When you play 18 holes of golf, you usually walk around five miles between the time that you tee off on the first hole to the time that your ball drops in the 18^th hole. This equates to a lot of time spent on your feet, which could be problematic if you don't take the right approach. If you've experienced foot pain that you believe is a result of your golf playing, you shouldn't hesitate to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist; he or she will assess your feet, determine the likely cause for the pain and then provide you with some ideas of how to keep your feet healthy while golfing. Here are some simple foot care steps that you can adopt for this purpose, too.

Choose Comfort Over Style When Buying Shoes

Many golfers love picking out a stylish outfit for playing, and that includes their shoes. While there are many snazzy golfing shoes available on the market, make sure that you select your footwear based on fit, not appearance. Given the amount of time you'll be walking and standing during a round of play, you want the shoes to have ample support for your arches, room for all of your toes and padding for your heels.

Take The Grass Rather Than The Path

Occasionally, you'll find a paved path that you can walk on in certain areas of the golf course. It might be tempting to take this route when you can, but it's virtually always better to walk on the grass. The grass is spongier than the paved path, which means that the former generates less impact to your feet. Given the thousands of steps you'll be taking as you complete your round, you want to minimize the number of times your heels and the balls of your feet make hard contact with the ground.

Be Careful When You Head Off The Fairway

The fairways of your local golf course are likely smooth and flat, but you won't always be walking on them. When you hit your ball into the rough or a sand trap, you'll need to head off the beaten path a little. Make sure that you take care in these areas; when walking through thick rough, for example, step carefully to avoid stepping into a hole that causes you to strain an ankle. A good tactic to use is to part the grass ahead of you with your club; this will allow you to spot and avoid any obstacles.