How FAST can you walk 18?

[FormerBigDaddy]

Obviously there are a lot of factors but I'm just curious about the answers.  If the course was empty and you were playing at about your average skill level, how quickly can you walk 18 without feeling rushed and still counting every stroke?  Anyone keep track of their best time/score?  

 

I play at my home club nearly 100% of the time and the layout is great for walking.  I usually finish 18 in less than 3 hrs even when I'm at a casual pace and there's a few others on the course.  The other day I was blazing at about a 7-8min per hole pace when I caught a group on 8.  I think I can probably play in around 2:20 if I have a day where I don't have to search for many balls.  

[jholz]

On your average park-style muni designed for walking, I'm reasonably sure I could finish 9 in just about an hour. Maybe slightly more, maybe slightly less.

[Abh159]

Can't say there has ever been a time at my club where I've walked an entire 18 holes and never encountered another group. 

 

I've done it on 9 holes a few times before dark. On those occasions I usually play in about 1:15 so I'm guessing if I were to do 18 holes it would be about 2:30.

[HoosierHacker89]

On an older course (short and tees and greens close together),no one in front of me, I know it well, and I'm hitting it reasonably straight I can get done in about 2 hours playing alone. 

[MelloYello]

I have absolutely no idea how someone could walk a golf course that's 7,000-yds from the back tees in less than 3-hours and not be running. 

 

I play a lot of 9-hole rounds by myself in the evenings as practice and my top speed is about 1:45. You could double that (3:30) for 18 but that's still my top speed. 

 

I can see why PoP is such a complaint for some. Either you're moving insanely fast or you're just playing courses that are very small (nothing wrong with that, btw). 

 

Bottom line, if I walked 18 I would expect it to take between 3:45 and 4-hrs.

 

Things that slow me down:

 

Arriving at the next hole only to have to walk back to the tees you're playing 

Having to walk up big hills.

Having to cross small roads in a neighborhood.

Crossing underneath a highway and coming back (req'd on each of our 9s). 

 

. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by MelloYello

[nitram]

I finished a 6800 yard Par 71 in 2:18 day before yesterday. There wasn't any rush, as in running to the next shot but there wasn't any pooping around either. This still allows me to use Aimpoint Express on most putts (outside 5 feet) and refill my water jug 3 times. I played with a guy who was in his cart and he was able to find all three of my non-fairway shots, so that helped.

[Blaiser]

I think the course layout and terrain can have a 30-60 min variance in how fast I could walk.

 

At my local muni, I've played 9 in about an hour several times walking when they used to have their "back 9 and breakfast" deal and I would be first out.

 

I also used to work at a country club and staff could play on Mondays when the club was shut down. Super hilly course that was really spread out, would take me at least 90 minutes to finish 9. 

 

Really wish I had my remote push cart back then, those hills were beastly. 

[MelloYello]

10 minutes ago, Blaiser said:

I think the course layout and terrain can have a 30-60 min variance in how fast I could walk.

 

At my local muni, I've played 9 in about an hour several times walking when they used to have their "back 9 and breakfast" deal and I would be first out.

 

I also used to work at a country club and staff could play on Mondays when the club was shut down. Super hilly course that was really spread out, would take me at least 90 minutes to finish 9. 

 

Really wish I had my remote push cart back then, those hills were beastly. 

 

Amen. 

 

Here in the south there are a lot of hills and the walks between greens and tee are not always negligible. 

[rd1959]

I play a hilly 9 hole mountain course most of the time. It's 3000 yds and it usually takes about 1:15/1:20 hrs. for 9. If I play 18 it usually takes 2:55/ 3:00 hrs. taking into consideration the fact on the last nine I'll be totally worn out so, there will be more rest time. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by rd1959

[jimb6golf]

If I'm playing alone on a relatively empty course I typically can play 18 holes in about 2 hrs 45 mins, but that depends on how I am playing too.  It's pretty fun and a stress breaker to play off season in New England when the courses are pretty empty, get a good walk in and play quickly too.

[Boricua Golf]

As mentioned before, depending on the course, I have played 2:30 on a 6800 yds course, on a longer (7100 yds) course I have completed a round in 2:50, that said, these were without anyone in front of me...normally on a regular day, the same 6800 yard course has taken me (at the quickest) 3:45 walking with a push cart...

[Bonneville85308]

On a course designed for walking that I've played many times before with the greens and next tees close together and no giant hills, playing from my usual 5,800-6,100 yards, and nobody in front of me, I'll walk 18 in 2:20-2:30. In my 20s I could do it on my home course in 2:15 if I was playing well and not screwing around at all between shots, but I walk slower now and have a tendency to mess around on my cell phone while walking between shots. Start adding hills, greater distances between greens and tees, unfamiliarity with the layout, etc. and it goes up from there.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Bonneville85308

[larrybud]

3 hours ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

Obviously there are a lot of factors but I'm just curious about the answers.  If the course was empty and you were playing at about your average skill level, how quickly can you walk 18 without feeling rushed and still counting every stroke?  Anyone keep track of their best time/score?  

 

I play at my home club nearly 100% of the time and the layout is great for walking.  I usually finish 18 in less than 3 hrs even when I'm at a casual pace and there's a few others on the course.  The other day I was blazing at about a 7-8min per hole pace when I caught a group on 8.  I think I can probably play in around 2:20 if I have a day where I don't have to search for many balls.  

 

As a single? At my home club it's about a 5.4 mile walk (in a straight line), but I've mapped it on gps and you end up walking about 7 miles. Anything less than 3 hours is motoring pretty well. The course is hilly, and there's a long walk between several holes. Uphill on 18 is a death march (~550 yards, plays more like 600).

 

..So I just went through and plotted my course on Google earth. Total course distance on a straight line is 6478 yards. Total walking between holes is 3015 yards!! total is 9493 yards. Pretty incredible that half of the walking is from green to tee. This is measured from the "blue" tees which are the typical tees we play. If you play the tips, a couple of holes you have to walk an extra 50 yards back to reach the box, so I would add in about another 300 yards (even though it's 700 yards longer on the scorecard).

Total elevation change (plotting from tee to landing zone to green) is 463 feet. Total climb is 300 feet half of which is climbing from green to the next tee!

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by larrybud

[larrybud]

52 minutes ago, Blaiser said:

I think the course layout and terrain can have a 30-60 min variance in how fast I could walk.

 

Absolutely, which is why getting into "pace of play" discussions, stating absolute times is just silly ("shouldn't take longer than X minutes to play!!")

[ThinkingPlus]

2 minutes ago, larrybud said:

Absolutely, which is why getting into "pace of play" discussions, stating absolute times is just silly ("shouldn't take longer than X minutes to play!!")

Yes, but then it would make it impossible for the rabbits to get their daily preening.

[MelloYello]

2.5-hrs = 150-mins  >> ~8.333 mins per hole (seems kind of dubious, but maybe on a short, flat course?)

 

 

2.5-hrs @ 3mph covers 7.5 mi or 13,200-yds

 

Let's assume 7,000 is the length of the course (and add 20% for in-between distances*).

 

*In-between distances represent a 40% increase in overall walking distance at my course. That's right. If the course itself is 7,000, we're also walking another 3,000-yds in between greens and tees. I don't think people understand how different courses can be. And this is a walker-friendly course, too! I've seen courses where walking isn't even an option because of stupidly-long gaps in the layout. 

 

13,200 - (7,000 x 1.2) = 4,800-yds (let's convert this to time which can be seen as the time spent not walking -- i.e. playing).

 

4,800-yds coverts into 55 mins spent hitting shots

 

So this player spends 1.5-hrs walking and 1-hr hitting shots at a pace of about 44 sec / shot. 

 

 

 

If the same golfer walked at 2.5 mph instead of 3 mph, that would delay him by about 19 minutes. 

 

Likewise, if that 1.2 factor for in-between distances was slightly higher, say 1.4 like at my home course, it would result in needing to walk an additional 1,400-yds (+16 minutes).

 

I think it's very easy to see how these numbers can be swayed quite a lot by small discrepancies in walking speed as well as in-between distances. Such factors can account for 30+ minutes differences while literally playing the same golf shots. 

 

Interesting stuff to consider. I was shocked my course requires an additional 3,000-yds to walk. I figured it'd be half that. I think you guys who play parkland courses where you can spit on the next tee box from the green are really in a different environment. 🙂

 

.

Edited October 17, 2022 by MelloYello

[596]

I've walked 18 in 2 hours and shot in the 70's.  

 

My best was not 18 but only 9.  At the ripe old age of 55, I ran 9 holes in 40 minutes and shot a 33 (par 35).  3 birdies, 1 bogey and 5 pars.  That day I also played through 2 groups.  I carried a bag of 14 clubs.  It was a lot of fun!  Before you say no way,  I was a triathlete at the time.  I was running or biking up to 6 hours a day.  9 holes running was a walk in the park.

[elwhippy]

2 hours 30 mins in a 2 ball early morning. 

[monty09]

played Beth Page Black as a 2 ball with a caddie walking in 3h 25m

[david.c.w]

Playing solo with the intent to play fast without running?  Somewhere around 2:30 would be as fast as most folks could go.    Course is 7000+ yards.   Really only 2 or 3 holes where there is less than 75 yards between green and next tee.  Not a housing development course, just how it is routed.  

 

If you hit every fairway and center of every green the walk is 5.5 miles.  In reality this ends up being ~7 miles, at least according to various step trackers and apple watches.

 

Elevation change is somewhat significant.  4 green to 5 tee is 57 vertical feet.  7 green to 9 green is 141 vertical feet.  On a few flat holes overall

 

Someday I need to do an AllTrails to fully map it.

 

 

[llewol007]

We play at my buddies course which is semi private and without anyone in fro or behind us we typically finish as a foursome in 3 hours

[2bGood]

Never done it as single. But have done marathon days walking. The first few rounds before the course gets busy are about 1:40 as twosome. Playing all strokes and not rushing, but playing with purpose.

[third-times-a-charm]

~3 hours 

[larrybud]

53 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

If the same golfer walked at 2.5 mph instead of 3 mph, that would delay him by about 19 minutes. 

 

I don't think anybody is averaging 3mph with a bag on their shoulder or pushing a cart. That's very optimistic.

[Kmagnuss]

Used to do it under 2.5 hours all the time here.  (no hills but pretty muggy in the summer)

The tees you play from shouldn't have any impact on how long it takes... you have to walk past the tips to get to the reds.

 

[FormerBigDaddy]

I guess I can give more context to my playing conditions.  Later in the day and later in the season it's not uncommon for me to not encounter another group for LONG stretches and sometimes none at all in the offseason at my home course.  My club is 100 years old and all the tee boxes are right next to the greens so there are no long walks between holes other than from 9 to 10 which is maybe a 1-2min walk.  I wouldn't call my course flat but it's not super hilly either.  Definitely a couple good uphill walks and plateaus but nothing insane.    The tees I play from are about 6700yds and the course handicap is 1.5 strokes over par. I'd say the biggest factor in my speed is how well I'm hitting my tee shots.  If I don't have to search for many balls off the tee I can get around quick.  I'm don't usually take more than 1-2 practice swings and having a laser for distance and course knowledge definitely speeds things up.  I'm also in decent shape so I can maintain a good pace with my walk.  I haven't done it yet but I really think I can walk all 18 on a good day in around under 2:20 and still score around 80 or below.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by FormerBigDaddy

[FormerBigDaddy]

17 minutes ago, larrybud said:

 

I don't think anybody is averaging 3mph with a bag on their shoulder or pushing a cart. That's very optimistic.

3mph pace carrying a bag is not hard at all.  Again for me it has more to do with knowing where my ball is and not having to search for it.  

[Wham49]

I guess if I had to 2 and a half, but my usual pace is 3-315

[MattM97]

I'm pretty fat and don't walk too often really depends on the course but I did play a short little course for league night which maxed out at 4000 yards, flat and a basic layout. My buddy and I would usually do it in 2.5-3 but that usually included waiting, shooting the sh*t, taking multiple shots for practice, putting around on the greens, etc. 

 

But our record was one night, storm coming in, course empty but the golf degens have to play, we finished the first 9 in just under 45min and that was getting caught in the rain tossing gear on and covering our bags, the second 9 we did in 45-50min to beat out the next wave of clouds. So like 1.5hrs for a 4000 yard flat course I'll take it, not the best golf but don't get too many chances on an open course. 

[david.c.w]

Update on my 2:30 max for 18 holes.  I did a manual AllTrails esimate for the elevation change.  Total of 335 ft in vertical elevation gain.  I guess this means a total of 335 ft in elevation drop as well.  Not sure how this equates to other courses or how much time the elevation adds.  I can tell you there are some breathing and heart rate breaks after some of the hills, even by my super fit friends.