Vancouver Sun

READY TO WALK THE RUN

B. C. Golf aims to promote its sport, and all of the exercise that it entails

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Want to complete the Sun Run next year? Golf may get you in shape.

Chris McGrath is well aware of golf’s image as a stuffy sport for rich people.

So the manager of marketing and communicat­ions at British Columbia Golf — along with 58 other golfers — hopes to turn the sport’s stereotypi­cal image on its ear by participat­ing in the Sun Run. The twist?

Each of the participan­ts will be outfitted in a B. C. Golf T- shirt and hat, so they can easily be spotted while walking — yes, walking — the Sun Run course.

The Sun Run, they believe, reinforces the message in B. C. Golf marketing materials that golf is a great way to not only spend time with friends and family, but to get some exercise while you’re at it.

The average round of golf is about 6.5 kilometres. That makes the 10- km Sun Run “about a round and a half of golf, which is really good,” McGrath said. “The Sun Run was a natural tie- in to get that message out.”

Each participan­t will carry a pedometer so they can track the number of steps, and they will be doing live social media on site.

“We’ve got statistics that if you carry your golf clubs and walk the average 18 holes, you burn about 2,000 calories,” said McGrath.

Of course, some people choose to use golf carts, but even so, there are still fitness benefits to the game. As McGrath points out, you can’t drive the cart right up to the greens.

“If you drive a golf cart, you will burn about 1,200 ( calories),” he said.

McGrath came up with the idea after taking part in the Sun Run last year. It got some traction when he bandied it about the office, so he floated the proposal in the organizati­on’s newsletter. In no time, almost 50 golfers signed up.

The golfing contingent in the Sun Run will include participan­ts of all ages from all over the Lower Mainland, including Morgan Creek golf course in Surrey and Marine Drive in Vancouver. Several golfers are coming in from the Fraser Valley.

“We’ve got a wide gamut of people,” said McGrath, with the oldest being close to 80 and children as young as eight.

“We’ve got women and men, good golfers, poor golfers, and some who don’t even play golf but just want to get out and support the game, which is really a good offshoot for us as well.”

So if you see a group of golfers on the Sun Run course, don’t think they missed a turnoff somewhere on the road to the golf course and got stuck in the run.

They’ll be there to spread a message: golfing equals a lot of walking. And that’s good fun — and exercise — for everyone.

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 ?? KIM STALLKNECH­T/ PNG ?? Sun Run golfers include, from left to right: Doug Stewart, Neil Kelly, Kelly’s 12- year- old daughter Jacqueline, his 9- year- old daughter Monique and their mom Kelly. John Kalil is second from right; on the far right is Jack Hutchinson.
KIM STALLKNECH­T/ PNG Sun Run golfers include, from left to right: Doug Stewart, Neil Kelly, Kelly’s 12- year- old daughter Jacqueline, his 9- year- old daughter Monique and their mom Kelly. John Kalil is second from right; on the far right is Jack Hutchinson.

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