Golf calorie burn by intensity
Estimates use the formula kcal = MET × weight (kg) × hours, with MET values from the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Figures are gross burn — they include the calories you would have burned at rest.
| Intensity | MET | kcal / 30 min* | kcal / 60 min* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking, carrying clubs | 4.8 | 168 | 336 |
| Walking with a pull cart | 4.3 | 150 | 301 |
| Riding a cart | 3.5 | 122 | 245 |
*For a 70 kg (154 lb) person. Use the calculator above for your own weight.
Burn by body weight
At a typical intensity for golf (4.3 METs), here's how the burn scales with body weight:
| Body weight | 15 min | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg (121 lb) | 59 | 118 | 236 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 75 | 150 | 301 |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | 91 | 183 | 366 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 108 | 215 | 430 |
Getting more from golf
- Walking versus riding the cart is the whole game: it roughly doubles the round's total burn.
- Carrying clubs adds about 10% over a pull cart.
- Hilly courses can push a carried round past 1,500 kcal — genuine exercise hiding in plain sight.
Want the bigger picture? Your workout is one slice of total daily burn — estimate the whole thing with the TDEE calculator, or compare against 25+ other activities in the calories burned calculator.
More activities
- 🚶 Walking
- 🏃 Running
- 🐢 Jogging
- 🚴 Cycling
- 🏊 Swimming
- 🏋️ Weightlifting
- 🪢 Jumping Rope
- 🥾 Hiking
- 🧘 Yoga
- 🤸 Pilates
- 🚣 Rowing
- ⚙️ Elliptical
- 🪜 Stair Climbing
- 💃 Dancing
- 🏀 Basketball
- ⚽ Soccer (Football)
- 🎾 Tennis
- 🔥 HIIT Workouts
- 🥊 Boxing
- 🛶 Kayaking
- 🌱 Gardening
- 🧹 Housework & Cleaning
- 🧍 Standing
- 😴 Sleeping
- 🏸 Badminton
Sources
- Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011. [link]
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does 18 holes of golf burn?
Walked while carrying clubs, roughly 1,200–1,500 kcal for an average adult over four hours. In a cart, closer to 800.
Does the golf swing itself burn calories?
Each swing is a brief explosive effort — perhaps 2–3 kcal including practice swings. The walking between shots is where the real expenditure lives.