The Top Golf Stinks Posts of 2010!

We don't know about you, but 2010 seemed to go by faster than a ball headed for OB! Nevertheless, here we are at the end of December - a time to reflect back on all the fun times during the year. And that's precisely what we're going to do here - list our top 10 blog posts of 2010 (based on page hits)!

So enjoy re-reading these (or if you're new to our blog, enjoy reading them for the first time)! And don't forget about our giveaway at 11:59 tonight on our Facebook page - hey you never know...you could win a $50 gift card to Golf Galaxy!

OK, here we go...from #10 all the way down to our most frequently read post of the year at #1:

Number 10

Stinky Golfer's Wives; We Do Exist - Back in July, Stinky Golfer Chris' wife commandeered his laptop and penned her own blog post about life as the wife of a stinky golfer!

Number 9

Why I Love Taking 5 Hours to Play Golf - Last month, Stinky Golfer Greg got both cheered and jeered after explaining he thinks it's OK to play a round of golf in 5 hours!

Number 8

These Raisins Put it Down the Middle Every Time... - In August, Stinky Golfer Greg shared his favorite new commercial with us!

Number 7

Pimp My Golf Cart (Redux) - Continuing on the success of his first post about tricked-out golf carts, Stinky Golfer Pete revisited the world of pimped EZ-Go's and this time included a couple of video clips!

Number 6

Throw, Throw, Throw your Club like an A-Hole on the Green... - Earlier this month, Stinky Golfer Greg offered his thoughts on golf club throwing...and conducted a poll to see how you felt about it too! There's still time to add your opinion on the not-so-graceful art of golf club tossing!

Number 5

When is it Too Hot to Play Golf? - In July, Stinky Golfer Chris explained that some people will play in any heat...But not him!

Number 4

The Truth About Walking the Golf Course - October is a great month to walk the golf course - and Stinky Golfer Greg highlights a study that proves golf can equal exercise!

Number 3

The Economics of Golf - In this eye-opening breakdown of golf's contribution to the U.S. economy, Stinky Golfer Greg examines a study that shows how and where the golf industry makes its money...and you may be surprised!

Number 2

Custom Fitting Golf Clubs: Worth It? - In June, Stinky Golfer Chris was approaching a golf milestone - he was about to be custom fit for new clubs! In this candid post, he ponders if it will all be worth it.






and finally...

Number 1

Is USGA Membership Worth It? - After years of trashing his annual membership form, Stinky Golfer Greg explains why 2010 may be the year he finally joins the USGA!


So here's looking forward to another year of stinking at golf! Bring on 2011!
-Golfstinks Team

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The Truth About Walking the Golf Course

Now I realize if you walk the golf course, there's no place to put your beer. I get it. I've been guilty of using the cart as a portable keg too.

It's so much easier to ride out there - no long walks between tees; no feeling like a mountain goat; no fatigue over the last few holes.

Besides, when your doctor tells you to get more exercise, he doesn't mean to go play golf - at least my doctor didn't: "Golf is stop-and-go, Greg, you don't get enough of a workout walking a little, stopping to hit a ball and then walking a little more."

But golfing has got to count for something, doesn't it? We've posed this question before, in this post, more than a year ago. But now we actually have some proof that walking the golf course is not only healthy, but it's also a good way to get some exercise.

A recently published study entitled "Physical Activity Parameters for Walking Golf Participation: An Analysis of Volume and Intensity" from Mark D. Peterson (Department of Exercise and Wellness at Arizona State University) has provided us some interesting findings.

Mr. Peterson set-out to prove that the volume and intensity of activity while walking 18-holes could be pinpointed by using modern technology. He began by recruiting healthy men between 18 and 30 years of age at a local, average-sized (6,605 yards) golf course in Mesa, AZ. Each participant was required to walk 18-holes (from the same tee-box) while wearing an accelerometer, a pedometer and a heart-rate monitor. In addition, each participant had a GPS logging device attached to the back of their hats.

Each device recorded a different variable for the study. For example, the accelerometer recorded the "intensity of ambulatory physical activity," which could then be measured against established standardized categories such as sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous activity. Meanwhile, the pedometer was used to calculate total steps taken during the round and the GPS measured total distance traveled. The heart monitor measured heartbeats per minute.

Mr. Peterson then took the data he had collected and measured it against recommended standards for health maintenance and wellness: "It has been recommended for health maintenance and wellness that individuals attempt to accumulate 7,000 and 13,000 steps, and/or 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, on all or most days of the week."

Mr. Peterson's data revealed walking the course EXCEEDED these recommendations.

On average, data showed the participants' number of steps taken were at the higher-end of the spectrum (12,197 steps). Particular striking, Mr. Peterson's data shows that the majority of activity while walking on the golf course was bucketed into the category of "Moderate/Vigorous" activity (e.g. on average, the golfer spent 105.4 minutes of the total 182 minutes on the course doing moderate to vigorous activity). In addition, results showed that participants' heartbeats exceeded 100 beats per minute more than 65% of the time. The full study can be downloaded HERE.

While it's true that walking the golf course results in fluctuating activity, it also appears true that the majority of that activity is exceeding the recommended standards for health maintenance and wellness. Hear that Doc? Golfing not only isn't hurting my health, but it's actually helping keep me in shape! Now I wonder what the opt-out clause on my gym membership contract is?

Despite the fact that Stinky Golfer Greg may have taught his doctor a thing or two about golf and exercise, he is in no way, shape or form qualified to be giving medical advice. Always check with your physician before using golf as a substitute for real exercise.

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Is Golf Exercise?
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