The Benefits of Walking the Golf Course, and How an Electric Caddy Keeps You Walking

Walking the golf course is one of the best things you can do for your health and your game. A walked round of 18 holes covers roughly 4–6 miles, often tops 10,000 steps, and burns close to twice the calories of riding in a cart. The catch is the bag. Carrying 20-plus pounds for four hours strains your back and shoulders and wears you down by the back nine. An electric golf caddy takes the load so you keep the benefits of walking without the fatigue.

Key takeaways

• More movement: in a 2025 study, walking golfers took 17,007 steps per round vs. 6,274 riding, and burned 880 vs. 456 kcal.

• Better health markers: an 18-hole walk improved blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol in golfers 65+, and compared well with an hour of brisk walking.

• Carrying is the problem, not walking: carrying loads the spine, and carrying golfers report the highest perceived effort.

• Walking with a trolley scored best: in a 2022 field study, electric-trolley golfers had the best mental-focus rating and the lowest scores of the three modes tested.

• The fix: let an electric caddy carry the bag while you walk.

 What are the health benefits of walking the golf course?

1. You move a lot more than you think

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University tracked 16 competitive golfers over tournament rounds. Walking, they averaged 17,007 steps and 880 kcal. Riding, it was 6,274 steps and 456 kcal.

The PGA of America puts a typical walked 18 at up to four miles and 10,000+ steps. That’s a full day’s step goal before you reach the 19th hole.

  2. It’s good for your heart

In a Finnish study of 25 golfers aged 65+, an 18-hole walk lowered blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. The researchers found it may be slightly better for cardiovascular health than an hour of brisk or Nordic walking.

  3. It’s low-impact exercise you’ll actually keep doing

Walking golf is low-to-moderate intensity. You get four hours of exercise without it feeling like a workout, and you can keep doing it for decades.

 4. It’s good for your head

Fresh air, green space, and four hours with your playing partners. Walking keeps the group together between shots, which is where the conversation happens and where you can shake off a bad hole before the next one.

Walking vs. riding: how many calories do you burn?

The best-known numbers come from exercise physiologist Dr. Neil Wolkodoff (Colorado Center for Health & Sport Science), who measured eight male golfers over nine holes in 2008.

 

Newer data backs this up. A 2022 study of aspiring professionals found no meaningful difference in energy burned between carrying and using a trolley, but the golfers who carried felt they were working hardest. The researchers called this important for recreational golfers who want golf’s health benefits but find carrying uncomfortable.

Does walking make you a better golfer?

Often, yes, as long as you’re not carrying the bag. In Wolkodoff’s 2022 field study, golfers who walked with an electric trolley posted the best mental-focus rating (6.63 vs. 5.67 push cart, 5.01 riding) and the lowest nine-hole scores (+10.2 vs. +10.4 push cart, +11.5 riding). 

Golf Digest ran its own 20-round test: 10 rounds carrying and 10 walking with an MGI Zip Navigator. Front-nine scores were about the same. On the back nine, the writer averaged 41.6 with the MGI vs. 43.9 carrying, and double bogeys on the last three holes dropped from 10 to 2. 

Walking also keeps you tuned in to the course: wind, slopes, green firmness, and yardages you’d miss from a cart.

The downside of walking: carrying the bag

Walking isn’t what hurts. Carrying is. The Titleist Performance Institute notes that a bag can be lifted 100+ times a round, putting compressive and twisting load on the spine and raising injury risk to the shoulders, back, and ankles. Pull carts twist the spine too. TPI’s recommendation: push, and consider a motorized cart for seniors and hilly courses. 

Over a 4–5 hour round, that load adds up. It shows up as fatigue on the back nine, loose swings, and blow-up holes when it counts.

Carry vs. push cart vs. electric caddy vs. riding

 

Other benefits of walking the course

• Better for the course: walkers leave far less turf damage than ride-on carts, and courses spend less building and maintaining cart paths.

• Keeps pace: walking can speed up play, since you go straight to your ball instead of sharing a cart and following the path.

• More social: you stay with your group between shots.

How an MGI electric caddy helps you walk every round

An electric golf caddy carries your bag under its own power while you walk. You get the steps, calories, and focus of walking without the load on your back. Pick the model that fits the way you play:

MGI E-BOOST

What it is: a lightweight push cart with a built-in boost motor. You push; the motor helps on hills.

Best for: golfers who like pushing but want help on the climbs.

MGI Zip Navigator

What it is: a remote-control electric caddy. Send it ahead, walk hands-free.

Best for: walkers who want zero load on the body. It’s the caddy used in Golf Digest’s scoring test.

MGI Zip Navigator AT

What it is: the all-terrain Zip Navigator, built for steep, rough, off-path ground.

Best for: hilly courses and tough terrain.

MGI Ai Navigator Halo

What it is: MGI’s flagship AI-powered caddy with GPS and Geo Protect navigation.

Best for: golfers who want the most advanced hands-free walking experience.

Not sure which fits? Compare MGI caddy models or read What Is an Electric Golf Caddy?.

FAQ: Walking the golf course

Is walking 18 holes of golf good exercise?

Yes. A walked round covers roughly 4–6 miles and often more than 10,000 steps. One 2025 study measured about 17,000 steps and 880 calories per walked tournament round. It counts as low-to-moderate intensity exercise.

How many calories do you burn walking 9 or 18 holes?

Wolkodoff’s study measured about 720 calories for nine holes walked (carrying or pushing) vs. about 410 riding. Over 18 holes, walking golfers in a 2025 study burned about 880 kcal vs. 456 riding. Actual numbers vary with body weight, terrain, and pace.

Is it better to carry your golf bag or use a push cart?

Calorie burn is nearly identical, but carrying puts much more strain on your spine and shoulders, and carrying golfers report feeling more tired. A push cart or electric caddy gives you the same exercise with far less wear.

Do you still get exercise with an electric golf caddy?

Yes. You still walk every step. The caddy takes the bag’s weight, not the walking. Golfers using electric trolleys in a 2022 study still met moderate-intensity exercise levels.

Does walking improve your golf score?

It can, when you’re not carrying the bag. Studies and Golf Digest’s own test found walking with a trolley or remote caddy produced better focus and fewer blow-up holes late in the round than carrying or riding.

Is an electric golf caddy good for seniors or golfers with back issues?

It’s one of the best ways for seniors to keep walking. The Titleist Performance Institute recommends motorized carts for senior golfers and hilly courses because they remove the bag’s load. If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor first.

Walk more. Carry nothing.

The benefits of walking the golf course are real, and they’re easier to get when you’re not hauling the bag. Shop MGI electric caddies or see the E-BOOST push cart.