Walking
Walking in golf means playing a round on foot, moving from shot to shot instead of riding in a motorised cart. Players either carry their own clubs or move them with a push cart, a pull cart, an electric trolley, or a caddie.
What is walking in golf?
Walking is the original way golf was played, long before motorised carts existed. A golfer covers the entire course on foot, from the first tee to the final green, and gets the clubs around using one of several methods. When someone mentions “walking golf” or “walking a round,” this is what they mean: no cart ride, just the player and the course.
The term comes up most in the United States, where riding is the norm, and walking is treated as a deliberate choice. Mark Stewart of Stewart Golf has noted that the phrase barely registers in the United Kingdom, because there walking is simply how most people play (Golf.com). That contrast says a lot about how golf culture shifts from one country to the next.
Why does the distinction matter? Walking changes the round in real ways. A four-hour game becomes several miles of exercise, and the slower pace shapes the rhythm a player settles into between shots. On some courses, walking is also the only mode allowed, so the word carries practical weight for anyone planning where to play.
How walking a round works
A golfer who walks still has to move a full bag of clubs around 18 holes, and there are four common ways to do it. The choice mostly comes down to comfort and how much a player wants to carry.
| Method | What it is | Good to know |
| Carry bag | A light bag with shoulder straps the golfer wears while walking. | Cheapest and most traditional, but tiring over a full round. |
| Push cart | A three or four-wheeled cart the golfer pushes ahead. | Takes weight off the back; the most popular walking option today. |
| Pull cart | An older two-wheeled cart pulled behind the player. | Cheaper than a push cart and needs a little more effort to move. |
| Electric trolley | A motorised trolley that carries the bag and moves on its own power. | Removes nearly all the effort while keeping the player on foot. |
| Caddie | A person hired to carry the bag and offer advice. | Common in the UK and at private clubs; rare at US public courses. |
A walked round of 18 holes covers roughly four to six miles and adds up to somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 steps, according to fitness analyses reported by Golf.com. The exact distance depends on the layout. A modern course with long gaps between greens and tees walks further than a compact traditional one.
Walking vs riding a cart
Most American golfers ride. Of the roughly 25.6 million golfers in the United States, about two-thirds use a motorised cart, according to National Golf Foundation surveys cited by Golf.com. The two modes shape the round differently.
| Factor | Walking | Riding a cart |
| Distance covered | Roughly 4 to 6 miles over 18 holes. | A fraction of that, mostly riding between shots. |
| Steps | About 10,000 to 15,000. | Around half as many. |
| Calories (18 holes) | Roughly 1,000 to 1,500. | About 800. |
| Cost | Free, or the one-time cost of a cart or trolley. | A rental fee at most US courses. |
| Course wear | Light impact on the turf. | Heavier impact, which is why some courses limit carts to paths. |
The calorie gap is the clearest difference. Walking 18 holes burns roughly 1,000 to 1,500 calories, against about 800 in a cart, based on fitness research reported by Golf.com. How a walker carries the clubs barely changes that figure. In a study by exercise physiologist Neil Wolkodoff with the Colorado Golf Association, golfers who carried a bag burned 721 calories over nine holes while those using a push cart burned 718, a result echoed by a 2022 study in the European Journal of Sport Science (TPI; Golf.com). The lesson for anyone walking for exercise: what counts is walking at all, not how the bag travels.
Is walking required in golf?
For most golfers, no. The Rules of Golf, written jointly by the USGA and the R&A, do not require players to walk. A golfer may walk or ride unless the committee running a competition decides otherwise (Justia, summarising 532 U.S. 661).
Professional golf is stricter. The PGA Tour’s “hard card” requires players to walk during tournaments, with exceptions for the senior tour and open qualifying events. That rule reached the Supreme Court in PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin (2001). Casey Martin, a golfer with a degenerative circulatory disorder, sued for the right to ride under the Americans with Disabilities Act after the Tour denied his request. The Court ruled 7-2 in his favour, finding that letting him use a cart would not fundamentally alter the nature of the game (US Supreme Court).
Everyday play falls between those poles. Some courses require carts, either for revenue or because the layout puts long distances between holes. Others welcome walkers freely or limit riding to the cart paths.
Related Golf Terms
- Victory lap — When the ball circles the rim of the cup before dropping in.
- Visualization — The mental technique of imagining a desired shot outcome before executing it.
- US Open — One of golf’s four major championships organized by the USGA.
- Waggle — A small movement of the club back and forth before starting the swing.
- Uphill lie — When the ball is on a slope with the target higher than the player’s feet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far do you walk in 18 holes?
A walked 18-hole round usually covers four to six miles and 10,000 to 15,000 steps, depending on the course layout and how far a player’s shots stray (Golf.com).
Is walking allowed on the PGA Tour?
Players are required to walk in regular PGA Tour events. Carts are permitted on the senior tour and during open qualifying, and Casey Martin won the right to ride for medical reasons in 2001.
Does carrying your bag burn more calories than a push cart?
Barely. Research by Neil Wolkodoff found nine-hole calorie burn almost identical between carrying and pushing, and a 2022 European Journal of Sport Science study reached the same conclusion (TPI; Golf.com).
Can a beginner walk 18 holes?
Yes. Most reasonably active people can walk a round, and a push cart removes the strain of carrying a bag for several hours, which makes the full 18 far more manageable.
Does walking help your score?
Some golfers and coaches believe the steadier pace sharpens focus, and the PGA of America lists better scoring among the reasons to walk, though the effect varies from player to player (PGA of America).
Sources
- PGA of America. “The Benefits of Walking the Golf Course.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.pga.com/story/the-benefits-of-walking-the-golf-course - United States Supreme Court. “PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin, 532 U.S. 661.” 2001.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-24.ZS.html - Justia. “PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin.” Accessed June 2026.
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/532/661/ - National Golf Foundation, reported by Golf.com. “Is carrying your bag or pushing it a better workout?” 2023.
https://golf.com/lifestyle/better-workout-carrying-pushing-new-data/ - Titleist Performance Institute (TPI). “Should Golfers Push, Pull or Carry Their Clubs?” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.mytpi.com/articles/health/should-golfers-push-pull-or-carry-their-clubs - Kasper et al. “Assessment of activity energy expenditure during competitive golf: the effects of bag carrying, electric or manual trolleys.” European Journal of Sport Science, 2022.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17461391.2022.2036817 - Golf.com. “This is how many calories you burn playing golf (walking vs. riding).” 2020.
https://golf.com/instruction/fitness/how-many-calories-you-burn-playing-golf-walking-riding/
