This year, I only carried my golf clubs for a few rounds. I found that the wet conditions seemed to make toting my sticks more difficult than normal. I actually missed carrying and will make a concerted effort to carry more in the spring and fall of 2021. This golf season has been very strange and not carrying is just another example of how 2020 through me for a loop.

I enjoy carrying my golf clubs because it provides me an opportunity to ‘experience’ the course better. I can feel the ground conditions and the length of the grass. It offers me more time to absorb my surroundings and relish in what Mother Nature is offering me that day.

I take less steps and can navigate the course faster than a push cart. I carry only what is needed and this helps declutter my mind and focus on playing great golf. Overall, carrying is my preferred method of playing golf, but alas as I age and the heat of the summer ensure that carrying is not always possible. That is just the nature of my golf game.

There are many pros and cons to carrying my golf clubs. I have read many articles suggesting that there is a greater possibility of injury due to the twisting, lifting, turning, and bending involved with carrying clubs and I understand their concerns. That is why it is important to lighten the load of my carry bag and only have the necessities for playing that day in the bag.

A player carrying their golf clubs can burn up to 1400 calories (or more) by carrying. Of course, a push cart offers almost the same amount of calories burned and that is why I like to walk with a push cart for most of the other times I am not carrying. The exercise is a benefit for me and something I can combine instead of having to workout separately.

Carrying golf clubs is something I have done since I started golf. It is a part of my game in the spring and fall and look forward to it each year. I believe that the physical benefits are worth the extra effort, but that is something you need to decide for yourself. Everyone has their own physical limitations. Regardless, carrying golf clubs is part of the game and something I enjoy.

Do you ever carry your golf clubs?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!