Sport Known for Cart Promotes Walking

PGA promoting simple ways to incorporate exercise into daily life

The Professional Golfers Association is hoping to use this weekend's Ryder Cup to send a message to the throngs of spectators: whether they play golf or not, it's possible to make simple life choices that will improve their health.

Bob Baldassari, the PGA's Director of player development, and his team descended upon Medinah Country Club this week armed with thousands of pedometers.

Those devices were being handed out free to Ryder Cup attendees who promised to track their results.

"The goal is everybody wearing a pedometer," he said, adding that he'd logged roughly 14,000 steps by mid-day.

And at pedometer headquarters, which ironically sat in the shadow of the food court, plenty of people were seen signing up.

"I'm going to walk and track it because I want to be healthy and I want to be around for my babies," said Toni Reints.

It's perhaps ironic that the very sport which invented a vehicle to avoid walking is now encouraging people to bail out of the cart and hoof it on their own.

But Baldassari says that's precisely the goal.

"If you and I are playing golf, I'll walk odd-numbered holes, you'll walk even-numbered holes. So we're playing, we have our golf cart, but we're exercising more and it's good for your heart," he explained.

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