We here at Caddybug USA want everyone to enjoy Golf the way it was meant to be played. Get out of those riding carts and walk the lush fairways and greens, enjoy your other walking companions, and reap the health benefits.

We would like to highly recommend: America On The Move

America On The Move Program
America On the Move is a national initiative dedicated to helping individuals and communities across our nation make positive changes to improve health and quality of life. By focusing on individuals and communities, AOM strives to support healthy eating and active living habits in our society.

We would like to also recommend the 10,000 steps program:

HealthPartners, Inc. 10,000 Steps Program
We have found that you can get anywhere from
12,000 to 16,000 steps playing 18 holes !!

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."

USGA is publishing its "Call to Arms" --an informative booklet, distributed free to the public. Titled "A Call to Feet: Golf is a Walking Game," the detailed free booklet is available simply by calling USGA headquarters in Far Hills, N.J. at (908) 234-2300.

Declare yourself a walker... Click to join the USGA Walking Program

"New studies focusing on golf are proving, more and more, how beneficial our walking really is. Researchers in Sweden, for example, studied the physical demands on middle-aged golfers walking their courses (which are often flatter than many American courses). They discovered that golfers' exercise intensity ranges from 40% to 70% of maximum aerobic power, despite short walking intervals typical of the game. According to Golf Science International, researcher Gi Magnusson calculates that four hours of playing golf--walking--is comparable to a 45-minute fitness class! And the best part is, he concludes, "Golf is unique in the way it motivates middle-age and elderly individuals to walk a fairly long distance on a regular basis." (www.walkinggolf.com)

Health: Play More, Live Longer

A recent study found that men age 65 to 80 who walked nine holes with a pullcart at least four times a week had healthier hearts because they met the requirement for "moderate" physical activity set by the American College of Sports Medicine. In the study, conducted by University of Manitoba researcher Jim Dear, 18 healthy senior men regularly played a 2,738-yard, par-34 course. They walked an average of 2.7 miles in two hours and raised their heart rates between 50 and 69 percent of their maximum beats per minute for a sustained period, which exceeded the requirement of at least 30 minutes of moderate activity. The findings were presented at the 2004 World Congress on Aging and Physical Activity. The ACSM estimates that a 140-pound golfer would burn 564 calories and a 180-pound golfer would burn 740 calories during that time.

-- Mark Kearney - Golf Digest - February 2005

USGA: ...Reduce Stress, Improve Physical Health

"Many types of turf were developed specifically for golf courses and other recreational uses. Golf provides over 24.5 million Americans the opportunity to exercise outdoors."

"In research studies, participants lowered their cholesterol levels by walking the course when they played. An average 9-hole course covers about two miles and an 18-hole course about four miles."

"In addition to benefits from exercise, research has shown that looking at a pleasant outdoor view can be healthy. In one study, hospital patients recovered faster when they had a view of turf, trees and open spaces. In another study, employees of businesses with well-designed landscaping and well-maintained turf had a more positive job attitude." more...

Walking Links:

• Walk the Walk - Benefits of Walking Golf
• A guide to walking
• Walking the course has positive results
• Walk to your heart's content
• Why Walking Golf "Counts" as Excellent Exercise