Mark Twain said golf was a good walk spoiled. He wouldn't have thought that if the U.S. Open were coming to his hometown this week. In fact, he'd probably be playing 18 holes if he had professional athletes such as Tiger Woods and Lorena Ochoa to inspire and motivate him with their super golfing skills and strong physical dexterity.

JOHN GASTALDO / Union-Tribune Professional golfer Dennis Paulson from Encinitas gets a workout by walking the course at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe.

If you're looking for an activity to get you outdoors and work both your body and your brain, golf may be your game. While not as physically taxing as running or spiritually calming as yoga, golf offers a workout that can be as arduous as you want it to be.

“I like to think of golf as an active form of relaxation,” says Cedric Bryant, occasional golfer and full-time chief exercise physiologist with the San Diego-based American Council on Exercise.

Although he admits that golf alone probably won't provide all your fitness needs, it “can serve as motivation to do other forms of exercise to improve your game,” he says. “More than anyone, Tiger Woods has helped make golfers aware of how important fitness and strength are to being good at the sport.”

Check out Tiger's swing and pay attention to Phil Mickelson's putting as you watch the national tournament played at Torrey Pines Golf Course this week. Then harness all that new golf energy and enthusiasm and hit the course or driving range for a winning workout.

CONTRIBUTING GOLF/FITNESS EXPERTS: Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist at the American Council on Exercise; Fred Hanover, former professional golfer and current director of golf at Cal State San Marcos; and Dennis Paulson, professional touring golf pro from Encinitas.

HEALTH/FITNESS BENEFITS:

A round of golf is the equivalent of walking approximately five miles, that's more than the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Walking a golf course, especially with a bag weighing 15 to 20 pounds, provides cardiovascular conditioning, which can lower blood pressure, improve the lipid profile, lower blood glucose levels and help you drop weight.

Hitting golf balls can help you strengthen and maintain strength in the upper body. Striking the ball forces golfer to engage the core muscles, so it can be good for the waistline.

CALORIES BURNED:

“There can be significant calorie burn if you walk (the course) when you think about the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf,” says Bryant.

According to nutristrategy.com, a 190-pound man burns approximately 302 calories per hour playing golf while using a motorized cart. If he walks and carries his bag, he burns 474 calories per hour. Walking and pulling his clubs will burn 431 calories per hour. Calorie expenditures for walking are greater if the terrain is hilly.

WHO IS GOLF GOOD FOR?

“The great thing about golf is that you can compete with anybody of any age. A 20-year-old can play golf with a 60-year-old. That wouldn't happen if they were playing basketball,” says golf pro and Encinitas-resident Dennis Paulson.

Golf is good for someone who likes the outdoors and walking. People who enjoy the social aspect of sport and want a physical and mental challenge. It's also good for someone looking for a less physically demanding workout than some high-impact activities.

WHO IS GOLF NOT GOOD FOR?

Golf may not be a good fit for someone who has little free time and an extremely rigid schedule. Someone with chronic or serious back, hip, elbow or shoulder problems may experience difficulty playing golf. People who are extremely sensitive to the sun should consider playing only in the very early hours or during cloudy winter days and then only with lots of sunscreen and a hat.

It may not be an activity for someone looking for an intense, sweaty workout.

“A perfectionist may not like the game of golf,” says Fred Hanover, a former professional golfer and current director of golf at Cal State San Marcos. “Nobody plays the game perfectly, which can be frustrating.”

HOW TO START

Take a few lessons.

“Lesson will help you from a safety standpoint. The self-taught may have poor body mechanics, which can lead to injuries,” Bryant says. “And, a few lessons will increase the enjoyment level of the game because you'll likely have more success playing it.”

Hanover suggests taking five or six lessons and then take what you learned on the driving range to the course and play the game.

Although the driving range is a good place to learn the basics, golfers need to get on the course and face obstacles such as trees, sand traps, water hazards and other golfers. He recommends taking more lessons in another six months. Lessons cost about $120 for an hour. A series of lessons is usually discounted.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GOLF?

To get any real health benefits from the sport and to improve your golf skills, you need to play or practice two to three times a week.

HOW TO PROGRESS AND ADD CHALLENGE

If you learned on the driving range, take your new knowledge and skills to the course and play with other golfers. Challenge your game by playing in some tournaments. There are tournaments for every level of golfer, Hanover says.

You can also improve your golf game by improving your fitness. Increasing your flexibility in the shoulders and hips will help you rotate more fluidly and attain a better swing. Strengthening the core muscles will help improve your golfing posture and help protect your back and hips under stress. Aerobic conditioning will increase your endurance for playing 18 holes.

TIPS FOR PROPER FORM

“Everyone's form is different because everyone has a different swing,” Hanover says. “But, the most important thing to remember is to use the whole body in your swing instead of just hitting with your hands and arms.”

Feet should be about shoulder-width apart. Bend just slightly at the waist as if you were leaning forward to dribble a basketball, Paulson says. Try to keep a fairly straight back without rounding the upper back or shoulders. Knees should be slightly bent, not locked out. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet, not your heels.

STRETCHES OR WARM-UP TIPS

Although not normally advised as a warm-up for other activities, dynamic stretching can be beneficial for golf, Bryant says. He recommends taking two smaller clubs together and moving them back and forth slowly in a controlled motion to simulate your swing.

To stretch his shoulders, Paulson holds a club behind his back with both hands and then makes a half-swing, gently twisting his body. To warm up the core and hips, do some windmill exercises with outstretched arms, bending the body from side to side, and then opposite hand to opposite foot.

Hanover recommends yoga to help limber the body for golf.

“Any kind of stretching is good, but yoga is by far the best exercise to warm up and stretch for golf,” he says.

TIPS TO AVOID INJURIES

Warm up with slow, fluid movements to prepare the body for activity.

“Warm up before you play. Just don't go out and start ripping your driver. Just because John Daly does it, doesn't mean you should,” Paulson says. “Spend 10 to 15 minutes stretching and warming up and in the beginning just hit easy shots to get the blood flowing.”

Take care when squatting, especially if you have knee problems. To protect your back when bending over to pick up a ball, bend at the knees.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO START

If you're new to golf and still unsure it will be a favorite pastime, buy just a few basic used clubs and a bag at a garage sale or golf shop. The basics should include a 7-or 8-iron, a 3-wood, a putter and a sand wedge, for about $10 per club. Used starter sets are also available for $60 to $80 and include about seven clubs. If you get used clubs, it's a good idea to have a golf shop put new grips on them, about $5 per club.

Once you get better at the game and know you'll be spending some time at it, consider purchasing a new set of clubs (about $500 to over $1,000).

You'll also need: golf shoes, $65 to $220; a golf bag, $70 to $150; and golf balls, $15 to $50 per dozen.

Don't forget the sunscreen, hat and sunglasses.

RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTAL EXERCISES

Stretching, yoga or Pilates can improve flexibility which enhances your range of motion for a better golf swing. Cardiovascular exercise such as fitness walking, running, cycling or racquet sports can improve endurance.

Core and abdominal exercises performed on a stability ball or Bosu trainer can strengthen that area to help protect it from injury. Also helpful are exercises targeting specific muscle groups used in golf, such as trunk rotations with a weight or medicine ball; abdominal and lower-back strengthening exercises; squats and lunges to work the hamstrings, hips and gluteal muscles; wrist curls to strengthen the forearms; and squeezing a tennis ball to help strengthen hands and wrists.