I'm done with cart path only

[RobotDoctor]

On 7/18/2021 at 7:17 PM, James the Hogan Fan said:

I'll raise with I'm done with carts altogether. I truly believe they slow down play instead of speeding it up, especially for higher handicap players. I have played in groups with players like that the last two days. 2 guys in the cart leap frogging each other with 20-70 yard duffs and tops, generally 45 degrees off of each other on opposite sides of the fairway. Both drive to one ball, hit it, both drive to the other ball, hit it, rinse and repeat. If there needs to be a search, both players become tied to the search because that's where the bag and cart is.

 

At least when walking, they can both walk to their respective balls and hit them. All clubs are at their disposal at all times. They can walk directly to where their ball is, regardless of where it is.

 

If you are a single or single carts with low handicaps, then you can FLY around the course and I get that. But the vast majority of golfers I've encountered are not that.

 

The problem with a lot of modern designed courses is the distance between green to tees.  This is what causes the need for carts.  I’d rather walk and once I get back into good physical shape I will.  My plan is to walk my home course by next year after shedding weight and building stamina.  But if I do have to take a cart and it’s CPO then I get to ride and walk at the same time.  CPO doesn’t bother me too much because I get some extra foot time and that’s good for burning a few calories.  

[Dbigman501]

On 7/22/2021 at 3:17 PM, RobotDoctor said:

The problem with a lot of modern designed courses is the distance between green to tees.  This is what causes the need for carts.  I’d rather walk and once I get back into good physical shape I will.  My plan is to walk my home course by next year after shedding weight and building stamina.  But if I do have to take a cart and it’s CPO then I get to ride and walk at the same time.  CPO doesn’t bother me too much because I get some extra foot time and that’s good for burning a few calories.  

 I believe that older golf courses that were designed before motorized riding carts were in use, almost always were designed to be walked. In many parts of the world, walked probably meant with a caddy. The caddy element being assumed especially where there was hilly terrain. However one feature which was fairly standard was the close proximity between tee boxes and greens. I remember being told that once it became clear that providing hired out golf carts came to be seen as a profit center for golf clubs, course designs began to feature less compact layout's that covered more acreage. I will admit though that the logic that first came the carts and then came the lengthy courses could be argued as the timeline....

[ND2005]

1 hour ago, Dbigman501 said:

 I believe that older golf courses that were designed before motorized riding carts were in use, almost always were designed to be walked. In many parts of the world, walked probably meant with a caddy. The caddy element being assumed especially where there was hilly terrain. However one feature which was fairly standard was the close proximity between tee boxes and greens. I remember being told that once it became clear that providing hired out golf carts came to be seen as a profit center for golf clubs, course designs began to feature less compact layout's that covered more acreage. I will admit though that the logic that first came the carts and then came the lengthy courses could be argued as the timeline....

 

It's mostly due to the rise of the residential golf course model. 

 

Courses being routed around housing plans rather than in a compact/efficient routing. 

 

 

[TiScape]

On 7/13/2021 at 10:10 AM, Paddy_2_Iron said:

I never have a good round with cart path only. Might as well walk if you are going to play and if the course doesn't allowing walking I'm not playing.  I love the game, but I sure the hell don't if it's cart path only.  

Totally agree. Like you said above, walking beats the crap out of grabbing a few different clubs and your range finder and walking out to locate your ball. 💯 better off just walking. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by TiScape

[MountainKing]

I hate it, generally on days we know this will be an issue we will make a time at a course with no cart pathes.  It seems in the name of money, most courses in this area never go to the "no carts" model.  I probably should just walk more than ride, but I'm lazy and golf isn't a form of exercise for me.

[Fairway14]

Remember, for cart path only days playing tee shots towards the path is an option. 

[Ric0485]

I bought a carry bag just for this reason. When it's cart path only I feel like I can't concentrate on the round. Instead I'm worried about which clubs to grab, rangefinder, towel, etc then hurry back to the cart to do it again. No fun like that and no socializing

[BHI 99]

Can’t say I ever thought about is as a “problem”

[Jim53]

Played Sat. at the Course the Grint Tournament will be next Sat. Beautiful Course and it was CPO for about 10 holes and we teed off at 10:45 in about 96* and 95% humidity.

My friend who is a member was giving me the lines to hit Driver on, my question was which side is the cart path on? that is my line for today. It is amazing how well you can aim and hit a shot that makes the hole 50-75 yards longer..but aim for the short cut and slice or hook the crap out of it.

[tsecor]

i ignore the "cart path only" stuff and when i drive the cart onto the fairway, it automaticLLY SHUTS DOWN......there is an option on the cart that asks if you lost a club.....i always hit yes and the cart starts back up......one day the clubhouse asked me if i found the 12 clubs i lost......

[BHI 99]

Remote control irrigation systems are the best way to keep carts on paths. 

[chillybilly]

Taking the previous few days' weather into account when driving to the course SHOULD produce few CPO surprises ie rules match conditions.  But it ain't necessarily so.

 

I'm sure many have tales of Course A going CPO when it's relatively dry or only as wet as it might be on a non-CPO day after the sprinklers have been running.  Meanwhile, Course B is not CPO but might actually be wetter.

 

As usual, collective guilt and punishment are assigned to 90% for the sins of the 10% ie those who drive carts irresponsibly, even maliciously.  But the course knows it will hear complaints about trouble spots or conditions created by the 10% so the 90% have to hoof it back and forth.

 

One resort course I used to play often was CPO unless in the midst of a 2-month drought with grass turning brown everywhere and dust clouds billowing on the property.  Their bad reputation for such paranoia grew quickly and customer traffic dropped proportionally.  Suddenly they found a new zeal for allowing carts off the paths.

[betarhoalphadelta]

On 7/25/2021 at 12:41 PM, Fairway14 said:

Remember, for cart path only days playing tee shots towards the path is an option. 

 

I'll hit my tee shots wherever I want, thankyouverymuch!

 

(Or wherever my body decides they'll go, which often isn't where I want lol).

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I rode for the first time in over a year yesterday, because the course didn't allow walking. Oddly enough, there weren't long paths between the greens and tee boxes except for two areas, where we had to go through a tunnel under a freeway (and then back a few holes later).

 

I don't think it did anything for pace of play, as the round was basically 4 1/2 hours. Granted, the course has a lot of elevation changes (elevated tees and elevated greens with fairways in a valley through a dry river bed), so maybe a lot of their normal players can't handle the walk... 

 

I'm playing again on Thursday, and we'll end up in carts. But that's more due to the fact that I'm playing with my wife's stepdad, who had a knee replacement a few years back and probably isn't able to walk a whole round. 

 

That said, I'm less adamant about walking around this time of year (Jul/Aug) when it's hot out. But I'd still do if the course allowed it and if I was with players who accepted walking.

[Paddy_2_Iron]

On 7/25/2021 at 4:26 PM, Ric0485 said:

I bought a carry bag just for this reason. When it's cart path only I feel like I can't concentrate on the round. Instead I'm worried about which clubs to grab, rangefinder, towel, etc then hurry back to the cart to do it again. No fun like that and no socializing

 

Exactly, seasoned golfers know this feeling all to well.  

[Paddy_2_Iron]

On 7/25/2021 at 12:54 PM, MountainKing said:

I hate it, generally on days we know this will be an issue we will make a time at a course with no cart pathes.  It seems in the name of money, most courses in this area never go to the "no carts" model.  I probably should just walk more than ride, but I'm lazy and golf isn't a form of exercise for me.

Exactly, from my experiences it usually later tee times.  With the heat in FL now, that means usually 9 holes only, but it beats CPO which complete bastardized the game of golf.  

[Paddy_2_Iron]

On 7/17/2021 at 5:30 PM, platgof said:

Passed a foursome riding carts. I was pushing and they could not keep up because of CPO. 

Seen this before, it's like a freaking clown show.  

[NoTalentLefty]

No to Cart paths only. No to walking . 

[miamistomp]

 Hot and cpo or walking keeps the riff-raff off the course

[OldFrog75]

Me too.  I'm 70 years old and I give a hard pass whenever a course is cart path only.  Seems like I walk more than if I straight up carried my bag and walked the round.  And my shoes and clothes are generally covered with mud when I finish.

[Roody]

Just played 36 holes yesterday at Turning Stone where it was cart path only. We were miserable. It absolutely sucks. It's a casino/resort, and they have some huge fairways. And as Murphy's Law would have it, I think we always hit our shots to the farthest possible position from the cart path as we could.

 

Had a few times where we were taking our bags off the cart, and walking across the sloshy fairways to our ball. Combine that with one of the two courses having aerated greens, and it being 86 degrees and very humid, it was just not an enjoyable day. I was mentally and physically exhausted part way through the second round, and shot my worst score of the year. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Roody

[Spicoli]

If you want real fun try playing in a CPO scramble.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

12 hours ago, Spicoli said:

If you want real fun try playing in a CPO scramble.

Done that and it's terrible. Played a resort course with major heather and swails between the cart path and fairway. You'd have to park many yards ahead or behind in the cart path. We tried to be as efficient as possible, sending two to retrieve balls and two to move carts along. Lots extra walking and time. A major pita and took forever. 

[BIG STU]

On 7/22/2021 at 9:17 AM, RobotDoctor said:

The problem with a lot of modern designed courses is the distance between green to tees.  This is what causes the need for carts.  I’d rather walk and once I get back into good physical shape I will.  My plan is to walk my home course by next year after shedding weight and building stamina.  But if I do have to take a cart and it’s CPO then I get to ride and walk at the same time.  CPO doesn’t bother me too much because I get some extra foot time and that’s good for burning a few calories.  

100% correct--- I have gotten to the point now that I can do CPO for 9 holes only. I know for a fact as far out as walking 18 that will never happen for me because of permanant injury. I am just glad to be playing a game that somewhat resembles golf at this stage

[ChipNRun]

@BIG STU,

 

I had remarked two weeks ago that one course I played had elevated cart paths... and CPO meant 150-yard jogs out and back if you hit your tee shot into left rough.

 

The course is covers about 300 acres on the edge of farmland, and is a quite nice rolling layout when the fairways are dry. When I first played the course several years ago, the Annbriar website boasted that on top of being scenic, it is walkable. 🤔 Surprise! Sometime since then, the webmeister removed the walkable remark.

[Orange Hog]

CPO is the worst.  Totally understand the "why" but if the course is walkable then I'd prefer to just throw my bag on the clicgear and just hoof it.

[bigred90gt]

On 7/13/2021 at 12:22 PM, danglingangler said:

I'm in South Louisiana and right now every course within 150 miles is cart path only. Combine that with 95 degree highs and insane humidity, I'll will take the cart path only.

 

At least when you drive from shot to shot/hole to hole, you get some sort of a breeze. I guess the other alternative is to not play but that won't be happening. I hate CPO as much as the next but its about the best we can do right now.

I'm on the gulf coast in Texas, and unfortunately, I feel this to the max. I think it didnt rain less days than it did in July. 

[golfortennis]

I hope everyone kept track of the courses that suddenly "became" walkable last year when the madness first hit.  All this time they were saying carts were mandatory, and then all of a sudden....

 

 

[golfortennis]

On 8/9/2021 at 11:12 PM, OldFrog75 said:

Me too.  I'm 70 years old and I give a hard pass whenever a course is cart path only.  Seems like I walk more than if I straight up carried my bag and walked the round.  And my shoes and clothes are generally covered with mud when I finish.

 

But are you a CEO?

[2Down]

What’s your CPO strategy and is it different from normal.  
I try to play for less walking if possible.  So yea I play for less walking not the best position.  Still end up right around my normal score.  
 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by 2Down