Any courses walk-only?

[golfpramparo]

In Argentina (where I lived) most of the courses are "walk only". 

 

Of course the design of the golf course helps. Greens are closer to the next tees. The club house or bar is also closer to the 1st tee and 18th green (and sometimes 9th green and 10th tee as well for mid-round snacks).

 

Overall it is a 8 mile walk each round.

[razor_1]

There should be more.  If I am a county parks and rec director, I want a walk only municipal course within my county or municipality.  Along with a caddy program for young people and the opportunity to learn money and get out from behind their phones and computer screens to meet and interact with people.  I'm not averse to riding, I just had a joint replacement so understand the need.  But golf is meant to be played as a walking sport.  Unless the course is prohibitive or you are in an area like Myrtle Beach where they are trying to fit as many players in as possible.

[crcraig]

On 10/19/2021 at 10:54 AM, playit said:

In the USA, does anyone know of a course that is not a 'big name' being walk-only? Just a regular golf course.

 

Green Harbor GC in Marshfield, MA.  It's public, and very much not a "big name" course.  It's kind of amazing they manage to pull it off, really.

[david.c.w]

13 minutes ago, crcraig said:

Green Harbor GC in Marshfield, MA.  It's public, and very much not a "big name" course.  It's kind of amazing they manage to pull it off, really.

 

I stand corrected.  Great for them that they can sustain that model at such a value.  Carts are generally run at an 80% profit margin.

[Octopus Golfer]

On 10/19/2021 at 10:56 AM, hollabachgt said:

Augusta National, Pine Valley, Peachtree, Cypress Point are all walking only

Peachtree is not walking only.  East Lake is. 

Edited October 20, 2021 by Octopus Golfer

[Octopus Golfer]

On 10/19/2021 at 1:52 PM, ND2005 said:

 

When I was at Sand Valley this summer I saw way more carts than I was expecting, the group ahead of us looked to be mid-30s and I didn't see any obviously visible disability. 

 

I asked my caddie - he said every single cart the resort owns is in use every single day. They are supposed to be for ADA qualifying disabilities but he said the resort doesn't really check. 

 

Ocean Course definitely isn't walking only, but it is cart path/waste area only. 

Ocean Course is walking only except for in the summertime. 

[T-MAC]

On 10/19/2021 at 11:07 PM, Smiller1172 said:

Secession in SC is walk only as well

I was going to post this but you beat me to it.
GREAT course.  I would play it much more often if they allowed carts.
My walking days are pretty much over.  My knees are bad and besides that, I need a place to put my beer.🍻

[Pepperturbo]

The last I knew, there still are a few pvt clubs that are walk-only, one has or had a dedicated caddy program.

 

@david.c.w I don't know of any daily-fee public courses that are walk only.

[Abh159]

Knowing this may hijack the thread a little bit... How would you all feel if your course (private or public) moved to "walk only" and developed a caddie program?

 

I walk and ride pretty equally. Usually ride in the summer when it's hotter than you know what, and I'll walk/carry in the colder months to keep warm or if it's cart path only. 

 

One thing that never really gets mentioned is the cost of a caddie. Once you factor in the standard fee + tip you're probably dropping $100+ for that round (not including the green fee if it's a public course). Compare that to $20-25 for a cart rental and it's a pretty big difference in the price someone is paying. 

 

I understand that just because a course has caddies doesn't mean you have to use one, but it's worth thinking about. 

[ND2005]

17 hours ago, Abh159 said:

Knowing this may hijack the thread a little bit... How would you all feel if your course (private or public) moved to "walk only" and developed a caddie program?

 

I walk and ride pretty equally. Usually ride in the summer when it's hotter than you know what, and I'll walk/carry in the colder months to keep warm or if it's cart path only. 

 

One thing that never really gets mentioned is the cost of a caddie. Once you factor in the standard fee + tip you're probably dropping $100+ for that round (not including the green fee if it's a public course). Compare that to $20-25 for a cart rental and it's a pretty big difference in the price someone is paying. 

 

I understand that just because a course has caddies doesn't mean you have to use one, but it's worth thinking about. 

I would not be interested in regular use of a caddy, especially not at a course I play all the time. 
 
I would be fine with walking only but I don’t need the added expense of a caddie on a “normal” round. 
 
caddies for me are for golf vacations where I don’t know the course 

[david.c.w]

17 hours ago, Abh159 said:

Knowing this may hijack the thread a little bit... How would you all feel if your course (private or public) moved to "walk only" and developed a caddie program?

 

I walk and ride pretty equally. Usually ride in the summer when it's hotter than you know what, and I'll walk/carry in the colder months to keep warm or if it's cart path only. 

 

One thing that never really gets mentioned is the cost of a caddie. Once you factor in the standard fee + tip you're probably dropping $100+ for that round (not including the green fee if it's a public course). Compare that to $20-25 for a cart rental and it's a pretty big difference in the price someone is paying. 

 

I understand that just because a course has caddies doesn't mean you have to use one, but it's worth thinking about. 

 

Moving our course to walk only with caddie option would not be successful at all.  First of all we are in Atlanta, where it is simply too hot and too hilly for many members.  We have a very large senior population of men and women golfers in their 70's, and this would make it difficult for them.  I will say many were able to walk the full course during the great golf cart quarantine of April 2020, but we had to flip the 9's to make it happen so some folks could walk 9.  Our back is relatively flat compared to the front.  There is 175 feet of vertical elevation change between 8 tee and 9 green.  I am in my late 40's, play tennis and do cardio 4-5 days a week and that walk is a slog.

 

We are a full blown private country club.  We have a brand new wellness facility and 14 jam packed tennis courts.  Most members get there exercise there instead of the golf course.

 

We are on bermuda grass with wide fairways.  The rough only gets really thick in the late summer where it gobbles up your ball, so don't really need caddies or forecaddies to look for balls.  

 

Then there is the cost.  My son caddied last summer at a neighboring private club that does have a caddie program.  He was pulling in $100 a loop and single bagging, and he is a 17 year old kid, not a "real caddie".   While my family is doing OK financially, I am not going to drop $500 a month for a caddie, and we are on the low end of the income scale for our club.

 

I am like you.  I like to walk and I like to ride.  I will ride this afternoon and probably walk Sunday morning.  For me caddies are great a few times a year if you get the chance, but not for every day.

 

 

 

 

[Abh159]

46 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

Then there is the cost.  My son caddied last summer at a neighboring private club that does have a caddie program.  He was pulling in $100 a loop and single bagging, and he is a 17 year old kid, not a "real caddie".   While my family is doing OK financially, I am not going to drop $500 a month for a caddie, and we are on the low end of the income scale for our club.

 

I am like you.  I like to walk and I like to ride.  I will ride this afternoon and probably walk Sunday morning.  For me caddies are great a few times a year if you get the chance, but not for every day.

 

My opinion tends to follow yours. It would be great to have a caddie when I walk, but considering I play 5-10 times a month when the weather is nice I don't think I could get on board with spending an extra $500 - $1000 each month just to have someone carry my bag. 

 

As much as I'm in favor of caddie programs, the scholarships they give out, and the life lessons kids learn through them I think a major flaw in the execution is that it just isn't reasonable for the members at 99% of the clubs to spend that much extra money to support it.

[CCTxGolf]

Some courses don’t let you walk early to keep the pace up. Then let walkers out later in the afternoon.

 

I have no data to back it up but I’m my experience walking and playing behind walkers they don’t actually slow anything down.

[Marxman]

On 10/19/2021 at 8:19 AM, playit said:

Was reading a blurb on Erin Hills course in Wisconsin, site of the 2017 US Open. Said it is walk-only and I think it said it does not have cart paths at all. Now, that is novel! Do you know of any other courses walk-only? I can't envision such a course getting enough traffic to survive, especially this day and age when fitness/obesity are more of a problem. I bet they rent a lot of electric caddy carts!

Erin Hills is worth the walk but even with a caddy it will leave me out of gas.  The walk is demanding and I know I could shoot a lower score if I was riding a cart. 

[smashdn]

On 10/19/2021 at 10:11 AM, playit said:

is it common for golf courses to ban walking?

 

Nag's Head Golf Links, Nags Head, NC would not let me walk.  It had just come a big rain and it was cart path only.  Insisted that I take a cart anyway.  I declined to play instead.  I don't know if they have an outright ban or what the deal was.

 

I haven't frequented places where there were bans on walking.  Some places where the expectation is you ride.  Places where they look at you like you have three heads if you want to walk.  And also places where you really cannot walk due to length between holes (due to housing or whatever) or the terrain is just so rough it is not practical or verging on un-safe to walk.

 

I played Sewanee on an afternoon where they were not letting carts out due to the course being soft.  Weather was very nice so many people were out playing and all walking.  Great atmosphere.

Edited October 22, 2021 by smashdn

[david.c.w]

1 hour ago, Marxman said:

Erin Hills is worth the walk but even with a caddy it will leave me out of gas.  The walk is demanding and I know I could shoot a lower score if I was riding a cart. 

 

I played EH this summer.  It is a nice, but LONG walk.  No cart path but a soft crushed gravel and sand path.  Significant distance between green and next tee, and a surprising amount of elevation change for a "flat" course.

 

I was wiped after the round.

 

[jvincent]

52 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

 

I played EH this summer.  It is a nice, but LONG walk.  No cart path but a soft crushed gravel and sand path.  Significant distance between green and next tee, and a surprising amount of elevation change for a "flat" course.

 

I was wiped after the round.

 

Paraphrasing what my caddie said when I played EH and asked him where the next tee was.

 

"Look for the closest hill and climb that".

[cristphoto]

Pikewood National outside of Morgantown, West Virginia is walking only.  If you can get on make sure you're in good shape because it hilly but absolutely gorgeous.  The next couple of weeks should be absolutely amazing with the fall colors. 

[Golferpaul]

On 10/21/2021 at 1:39 PM, Abh159 said:

Knowing this may hijack the thread a little bit... How would you all feel if your course (private or public) moved to "walk only" and developed a caddie program?

 

 

 

Well, that would screw lots of golfers who are unable to walk 18 holes.  There are lots of us. 

 

Golf carts are the most positive invention in the history of golf and they enable millions of people to play golf who otherwise couldn't play.

[Golferpaul]

5 hours ago, CCTxGolf said:

Some courses don’t let you walk early to keep the pace up. Then let walkers out later in the afternoon.

 

I have no data to back it up but I’m my experience walking and playing behind walkers they don’t actually slow anything down.

 

Maybe not where you play.  In our group, riders are much faster than walkers.  But we all play fast.

[allparz]

Secession GC

Chechessee Creek

 

Both in the Low Country of SC - Pretty easy walks...

 

[theebdk]

On 10/22/2021 at 11:44 AM, david.c.w said:

 

I played EH this summer.  It is a nice, but LONG walk.  No cart path but a soft crushed gravel and sand path.  Significant distance between green and next tee, and a surprising amount of elevation change for a "flat" course.

 

I was wiped after the round.

 

Best part of the walk at Erin Hills is the short walk to the Irish Pub!

[JRSc]

Sage Valley in Graniteville, SC is walking and caddie only.