Kierland Golf Club offers an innovative bike golf program. (Image: Westin Kierland Resort and Spa)
From aerial yoga to loaner workout gear, fitness trends that will help keep the pounds off during your next golf vacation.
The average golfer walks about five miles in an 18-hole round—though it’s easy to rack up even more mileage if you spray the ball. Walking the course is great exercise, to be sure, but many courses discourage it because of challenging terrain and an emphasis on pace-of-play. How then to fit in some much-needed exercise the next time you’re on the road? Here, a few ideas from our recent golf travels.
Take a hike in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. (Image: Sharon McAuley)
Bike the Golf Course
The Kierland Golf Club at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale is known for offering innovative options to taking a golf cart. In addition to riding a Segway or a motorized golf board (a type of modified skateboard), you can also bike the course. The customized mountain bikes have two specially designed golf bags mounted like saddlebags on the back. With fat rubber tires and a curved kickstand, the bikes are designed to minimize impact on the fairways. Biking provides a great workout, a quick round, and a novel way to experience the game.
Get Outdoors
There’s no better way to explore your golf destination than to hike the local trails. Hotels will often provide maps of nearby walking and hiking paths, along with safety tips, including what to do if you encounter local wildlife. Famous Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, offers golfers stunning cliff-top views of the Pacific, but hiking the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve—right next door—lets you experience up close the native chaparral landscape, groves of unique Torrey pines, and the miles of pristine beach tantalizingly viewed from above during your round of golf.
Learn the “Superman Pose” in an aerial yoga class. (Image: Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.)
Try the Latest Fitness Trends
In the spirit of vacation adventure, break out of your routine—or kick-start your new health regime—by sampling an innovative fitness class. At the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, you’ll find inspiration at Well & Being at Willow Stream, the resort’s renowned spa and fitness facility. On-trend fitness classes include TRX, CrossFit, Krank Fusion, Rip Surfer, aerial yoga—as well as other fun new ways to get your heart pumping.
No Excuses
In an age of carry-on travel, it’s tempting to leave behind your workout clothes and sneakers in order to travel light. Now you can keep the packing to a minimum and still maintain your fitness routine by taking advantage of your hotel’s fitness gear lending program. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Westin Hotels and Resorts, to name two, offer this guest benefit for a nominal fee. Both feature athletic apparel and footwear by brand names like Reebok and New Balance, delivered directly to your room. As part of the Fairmont Fit program, you can also request a yoga mat and stretch bands for an in-room workout. So no more excuses—and no more dirty laundry to haul home.
