For a game that can take four hours or more to play, golf offers something increasingly rare: the opportunity to spend that time outdoors, moving, talking and enjoying the surroundings.

Yet across much of the United States, riding in a golf cart has become the default way to play.

So why are more golfers choosing to walk?

It isn't simply about getting more steps. For many golfers, walking changes the experience of the game itself.

Professor Graeme Close, Professor of Human Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University and a performance consultant to the DP World Tour, has spent years studying the relationship between golf, exercise and performance. Following his latest research into walking and riding, he believes there is a strong case for golfers to walk whenever they comfortably can.

Walking changes the rhythm of a round

There's something different about moving through a golf course on foot.

Rather than travelling directly from one shot to the next, walking gives you time to take in the course, talk with your playing partners and enjoy the surroundings. The journey between shots becomes part of the experience rather than simply time spent getting to your next ball.

That's something Close sees as an important part of golf's appeal.

"Golf is an amazing sport for both your mental and physical health. It's one of the few we can play throughout our lifespan."

The physical activity is an obvious benefit, but it is only part of the picture.

Close is particularly enthusiastic about the time spent outdoors.

"I'm a huge believer in the mental health benefits of being in nature. When you play golf like me you spend lots of time in the woods, and this is great for your mental health!"

For golfers who already enjoy walking, that probably comes as little surprise.

The social side of walking

Golf is often described as a social game, but walking can make that experience even more pronounced.

Four players sharing a round have several hours to talk, catch up and enjoy each other's company. Walking naturally creates more opportunities for those conversations to happen.

As Close puts it:

"I think walking in nature is so good for us in many ways, and the conversations we have with three other friends are priceless."

It's one of the things that can be lost when the focus becomes purely about getting from the first tee to the 18th green as efficiently as possible.

Walking slows things down in a good way.

Walking doesn't mean making golf harder

Of course, there is one obvious objection.

Walking 18 holes is a lot of ground to cover, particularly on a hilly course or as golfers get older. And while walking may be beneficial, carrying a full set of clubs for four hours isn't necessarily something everyone wants to do.

That's where electric caddies have changed the equation.

Rather than choosing between riding and carrying, golfers can walk while allowing their caddie to take care of the equipment.

Close is a Stewart Golf user himself:

"I tend to walk mainly myself. I use a Stewart trolley and pretend I have a caddie!"

For golfers who want to walk more often, that can make the difference between seeing walking as an additional challenge and simply seeing it as another part of the game.

A sport you don't have to grow out of

One of golf's greatest strengths is its longevity.

Unlike many sports, golf can remain part of your life for decades. But maintaining the ability to walk comfortably around a course becomes increasingly important as we get older.

That doesn't mean everyone needs to walk every round.

Close is clear that riding still has a place:

"I think it depends if they can walk with comfort. I don't want to put anyone off playing golf. There are still benefits of buggy golf, and actually the step count surprised me that there were good numbers when people were in the buggy."

His message is simply that, when walking is comfortable, there is a lot to be gained from doing it.

"But if you can walk, we really should, as this is much better for our physical health."

More than a way to get around the course

The case for walking isn't really about choosing between two ways of getting from one hole to another.

It's about what you want from your round.

Walking gives you movement without needing to think of your round as exercise. It gives you more time outside. It gives you the opportunity to experience the course rather than simply navigate it. And it creates more time to enjoy the people you're playing with.

An electric caddie simply removes one of the biggest practical barriers to doing it.

You don't have to carry. You don't have to push. You can walk at your own pace, conserve your energy for your shots and still experience the course on foot.

For Close, the message is ultimately a simple one.

"Just get on the course, play golf and enjoy every minute of it."

And perhaps that's the best argument for walking of all.