Walking vs Riding

[BillyZ2]

There are many benefits to walking, exercise, ready golf, speed of play. When walking, you are not dependent on a cart partner who hits his ball into another fairway, drives over there, hits, then drives you over to your ball. To be paired up with a golfer who sprays the ball all over "hecks half acre", can take you right out of your game and lengthen the playing time. I am sort of a 'tunnel vision' type person who likes to focus on my own game. Maybe it's sort of selfish, but you have to stay focused to play a good round of golf. One of my golf partners sprays it left, sprays it right, and it gets tiring. Also, when sharing a cart, both players have a responsibility of driving the cart, based on the location of both balls, and often times I have been paired up with golfers who don't share that responsibilty. I'm getting older now, and waliking 18 holes can be laborous, so often times I take a cart. I guess I should be more selective in golf partners.

[cforselius]

I like the simplicity in the game of golf. Pencil bag+walk= win. +1 if you carry Mackenzie or something.

[tigerwoods]

We played a 15 man mad 18 a couple of weeks ago where everybody played the hole at the same time. Par was your friend and each hole usually came down to 3-4 guys putting for birdie. Everybody rode with 2 men per cart, finished in 3:15. The 2some of walkers that teed off behind us finally had to wait on us for their 2nd shot on 18.

I would venture to say that outcome would be drastically different if we all walked and the 2some was in a cart. I understand that anybody with a half a brain would play through in that situation but you get my point.

[dciccoritti]

Right now it's 50/50 for me. If it wasn't for my playing partners, I would walk almost all the time. I will ride a very hilly course though even if I was by myself.

[Argonne69]

I recall reading about a course in the UK that had an event called the "Day of Thirds", or something along that line. Not sure if it was a once a year thing, or a regular Sunday affair. The players would [b]walk [/b]18 in the morning in 3 hours, follow up with a 3 hour gourmet brunch, and then [b]walk [/b]another 18 in 3 hours. Man, that's my kind of golf.

It sure seems they don't screw around over the pond. Ready golf played quickly while walking. Carts? Pretty much limited to handicapped players only.

[BMC]

I played Pinehurst #2 Saturday with a young, former college player. I asked him if he still walked and carried,
he said, "no, after college he swore he would never carry his bag again"...[b]the guy was my caddie![/b]

If you ever get a chance to walk with a caddie, do it. It's a real pleasure.

I walk and carry at the course where I'm a member, just so I don't have to pay a cart fee. I ride almost everywhere else.

[chapinc]

I almost always walk with a push cart. I definitely enjoy playing more when I walk vs ride.

[br61]

[quote name='BMC' timestamp='1445906707' post='12510688']
I played Pinehurst #2 Saturday with a young, former college player. I asked him if he still walked and carried,
he said, "no, after college he swore he would never carry his bag again"...[b]the guy was my caddie![/b]

If you ever get a chance to walk with a caddie, do it. It's a real pleasure.

I walk and carry at the course where I'm a member, just so I don't have to pay a cart fee. I ride almost everywhere else.
[/quote]

I found that to be true with all of my former (NCAA Div II in 1990-93) players and most of other college players, I don't think I've seen them walk but to ride after finishing their college golf careers. I don't mind walking and do that whenever weather is very pleasant.

Most of the walkers around here, are older players with push carts.

[TexasCarlos]

When it comes down to it, " I can hit this sloppy and chase it in my cart" vs "I better stripe this or else I'm going to be walking way to far"

[jwjw1212]

For me, I like to walk most of time, but if I'm playing multiple days in fow , I will ride

[theshadow1971]

A very typical american phenomena, riding in a cart. maybe in Japan it's quite common too. In Sweden, where I'm from,nearly all courses demand a note from your doctor to let you use a cart. I spend alot of time in Asia, and even in Thailand, a tropical country, where I live a large part of the year people usually walk.

The need to be able to drink "cold beer" on the golf course is also alien to me, weird even. For it to be such an important part of the game as it seems to be to some people..I don't get it. You can't enjoy a round of golf without drinking alcohol? "I ride a cart because I don't want to carry around a six pack during the round" I mean, seriously?

 

Really! Most of the courses i play in Bangkok & Pattaya, everybody rides carts! Same for KL, Singapore and Indonesia. But agree don't want to walk around carrying 6 pak of Chang!

[ryuartz]

I prefer to walk. Riding a cart doesnt get me an exercise.

[chmcoope]

I like riding. Usually when the course is really slow I can play really fast. I should walk though cause I need the exercise. My goal is to walk more this season.

[jewofgolf]

It's so disappointing sometimes being a walker. Spending the weekend in Memphis and tried to book a 7 am tee time as a single for today and they say no walking. Oh well there are other places to take my money.

 

I also looked up and contacted some Orlando courses that looked nice and same thing. I guess no golf for me on my conference.

 

It's sad that people perceive walking as slow and don't allow it. I vote with my wallet and avoid those courses.

[cxx]

This must be a self selecting thread. The percentage of walkers in this poll doesn't reflect what I see anywhere that I play. I do walk everyplace that allows walking but am in a small minority.

[Argonne69]

It's so disappointing sometimes being a walker. Spending the weekend in Memphis and tried to book a 7 am tee time as a single for today and they say no walking. Oh well there are other places to take my money.

 

I also looked up and contacted some Orlando courses that looked nice and same thing. I guess no golf for me on my conference.

 

It's sad that people perceive walking as slow and don't allow it. I vote with my wallet and avoid those courses.

 

The mandatory carts policies are nuts, and are all about the revenue. If someone isn't keeping pace, regardless whether they are walking or in carts, they should be required to get back into position.

[Jc0]

It's so disappointing sometimes being a walker. Spending the weekend in Memphis and tried to book a 7 am tee time as a single for today and they say no walking. Oh well there are other places to take my money.

 

I also looked up and contacted some Orlando courses that looked nice and same thing. I guess no golf for me on my conference.

 

It's sad that people perceive walking as slow and don't allow it. I vote with my wallet and avoid those courses.

 

The mandatory carts policies are nuts, and are all about the revenue. If someone isn't keeping pace, regardless whether they are walking or in carts, they should be required to get back into position.

 

Do you know anything about those courses? Most of the courses that I have played at that have mandatory carts usually have large distances between some holes. I have had a few courses 200-300 yards between tees. No matter how fast you play you will fallout of position if you have to make 3 or 4 of those walks. It's easier to make it cart only than to risk a walking group slowing everyone else down and causing lost business.

[Argonne69]

It's so disappointing sometimes being a walker. Spending the weekend in Memphis and tried to book a 7 am tee time as a single for today and they say no walking. Oh well there are other places to take my money.

 

I also looked up and contacted some Orlando courses that looked nice and same thing. I guess no golf for me on my conference.

 

It's sad that people perceive walking as slow and don't allow it. I vote with my wallet and avoid those courses.

 

The mandatory carts policies are nuts, and are all about the revenue. If someone isn't keeping pace, regardless whether they are walking or in carts, they should be required to get back into position.

 

Do you know anything about those courses? Most of the courses that I have played at that have mandatory carts usually have large distances between some holes. I have had a few courses 200-300 yards between tees. No matter how fast you play you will fallout of position if you have to make 3 or 4 of those walks. It's easier to make it cart only than to risk a walking group slowing everyone else down and causing lost business.

 

Sorry, but 1200 extra yards is not going to slow down play. I've walked Erin Hills, Bandon Dunes, and Streamsong, which probably stretch out 8 to 10 miles, and the pace of play was quicker than your average cart-only course. 'Tired of the too-long-to-walk excuses when we're already walking 6 to 8 miles.

[jewofgolf]

Yeah I defintely agree with those long walks not being a big deal. It may add 5 minutes to the round. They do it due to perceptions, not facts. My opinion obviously.

[Argonne69]

Yeah I defintely agree with those long walks not being a big deal. It may add 5 minutes to the round. They do it due to perceptions, not facts. My opinion obviously.

 

Agreed. Maybe a bit more. I can walk a quarter mile, or roughly the length of a par 4, in ~4 minutes. Assuming the course has 4 long stretches you're looking at 15 to 20 minutes.

 

I've played close to 350 courses, and there were maybe a handful that I couldn't see myself walking. If riding was the cure to slow play, every resort course in the world would be bragging about their 3 hour rounds.

[therider]

As a British expat living in the US I grew up walking and still do when the course allows.

 

A hairline fracture of my ankle playing soccer a few weeks back meant that the last month I've been riding and whilst convenient, I can't wait to ditch the cart and strap on the bag again in a few weeks once I have the all clear...

[Ranchobob]

I ride all the time.It you walked the courses where I live it would not be considered fun unless you want to get in shape to run a marathon.There is no such thing as a flat course here.

 

Dude.

 

The spread from the highest and lowest point in the whole state isn't even 1,000 feet. Unless the course has stupid-long green to tee hikes, get over it.

 

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001792.html

[BillyZ2]

I ride all the time.It you walked the courses where I live it would not be considered fun unless you want to get in shape to run a marathon.There is no such thing as a flat course here.

 

Dude.

 

The spread from the highest and lowest point in the whole state isn't even 1,000 feet. Unless the course has stupid-long green to tee hikes, get over it.

 

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0001792.html

"Dude",

It's not necessarily one elevation change, it's the constant elevation changes up and down. Also, there is great distances between tees sometimes making it impractical to walk various courses. Sometimes walking is not the thing to do based on course layout, dude!

[thomz0_]

Whoa whoa whoa.

Stop.

 

Do not sit there and tell me walking is as fast as a golf cart.

I just spent 6 hours behind 4somes of walkers, waiting 10 minutes just to tee off on every hole. I played 3 balls and was still waiting on every single shot.

 

I've watched my buddy play the back 9 alone in 45 minutes. You can't even walk 3,400 yards in that time let alone play golf. So stop lol

[Argonne69]

Whoa whoa whoa.

Stop.

 

Do not sit there and tell me walking is as fast as a golf cart.

I just spent 6 hours behind 4somes of walkers, waiting 10 minutes just to tee off on every hole. I played 3 balls and was still waiting on every single shot.

 

I've watched my buddy play the back 9 alone in 45 minutes. You can't even walk 3,400 yards in that time let alone play golf. So stop lol

 

Lol. That's Labor Day golf. I've learned my lesson, and take the day off. My last Labor Day round was 5:45, and everyone was in carts. If carts sped up pplay every resort course in the country would be bragging about their 3 hour rounds.

[CR McDivot]

[Argonne69]

 

 

Your point? I played Riverdale Dunes in a cart, and the round was still over 4 hours. I've walked similar courses in under 4 hours. Comparing the time walking from green to tee is ridiculous. How about measuring the time that two players in a cart spend zig-zagging back and forth to each others's balls while the walkers spend zero minutes walking to a ball that isn't theirs?

 

No doubt that if every player was given their own electric cart, and they knew how to use it, that riding would be quicker. However, I've played over 350 courses and have never once seen a cart policy where every player was given their own cart. Add to that the fact that the majority of cart users don't know how to use them (other than as a rolling shade tree), and we wind up with a situation where cart golf is generally slower than four walkers.

[CR McDivot]

The point I was trying to make is that many newer courses, especially those designed into housing subdivisions, tend to have long jogs between holes. This makes it tough to walk.

 

I prefer to walk whenever possible and tend to stay away from non walker friendly courses. Walked Buffalo twice this last month and came in @ 4 hrs both times on this notoriously slow course in spite of the moderately long tee to green.

 

Riverdale can be slow on the weekends, but I can usually walk in under 4 and my 63 year old legs feel a lot fresher than at Buffalo.

 

I agree that many cart riders are less efficient than walkers - painfully so if cart path only is in effect!

[Argonne69]

The point I was trying to make is that many newer courses, especially those designed into housing subdivisions, tend to have long jogs between holes. This makes it tough to walk.

 

I prefer to walk whenever possible and tend to stay away from non walker friendly courses. Walked Buffalo twice this last month and came in @ 4 hrs both times on this notoriously slow course in spite of the moderately long tee to green.

 

Riverdale can be slow on the weekends, but I can usually walk in under 4 and my 63 year old legs feel a lot fresher than at Buffalo.

 

I agree that many cart riders are less efficient than walkers - painfully so if cart path only is in effect!

 

Tough? Maybe. Impossible? No.

 

Cart path only? I avoid it like the plague. It's a guarantee for a 5+ hour round.

 

By the way, those Todd Creek numbers look very suspect. 62 minutes walking green to tee? That's an average of 3.6 minutes per hole, or 0.18 miles (320 yards) per hole. Did a drunk sailor design the routing on the course? Why the heck didn't they simply put a short par 3 between every hole and make it a 35 hole facility?

[North Butte]

There's a course near me that I walked with a GPS distance tracking app on my phone. I was curious about the green to tee walks, it was obvious that a couple of them were 450 yards or so but I wasn't sure how it averaged out with the shorter ones mixed.

 

The green to tee distances averaged well over 250 yards, I believe the number was somewhere around 270 although it's been a while and I don't remember exactly. Less than 300 for sure. Most of the "shorter" walks were still in the 100-150 yard range with only a few holes separated by normal-length green to tee distances.

 

That course is not the most spread-out one I've ever played but it's close. I could believe a course somewhere might average of 320 yards between holes, sure. Some courses are built with not the least thought given to the possibility someone would ever want to walk and play them.

 

I've played there (walking) a dozen or so times over the years but would not care to do it on a hot day or on a day when I could not afford to take my time and simply spend 4-1/2 hours or so playing and walking. Too bad, it has a few interesting holes and is in an extremely convenient location for me. Cheap to play, too. But I'll leave it to the cart riders (who of course have to add in a $15 cart fee which somewhat moots the "cheap" part).