Will we see a new generation of walkers?

[TiScape]

I hope not! 😬

 

*apologize if this “joke” has already been made. Not looking thru 5 pages 😊

Edited April 15 by TiScape

[Argonne69]

18 minutes ago, TiScape said:

I hope not! 😬

 

*apologize if this “joke” has already been made. Not looking thru 5 pages 😊

 

Lol. Appreciate the attempt at humor, but honestly, that pic looks like most of the players I see riding in carts. I've run into a few zombies walking the courses, but the vast, vast majority play at a decent pace. Can't recall the last time I spent a considerable amount of time waiting on a group walking in front of me. 

 

Now riders? I'd have to be exposed to massive amounts of gamma radiation to grow enough fingers to count the number of times this walker has had to wait on clowns in carts who have absolutely no clue how to use a cart. No, it doesn't involve sitting in the cart while your playing partner hits, and then driving 10 yds to your ball. 

 

Edited April 15 by Argonne69

[TiScape]

9 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Lol. Appreciate the attempt at humor, but honestly, that pic looks like most of the players I see riding in carts. I've run into a few zombies walking the courses, but the vast, vast majority play at a decent pace. Can't recall the last time I spent a considerable amount of time waiting on a group walking in front of me. 

 

Now riders? I'd have to be exposed to massive amounts of gamma radiation to grow enough fingers to count the number of times this walker has had to wait on clowns in carts who have absolutely no clue how to use a cart. No, it doesn't involve sitting in the cart while your playing partner hits, and then driving 10 yds to your ball. 

 

Those characters are literally called “walkers” on the show. So, the emphasis of my “joke”. 
 

cheers A69! 🍻 

[Argonne69]

Just now, TiScape said:

Those characters are literally called “walkers” on the show. So, the emphasis of my “joke”. 
 

cheers A69! 🍻 

 

Lol. Sorry for missing the reference. I thought these were the walkers. Tough group playing in wintery conditions.

 

 

[hanginnwangin]

On 3/27/2020 at 9:39 AM, hanginnwangin said:

As someone who recently started walking because of really having no other option, I will share my opinion on this with my first post on this site. I'm in my low 30's and thin, in decent shape, but nothing crazy. I could walk or hike for a long time but I get pretty winded quickly if I am sprinting. I am a beer drinker on the course and enjoy to do it socially. I have been playing for golf 10+ years on and off and within the last year have become on another level of being more serious about it. I want to get to single digit handicaps consistently, as right now i am more in the 10-12 range on good days and bogey golf on my off days.

Now, to the main point....the walking of courses. I have always ridden in carts for the most part when I have played, aside from 9 hole par 3 courses. It's not because I hate walking courses or anything, but more because it's easier to ride in carts and the people I have always gone with prefer it as well.

But now, riding isn't really an option and I like golf so much that I am not going to stop playing just because I can't ride in a cart. Currently, because of this Coronavirus, I am at the point where I have stopped trying to scavenge for the rare open course and have just been walking on courses I am familiar with for free using a walking cart. I have done this three times and it has been an awesome experience every time. You get to appreciate the beauty of the courses a lot more and you have time to reflect on your shots and time to walk off your bad shots. It's also a pretty good work out, especially for me considering I have a huge bag which makes walking a bit more difficult. I need to either take some stuff out of my bag or get a lighter bag for walking the course only. I also would not walk in the California summer heat. No way, no how.

Anyway, because of everything going on, my appreciation for walking courses has grown and it's something I could see myself doing more when I get older to get some exercise in while having a good time. But when things return to normalcy, I will still mostly ride in the carts provided because I like to bring extras on the course (ice chest of beers, sandwiches, music speaker, etc.) Basically, I pack a lot of stuff. But every person is different and many people don't do that. But yea, that's 2 cents.

Wow, someone just liked this comment. This was my first post on here over 4 years ago. Since this post I've gone from a 10-12 handicap to a 3. 

 

Back to riding though 🤣

Edited April 15 by hanginnwangin

[bcjim]

On 3/27/2020 at 10:35 AM, disco111 said:

With many courses closed, we'll be lucky if at least half that played do come back to the game. Those that do come back, may not play as much as they did in the past. 

Oof. Swing and a miss. 😂

[vtpachyderm]

I'm a walker who also has a carry bag - no push cart yet. My bag weighs just around 10 kilos - I carry light. Rounds are around the 3.5-4.5 hour mark. I only feel in under competitions where the rounds can go to around 5 hrs. I either use a Hoofer Light, or a RGC canvas carry bag, and only have the basics in there. Of course, here in Norway, it never gets too hot that water is an issue. And my club just changed the course layout to a double nine with a mandatory 10 min stop at the clubhouse after 9 - it used to be the first 9 took you way out and then brought you back in to the clubhouse. Makes walking easier now.

 

Everyone in my golfing group walks and of those 20, 3 of us carry. They give me a hard time, but I tell them even with my bag, I weigh less than them without - that usually shuts them up 🤣.

 

 

[DaveGoodrich]

I'm 63, and choose to walk whenever the course will allow it.  Lots of courses here in SoCal are built in housing developments, with 1/2 mile walks between some holes, so they don't allow walking during normal play.  Only a few others in my club walk. Surprisingly, its a few of the younger guys that tend to walk with me. Understandably, walking some of the hilly courses we play is beyond the ability of some of the older guys.  But there a lot of guys that could walk, and could certainly use the exercise.  I must say, it can be nice when one of our foursome rides in a cart, especially when its hot.  We use that cart as our "support vehicle," carrying our cold beverages.  Safety first, right?   

 

Recently I have switched from using a push cart, to carrying with a lightweight bag (but with a full 14 clubs).  I've found that I like carrying better, especially this time of year when the rough is long and thick, which makes pushing the cart more difficult.  I also like being able to walk directly across the green with my bag.  I know my push cart applies way fewer psi to the green than my feet do, but folks would still think you are an jerk if you rolled your push cart across the green.    Hilly courses also seem easier when carrying.   

[braincramp52]

On 4/10/2024 at 5:43 PM, SnowbirdTom said:

Walker with electric bag buggy.  My back thanks me by not being sore.  I rode 9 today, totally out of sorts with my game doing so.  Back to the MGI buggy Sunday for 18.

The electric trolley is the best money I've ever spent on golf equipment.

[braincramp52]

On 4/15/2024 at 8:40 AM, david.c.w said:

Our club certainly has more walkers than we did in 2019.  So to OP's question, yes, a generation of walkers has been born/re-born. 

 

In the Fall/Winter/Spring, I walk 75% of rounds.  The cart days are generally the Friday afternoon days where everyone is done with work for the week.  However in the summer I generally take a cart due to the heat and humidity.  We have some steep hills to climb, especially on our front 9.  If I walk in the summer I have sweat dripping off the bill of my cap when putting on the 9th hole, and I look like I just got out of a pool.  That is not fun.

 

If I am able to get off the back 9 on a summer evening I walk, but summer 18 hole rounds are almost all carts.  I am 50 and overweight, but fitter than most.  

 

I prefer to carry vs push.  Pushing does something to my shoulders back, especially up the bigger hills.  We cannot have our own pushcarts.  If I was able to bring my own I probably would have bought a remote controlled R2D2 thing a while ago. 

You can't bring your own cart? Damn, that sucks! If they allow walking what do they have against push carts?

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

The statistical majority of golfers play in carts today. The only reason they appear to be faster is because they are few. 😄 

If the guys I saw driving BACKWARDS after hitting their 2nd shots were walking, everybody in here would ready to beat the tar out of them with their 9-Irons... 🤣

 

Kidding aside. I'm getting ready to commit to a new golf expense. A push cart or a carry bag.
 

I really like this stand/carry bag (https://www.sunmountain.com/collections/golf-bags/products/4-5ls-14w?variant=45188029743402). 

 

Yet, it may not be summer compatible, so maybe I'll buy that for the winter and then a push cart of the summer....

Do walkers find that carrying or pushing tires them out differently? Or is it pretty much the same either way?

[Soloman1]

after decades and decades of carrying my bag and walking, my generation is about ready for this walker.

 

wait until you see pace of play behind a group of us. 8 hours and 43 minutes.

 

for nine holes.

 

Edited April 21 by Soloman1

[North Butte]

2 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

 If they allow walking what do they have against push carts?

Because if they allow walking but don't allow push carts, almost nobody will walk and shoulder their bag. If they allow push carts, more people would walk and that costs them riding cart rentals.

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, Mikey_HACKilroy said:

The statistical majority of golfers play in carts today. The only reason they appear to be faster is because they are few. 😄 

If the guys I saw driving BACKWARDS after hitting their 2nd shots were walking, everybody in here would ready to beat the tar out of them with their 9-Irons... 🤣

 

Kidding aside. I'm getting ready to commit to a new golf expense. A push cart or a carry bag.
 

I really like this stand/carry bag (https://www.sunmountain.com/collections/golf-bags/products/4-5ls-14w?variant=45188029743402). 

 

Yet, it may not be summer compatible, so maybe I'll buy that for the winter and then a push cart of the summer....

Do walkers find that carrying or pushing tires them out differently? Or is it pretty much the same either way?

 

On a flat course using a pushcart is going to be easier, as you can give the cart a shove and have it roll ahead of you. Much easier on the back, too. 

 

On a hilly course I find that carrying is easy, especially the uphill sections. Pushing a cart up a steep incline puts a lot of stress on the lower back. Also, trying to hang on to a cart on a steep downhill section isn't much better. 

 

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

On 4/21/2024 at 12:52 PM, Argonne69 said:

 

On a flat course using a pushcart is going to be easier, as you can give the cart a shove and have it roll ahead of you. Much easier on the back, too. 

 

On a hilly course I find that carrying is easy, especially the uphill sections. Pushing a cart up a steep incline puts a lot of stress on the lower back. Also, trying to hang on to a cart on a steep downhill section isn't much better. 

 

Seems like the courses around here are well varied, but the ones I like the most tend to have more hills. Maybe the carry bag really is a better plan.

Though, there's another angle to walking around here that gives me pause in the summer. The courses around here seem to be (at times) real jerks about their water stations. Some courses barely have any watering stations, and others at times are empty because they're not well tended.

I can pack my own, but..... that adds considerable weight.

Decisions.... decisions....

Edited April 24 by Mikey_HACKilroy

[Hickory4ever]

9 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

The electric trolley is the best money I've ever spent on golf equipment.

I just replaced my pushcart with an MGI electric trolley as a 70th birthday gift to myself. I have used pushcarts for the past twelve years to reduce stress on my bad knee and it was the right decision. I cannot carry my clubs any longer but plan to keep walking. 
 

Very few golf courses around here are mandatory cart and I have never seen a course not allow you to use your own push cart. More and more people are getting the electric trolleys and several of my friends have had them for years including some in their late 70’s and early 80’s. Guess what, none of them are holding up anyone.

 

If I had my way, power carts would be limited to those with medical issues or stifling hot days. Some of the cart rules mentioned on here make me scratch my head.

 

As to the fluids issue, I carry several bottles with me and don’t find that to be a problem even on hot summer days.

Edited April 21 by Hickory4ever

[naval2006]

Last Saturday our Eldest Member played the qually for this year's Fourball Club Championship.  He's 85 and his partner is 40rish.  They walked like the rest of the field and they got into the matches next weekend.  The handful of octogenarians playing at my course carry electric trolleys and they play at least 9 holes twice a week and 18 holes most Saturdays.  The course has set  new forward tees for the golden golfers and they are really happy about it.  They are even playing more often now. 

 

Walking the course takes some getting used, but it's one of the most rewarding parts of the game: you're doing some cardio, you walk with your buddies and talk or you go on your own and there's slow time to think, or to focus on you game and try out shots or strategies. And you get home with some enjoyable tiredness for a hot shower or a refreshing dip in the pool before dinner.     

[ae1985]

I push carted yesterday in heavy rough and really wet conditions. My back was killing me at the end of it. Felt like a leg workout more than golf practice.

[Maine Golfer]

I sit behind a desk for 8 hours. I need to walk! I love my push cart

[Philpug]

On 4/21/2024 at 4:08 PM, Hickory4ever said:

If I had my way, power carts would be limited to those with medical issues or stifling hot days.

Why, what would it matter who uses them? What qualifies as "stifling hot"? 

[Maine Golfer]

3 minutes ago, Philpug said:

Why, what would it matter who uses them? What qualifies as "stifling hot"? 

Over 80 in New England and Alaska.

 

Honestly treat other people with respect and dont worry about it! 

[RoyalMustang]

On 4/21/2024 at 11:38 AM, North Butte said:

Because if they allow walking but don't allow push carts, almost nobody will walk and shoulder their bag. If they allow push carts, more people would walk and that costs them riding cart rentals.

 

I'd find a new course to play. That's ridiculous. Walking is an integral part of golf. Don't want to walk? That's fine, but don't try stopping those of us who enjoy walking to make a few extra bucks. There's plenlty of industries to make money in that don't have any sort of tradition, ethics, or ettiquette. Golf isn't one of them. 

 

I worked at the local semi-private course down the street. Mr. Coffey walked 9 every single morning: he was in his late 70s at the time. Every morning, I fetched his push cart rental. Some of his buddies at that age gave him a hard time about not buying golf carts like they had; he was very adamant that walking was part of the game for him and enjoyed those crisp summer Oregon mornings. He also was still skiing Alta at the time (he had a place at the base of LCC) and made sure to ski High Rustler every year on his birthday. If you know anything about High Rustler or Alta back in the late 80's, on 210s, it was nothing to sneeze at! 

[RoyalMustang]

On 4/22/2024 at 9:07 AM, naval2006 said:

Last Saturday our Eldest Member played the qually for this year's Fourball Club Championship.  He's 85 and his partner is 40rish.  They walked like the rest of the field and they got into the matches next weekend.  The handful of octogenarians playing at my course carry electric trolleys and they play at least 9 holes twice a week and 18 holes most Saturdays.  The course has set  new forward tees for the golden golfers and they are really happy about it.  They are even playing more often now. 

 

Walking the course takes some getting used, but it's one of the most rewarding parts of the game: you're doing some cardio, you walk with your buddies and talk or you go on your own and there's slow time to think, or to focus on you game and try out shots or strategies. And you get home with some enjoyable tiredness for a hot shower or a refreshing dip in the pool before dinner.     

 

I walked 14 last night after work and, for this reason, the beer I had when I got home was that much tastier! 

[naval2006]

9 hours ago, RoyalMustang said:

 

I walked 14 last night after work and, for this reason, the beer I had when I got home was that much tastier! 

You did earn it.

[unclefreizo]

Maybe it was Bill Pennington's book. Or MGS, where they claimed with some amount of evidence walking is faster, all else being equal?

[david.c.w]

On 4/21/2024 at 11:00 AM, Mikey_HACKilroy said:

Do walkers find that carrying or pushing tires them out differently? Or is it pretty much the same either way?

 

Agree with @Argonne69.  On a flat course pushing is fine/easier.  On a hilly course there are some weird ways your body has to contort/pull/push/hold/tilt/rotate to manage the push cart, especially around greens and bunkers.  It does not hurt nor does it make you more tired, is just, sort of, maybe, feels weird or uncomfortable. Hard to describe, but overall I prefer to carry.  

[Yugi]

New to the game as I'm approaching retirement and need something to keep me out of my better half's way.  Definitely going to be a walker, have a stand bag and push cart.  My main reason for deciding to walk was the physical activity of 3-4 9 hole rounds a week will do wonders to keep me a bit fitter than I've been during my 45+ years of driving a desk.  

Going to try both carry and pushing and will stick with the one that allows me to finish a round with the least desire to not come out and do it again in a couple of days. 

[braincramp52]

3 hours ago, david.c.w said:

 

Agree with @Argonne69.  On a flat course pushing is fine/easier.  On a hilly course there are some weird ways your body has to contort/pull/push/hold/tilt/rotate to manage the push cart, especially around greens and bunkers.  It does not hurt nor does it make you more tired, is just, sort of, maybe, feels weird or uncomfortable. Hard to describe, but overall I prefer to carry.  

Electric Trolley solves both types of courses.😄

[Argonne69]

3 hours ago, Yugi said:

New to the game as I'm approaching retirement and need something to keep me out of my better half's way.  Definitely going to be a walker, have a stand bag and push cart.  My main reason for deciding to walk was the physical activity of 3-4 9 hole rounds a week will do wonders to keep me a bit fitter than I've been during my 45+ years of driving a desk.  

Going to try both carry and pushing and will stick with the one that allows me to finish a round with the least desire to not come out and do it again in a couple of days. 

 

I've walked over 950 rounds since retiring 4.5 years ago. I've lost 45 pounds, and continue to trend downward. After 32 years of IT sitting at a computer and eating fast food 5 days a week, the walking has been a godsend. Carry, push, or use an electric cart, it's going to be worthwhile. 

 

[Wesley-B96]

Just stumbled across this thread, as a 27 year old with not a ton of money, I plan to start walking most of the time when I go play alone. I have noticed greens fees to walk after like 2-4pm are anywhere from 25%-75% off at certain places. That is huge for me personally. 😅