As promised, after reviewing your many wonderful responses to my Golf Hot Flash last month, here is some interesting feedback as to whether or not golf is exercise! Many of these responses were very detailed and specific from golfers who have worn a pedometer while walking and others who have driven in a cart on a cart path only course.

There seems to be a consensus among golfers who walked a course with a pedometer that the number of miles walked, depending on the strength of their game, is between 15,000 and 18,000 steps. The article I quoted in the May Hot Flash said 16,000 steps, equivalent to 8 miles.

There was, however, a lot less consensus from those of you who have ridden in a cart on a cart path with a pedometer. According to our feedback, it seems as though using a cart will only yield a count of 4,000 to 5,000 steps per our patients as compared to 13,000 steps, the estimated amount in the article (unless of course, the writer was a horrible golfer!).

Not too many of you admitted that you ride the cart to the ball, but one (who shall be nameless!) claimed he clocked approximately 7000 steps riding to the ball at Silverado.

The wonderful replies I received from you ranged from tales of 101 year old golfing boyfriends who looked 75, erratic golfers wandering through the desert putting in more calories in the form of candy bars, soda and beer, calorie burning "shot angst," the skeptic who claims it's all about the camaraderie and riding in golf carts, advice not to take lessons from my husband and the presence of "lots of fat golfers." You did all agree it is better for your health than sitting in front of television or a computer, but many of you wondered if golf is really aerobic exercise.

I plan to take up golf if and when I retire, if and when my youngest child graduates college or more hopefully, if and when we do not have to diagnose breast cancer any more. Until then, I would again like to thank you for your support of Breastnet for the past 11 years and wish you a happy and healthy summer!

Best regards,

Belinda Barclay-White, MD