutes, playing tennis for 2 plus hours or going for a 4 to 6 mile run, which are not moderate workouts!
Just be careful to both prepare for this level of exercise, be aware that you will be outdoors for 3-4 hours and not undo all that exercise by spending too much time in the club house after your round!
References
- https://livehealthy.chron.com/far-walking-18-holes-2316.html
- https://www.essentiallysports.com/golf-news-how-many-miles-do-you-walk-in-a-round-of-golf/
- https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/the-game/how-far-do-you-walk-in-a-round-of-golf-90837
- https://sportsmanist.com/how-many-miles-does-a-golfer-walk-during-a-round-of-golf
- https://www.insidegolf.com.au/news/how-far-do-you-really-walk-during-18-holes/
