The number of calories you burn while playing golf vary widely depending on how you play it. It's generally a leisurely activity that burns relatively few calories if you use a golf cart and caddy. However, golf can burn calories at a significant rate when you walk and carry your own clubs.
Heart Rate
Heart rate is one of the most important factors in determining your calorie expenditure rate. This calculation is most accurate when your heart rate is in the range of 90 to 150 beats per minute, or bpm. The primary consideration for calculating your calorie expenditure while playing golf is keeping your heart rate above 90 bpm.
Heart Monitors
A heart monitor typically has a recorder function that allows you to record your average heart rate during a particular time interval. Start the recorder at the beginning of your round of golf and stop it after you complete the round of golf. This will provide your average heart rate during the round of golf and the duration of your playing time.
Measurements
A formula for calorie expenditure will require you to provide the factors in specific units of measure. Provide your heart rate in units of bpm, and the duration of the round of golf in minutes. Input your weight in units of pounds and your age in years.
Formulas
The Journal of Sports Sciences provides calorie expenditure formulas for each gender. The formula for women is: C = [(HR x 0.4472) + (A x 0.074) -- (W x 0.05741) -- 20.4022] x T / 4.184. C is your calorie expenditure, HR is your average heart rate, A is your age, W is your weight and T is the duration of the round of golf.
The corresponding formula for men is: C = [(HR x 0.6309) + (A x 0.2017) -- (W x 0.09036) -- 55.0969] x T / 4.184.
Estimates
The Mayo Clinic provides estimates for the calorie expenditure of golfing when you carry your own clubs. Expect to burn 329 calories during an hour of golfing if you weigh 160 lbs., 410 calories if you weigh 200 lbs. and 491 calories if you weigh 240 lbs.
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