In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on fitness by Tour golfers. They are getting in better shape, working out more, trying to build strength and conditioning through weight training or other exercise routines. The Tour even has a mobile exercise trailer that goes from event to event, so the players can keep up with their training even while competing. Many PGA tour players are now as well-conditioned as athletes in other sports, which wasn’t the case 25 years ago when fitness gurus such as Gary Player were considered unusual.

Just as amateur golfers find that using the same equipment as the pros doesn’t translate into playing as well as they do, it is difficult for most of us to keep up with our golfing heroes’ commitment to physical fitness. But you don’t need to spend 5 nights a week in the gym to make noticeable improvements in your physical conditioning. An easy place to start: go for a walk.

We think we hit the ball with our arms and hands, so it might be tempting to build up the big muscles in the back and shoulders through weight training, but actually the legs supply the power to a golf swing. Just watch the fast leg and knee action of a pro golfer in the downswing. There’s almost like a “snap” as they strike the ball. Going for walks on a regular basis is a great way to build up your legs. Notice we said walk, not run. You don’t have to take up jogging, which can be stressful on your joints. After 6 months or so or regular walks, you will notice that you don’t get nearly as fatigued when you hit a few buckets of balls on the practice range.

You can start with a short walk, say 20 minutes or so, and build up to longer distances. If you build up to brisk walk, you will get some cardio benefit from the exercise as well, which your doctor will appreciate. Which reminds us, before you start any exercise program, including walking, be sure to consult with your doctor. The key is to go for a walk as often as you can. If you have a dog, you have a built-in personal trainer. Your dog would be happy going on walks 3 times a day if he could. And he’ll nag you to go. Who can resist those imploring eyes when he brings you his leash and gently nudges you towards the door? Of course, walking was one of the original benefits of a round of golf. But the advent of golf carts eliminated that (along with valuable summer employment for young people as caddies). Going for walks will help improve your golf game. Establish a regular walking program will improve your golf fitness and you might even lose a few pounds.

The rules in golf are fairly simple if you already know them, however explaining them could take a while. If you are not very familiar with the basics, the first thing you would need to know would be the main objective of the game: you have to hit the ball at the start or at the tee into the hole for every section in the course’s 18 sections or 18 holes. The hole is located on the green, which is a piece of short and well-maintained grass. Once you are already on the green, you need to use your putter, which is the club that has a slab-like end, instead of your other normal clubs.

Every hole has a specified target number of shots to be done from the tee to the hole. This is called the par. For instance, if you are on a par 5 hole, you would need to get the ball from the tee to the hole in five shots or less. If you were able to do it with exactly the number of shots specified, then your score would be a par. If you did it in one less than the par, your score would be a birdie. If you did it in two less than the par, your score would be an eagle. Three below par would be called an albatross and the best score would be a hole in one, which happens if you were able to get the ball from the tee to the hole in one hit.

On the other hand, if you scored one more than the par then that would be a bogey. Two more than the par would be a double bogey. If you have tried for more that 12 shots, then you forfeit the hole. You would then have to move to the next hole. Eventually, as you go through the game, there would be various hazards that you would have to deal with. If your ball lands on the rough, which is an area on the course that has long grass, you could find it difficult to move on from that area. There could also be trees on the rough of some courses, which could make them harder to get out of. The worst hazards would be the lakes and the ponds, because if you hit the ball into one, it would cost you the shot you took and another shot as a penalty, which would make it harder to reach par.