From Brent Kelley,
Your Guide to Golf.
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The United States Golf Association thinks you should be walking the golf course.

Riding in carts has become the favored mode of transportation for many weekend golfers - but you should try those legs out again for several reasons.

As David Fay of the USGA has written, "We strongly believe that walking is the most enjoyable way to play golf and that the use of carts is detrimental to the game. This negative trend needs to be stopped now before it becomes accepted that riding in a cart is the way to play golf."

Walking a golf course is good for your health, good for the course's health and good for the game's health.

Everyone knows that walking is the most fundamental of all exercise programs. So it makes sense that walking a golf course would be considered good for you.

It hasn't always been considered that, however. Some have argued that golf is not good exercise because of the start-and-stop nature of walking golf.

Don't believe it. Walking a golf course is a great part of any exercise program, as has long been proved by numerous scientific studies ... not to mention anecdotal evidence and good ol' common sense.

The Web site WalkingGolf.com cites two studies, in particular, that illuminate the health benefits of golf. In one, researchers in Sweden found that walking golf equated to 40-percent to 70-percent of the intensity of a maximum aerobic workout (assuming 18 holes played). In the second study cited, cardiologist Dr. Edward A. Palank's study showed that walking golfers reduced their levels of bad cholesterol while keeping their good cholesterol steady; the control group of riding golfers failed to show those good results.

WalkingGolf.com also states, "According to Golf Science International, researcher Gi Magnusson calculates that four hours of playing golf (walking) is comparable to a 45-minute fitness class."

The Northern Ohio Golf Association publication "Fairways" pointed out in an article that walking a golf course is equivalent to a 3- or 4-mile walk, taking into account hills and inclines around tees and greens.

The same article in NOGA's "Fairways" offered suggestions for beginners or veteran riders who want to walk but aren't yet in shape for it:

• Walk alternate holes during a round, so that by the end of your round you've walked nine holes.

• Walk one set of nines, ride the other.

• If you are at a course that requires carts, walk down the fairway to your ball while your partner brings the cart up.

• If playing with a partner who rides, ride only on the cart path and walk to and from the cart to your ball on every hole.

It's also a good idea for walkers to look after their backs either by using a pull cart to carry their bag, or by switching from a single-strap bag to a double-strap bag. Golfers should also consider a motorized caddy, which completely relieves the golfer of the need to carry or pull a bag.