Independent Study Reveals Truth About Exercise on the Golf Course

Using an electric caddie or push cart is just as good for you as carrying clubs

(Gloucester, U.K.) – A new independent study has debunked the myth that carrying a golf bag for 18 holes provides a greater workout than using an electric caddie or push cart.

The study, led by Graeme Close, Professor of Human Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University, focused on 16 elite college golfers using three different modes of transporting their clubs around the course: carrying, using a push cart, and using a Stewart Golf Q Follow electric caddie.

Speaking on the study, Close said, “What I would really want to emphasize is don’t think you’re losing your health benefits by putting your clubs on an electric caddie. The benefit is coming from walking.”

Close, who heads up nutrition for the DP World Tour and is a Nutrition Consultant to both the European Ryder Cup Team and England Rugby Union, among others, also said, “In my role with the DP World Tour it is vital that elite golfers can efficiently fuel performance. This study is the first of its kind to accurately measure the physical effects of golf on the body.”

The study, published in the European Journal of Sports Sciences, was centered around comparing the Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of all three modes of transport, with findings showing there was no meaningful differences in calories burned/TEE during a round for all three modes. Close said, “By far the major contributor to the energy expenditure of golf is walking itself. The act of striking the ball or carrying the clubs is a much more minor contributor than walking.”

However, Close found significant differences when analyzing RPE, which in simple terms is a measure of how a person feels as opposed to their actual physical response. Carrying the bag had the highest RPE, meaning golfers felt like they were working much harder and burning more calories, even though they weren’t. The Stewart Q Follow electric caddie gave the lowest RPE and was also the only mode of transportation that participants found “very easy” when asked to rate the perceived level of exercise for each round.

“The perceived effort of the electric caddie was much lower, and I guess that makes sense because you know if you walk a course and you’re not having to actually think about either pushing a cart or carrying clubs then of course it feels easier and that’s what we measured in this study,” said Close.

The study also found that carrying produced the highest overall heart rate and heart rate fluctuation, a factor that could adversely affect match performance: Lining up a crucial putt with an increased heart rate is not an ideal scenario for most golfers.

The results of this study offer a fresh perspective. By debunking the myth of carrying versus using an electric caddie, this research shows that the real health benefits come from walking and not how the clubs are being transported. Golfers now have a scientifically backed approach to optimizing their experience on the course, enhancing their overall health, and ensuring peak performance.

For more information about the product line, visit www.stewartgolfusa.com.

Full interview with Graeme Close: https://bit.ly/GC-Study-US

Published study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1080/17461391.2022.2036817