How FAST can you walk 18?

[Rocky Ball-boa]

My best is 1:57 - but it's a 6,300 yds course, designed for walking. So no long transports in between holes. I was striping it that day, so a lot of drive -> wedge type holes.

I wasn't trying to rush or anything, just got into a groove. An average, leisurely 18 with nobody in front is ~2:15

If the course is busy - 5 hours... goddamnit. I swear.. even if I tried I couldn't go around in 5.

[ColinKelvin]

I walked a full-length (approx 7000 on the card) links course in 2:15 this summer - teed off at 7am, no one in my way apart from a few greenkeepers.  No hurrying over shots.

 

Carts aren't common here in Scotland so all my golf is walking (and carrying a bag).  I expect to get round in around 3 hours in a 2 ball, 3:30 in a 3 and 4 hours in a 4 ball unless there is significant traffic on the course and/or lots of looking for balls in wild places.

[Mirsir69]

My home course is just over 7,700 yards and I walk the course in 2:30 if I don’t get held up. I’ve played faster than that but much faster and I sacrifice scoring. 

[vsabre]

My wife and I walk, both with ClicGears equipped with Ewheels, in 2:45 in the Blue Ridge foothills in VA. 8 miles and about 35 floors per the S5 smartwatch. Gets a little toasty on those 90 degree/ 80% humidity days but it's awesome the majority of the year....

[FormerBigDaddy]

Update... so this time of year my club is closed on monday's but does allow for walkers starting at 1pm.  I was able to be the first walker out and I was solo.  Played in 2:28min.  Could have probably been about 10 min faster but I had some trouble finding a few balls in the leaves in the rough.  I think 2:15 is doable for me but probably not much faster than that.

[Wonder Bread]

I walk 18 all the time.  If im by myself and the course is empty it takes me about 3 hours.  Course is about 7000 yards from the tips fwiw.  I can do it in a cart in 2 by myself LOL 

[Maroon_19]

Comfortably, with good ball striking I can walk my normal course (blue tees - 6,500 yards) in three hours and 15 minutes.  If I hurry I can easily cut that down to two and a half hours.  This is assuming I'm first off the tee in the morning with no other groups in front of me.

Played last Sunday morning as a single.  Was second off the box and was playing behind a walking foursome that was on 1 green as I approached 1 tee.  I took my time so as not to rush them - just trying to enjoy a beautiful late November morning, and still finished in less then three and a half hours.

That said, I never go out with the intention of a FAST round.  I play golf to get away from everything, not to get back to it.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Maroon_19

[whiteout73]

Not very quickly at my course.  It is 7,500 yards (granted, I'm not playing those tees).  I walk the front nine quite a lot, and usually do so in around an hour and a half.  I've never walked all 18 there in one sitting though, as you have to be somewhat crazy to walk the back nine.  I've walked the back nine by itself before, and it's ridiculously difficult- severe elevation changes, long walks, etc.  Example - Number 14 is a par 5, playing straight uphill the whole way.  After you hit the tee shot, you can't just start walking up the fairway. Instead, you must first walk all the way around the pond, then start the journey up.  The last time, it probably took me 30 minutes just to play that hole, even though I hit the GIR and made a routine par.     

[driveandputtmachine]

One summer in high school, myself and best buddy went out and walked 18 as the first group off.  It is Raleigh Country Club, and the last Donald Ross course he designed and the tees and greens are really close.   We played 18 in right about two hours twenty walking.  We both played well and did not have to hunt golf balls, we both shot very good rounds too, which obviously helped a ton.

Edited November 29, 2022 by driveandputtmachine

[Pepperturbo]

Let me preface by saying, I am NOT on the golf course with the intent of getting done as quickly as possible.  I schedule my golf time with enjoyment in mind, that's all.  I walk with a push-cart at my normal pace, regardless of course crowding, but 3.5-4hrs is my comfort zone. 

 

It's not a fricking race, unless you have to go potty.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Pepperturbo

[trilinkrealty]

I walked 18 in an 2 hours and ten minutes yesterday.  It was awesome.     Only had to play through one group on 4 and never saw anyone again.  Saw them in the clubhouse after they finished 9 lol

[Hickory4ever]

The course was not busy yesterday due to the cool temperatures. We had five and played in three hours and a half. We were not rushing, just playing ready golf. 

[PoeBarrett]

I’ve walked 18 in just under two hours, not a super long course but trees everywhere. I’d start work at 10am and tee off between 7-7:30 and always finish in time. Best golf summer so far!

[naval2006]

Club championship at my course two weeks ago. Players started the morning round at 9:30 and they got to the 18th green at 12:15. These guys are not only good but fast. 

[North Butte]

1 hour ago, naval2006 said:

Club championship at my course two weeks ago. Players started the morning round at 9:30 and they got to the 18th green at 12:15. These guys are not only good but fast. 

Apparently Argentina's club culture is more akin to the UK than to USA. The guys in the championship flight of my club championship are all good players but if they started the round at 9:30 then by 12:15 they'd probably be just about hitting off the 10th tee, having stopped to buy hotdogs and beer at the turn. And that's with all of them riding in carts.

[naval2006]

2 hours ago, North Butte said:

Apparently Argentina's club culture is more akin to the UK than to USA. 

Yes, it is.  And club golfers do love a fast club champion.

[FormerBigDaddy]

So yesterday I played and decided to track my walk on my Apple Watch. I carry my bag so keep that in mind when viewing info. 2:45 min round… there was nobody on the course and I played at a casual pace. Could have been faster but had nowhere to go after anyway. I will note I didn’t play the first 9 very well either so that slowed me down. 
 

With that said I was quite surprised by my average heart rate. Never would have thought it would be that high. As I mentioned before, I’m an advid exerciser and consider myself pretty fit both lifting and with cardio. Based on average heart rate I’d say golf CAN be exercise if you carry your bag. 

[mvhoffman]

Pine Hills Country Club

Taylor, PA

6150 yards 

Par 71, Score 73

1 hour and 43 minutes

[North Butte]

50 minutes ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

So yesterday I played and decided to track my walk on my Apple Watch. I carry my bag so keep that in mind when viewing info. 2:45 min round… there was nobody on the course and I played at a casual pace. Could have been faster but had nowhere to go after anyway. I will note I didn’t play the first 9 very well either so that slowed me down. 
 

With that said I was quite surprised by my average heart rate. Never would have thought it would be that high. As I mentioned before, I’m an advid exerciser and consider myself pretty fit both lifting and with cardio. Based on average heart rate I’d say golf CAN be exercise if you carry your bag. 

I'm slightly surprised at your average HR of 98. What's your normal resting rate? 

 

When I'm playing (with a push cart, not carrying) my heart rate will spend most of the round in the 80's with occasional spikes up over 110 if I walk (push) briskly up a steep hill. Of course if I'm out there 4 hours and waiting on every shot it'll spend a lot of time around 70 as well! My Garmin doesn't say the average but eyeballing the graph it's probably 90-ish over the course of a typical round. 

 

My app says I burn anywhere from 700-800kcals of AEE during a leisurely 18 holes up to just over 100kcals if I play 27 holes and keep the pace up the whole time. I am not particularly fit (I tell people I am "golf fit") and I'm overweight so I suspect my heart rate stays a little higher and therefore my watch's AEE estimates are a bit more than they might be with an athlete doing the same round of golf. 

 

Seems like at my home course, the younger athletic guys all use golf carts and the walkers tend to be older, fatter guys like me. For what it's worth. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by North Butte

[FormerBigDaddy]

51 minutes ago, North Butte said:

I'm slightly surprised at your average HR of 98. What's your normal resting rate? 

 

When I'm playing (with a push cart, not carrying) my heart rate will spend most of the round in the 80's with occasional spikes up over 110 if I walk (push) briskly up a steep hill. Of course if I'm out there 4 hours and waiting on every shot it'll spend a lot of time around 70 as well! My Garmin doesn't say the average but eyeballing the graph it's probably 90-ish over the course of a typical round. 

 

My app says I burn anywhere from 700-800kcals of AEE during a leisurely 18 holes up to just over 100kcals if I play 27 holes and keep the pace up the whole time. I am not particularly fit (I tell people I am "golf fit") and I'm overweight so I suspect my heart rate stays a little higher and therefore my watch's AEE estimates are a bit more than they might be with an athlete doing the same round of golf. 

 

Seems like at my home course, the younger athletic guys all use golf carts and the walkers tend to be older, fatter guys like me. For what it's worth. 

I was definitely surprised as well. My average resting heart rate for the year is 52… 

 

You did make a solid point though, this round yesterday had no waiting. I was the only person on the course so I really only stopped to hit a shot and I don’t have a long pre shot routine. 

 

Also attached some more details. Looks like peak HR was 119 and low was 78. Which I can see.. there is a few longer sustained uphill walks at my home club that I can “feel” when carrying my bag. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by FormerBigDaddy

[North Butte]

31 minutes ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

I was definitely surprised as well. My average resting heart rate for the year is 52… 

 

You did make a solid point though, this round yesterday had no waiting. I was the only person on the course so I really only stopped to hit a shot and I don’t have a long pre shot routine. 

 

Also attached some more details. Looks like peak HR was 119 and low was 78. Which I can see.. there is a few longer sustained uphill walks at my home club that I can “feel” when carrying my bag. 

Yeah, that's the sort of thing I see when the course is open and I really get zipping along. Not many opportunities for the HR to drop into the 60's and 70's if you never stop moving for more than long enough to hit one shot. 

 

I enjoy my social rounds played with other people but man, I really enjoy those fast solo rounds where it's all hit-and-walk, hit-and-walk.

[Yuck]

On 10/17/2022 at 11:21 AM, MelloYello said:

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). 

 

. 

Where I play the most, playing at 7000 yards is no longer than 6500 or less.  On most holes, after you leave the green, the back tee on the next hole is the first you encounter, so no extra walking.  Playing most courses for me, the back tee gives me the widest landing area, so less penalty shots….YMMV

 

as for time.   Three hours Fall / Winter/ Spring.  Summer in Florida takes me 3:20 if I don’t want to die.  (62 year old 270 pounder who walks every round)

[North Butte]

My home course, if I walked from the 1st tee to the 18th green without meandering around hitting golf shots would be a walk of just under 4-1/2 miles (about 7,800 yards including walking to and from the clubhouse for a pit stop between nines). My walking pace when out strolling around my neighborhood is 16-1/2 minutes per mile. So that puts the absolute minimum time for walking my course without breaking into a jog at about an hour, fifteen minutes. 

 

My best time playing the ball down and putting it out is nearly an hour longer than that. Which makes sense as it took me about 80 shots which is hard to accomplish in less than about 50-60 minutes. I think if I didn't stop at the turn, played really well (shot in the 70's) and hit the ball really straight all day my absolute minimum time would probably be just a hair over two hours. 

 

The keys to playing golf in well under 3 hours, walking, are IMO 1) a course with reasonable walks from tee to green, 2) not having to veer off into the woods or search through deep rough for balls and 3) literally do not stand still at all, either be walking or be hitting the ball. 

 

Not everyone has a course which ever allows that kind of golf (I usually have to go out off-hours and off-season to do it) but if you can find an opportunity it's worth trying once just to see what it's like. My guess is, once you've tried it you'll have a hard time figuring out how golf got to be a 5-hour activity. 

[MelloYello]

1 hour ago, Yuck said:

Where I play...the back tee on the next hole is the first you encounter, so no extra walking.

 

This thread demonstrated that where I play might be more unique than I first thought. 

 

My home course requires you traverse no fewer than 10,000-yds, and that's assuming you're hitting it down the middle. 

 

 

Around here, in the foothills of the Southeast, it's inevitable that hole routings will insert a few long walks. 

[North Butte]

9 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

This thread demonstrated that where I play might be more unique than I first thought. 

 

My home course requires you traverse no fewer than 10,000-yds, and that's assuming you're hitting it down the middle. 

 

 

Around here, in the foothills of the Southeast, it's inevitable that hole routings will insert a few long walks. 

There’s plenty of courses built in the last 40 years that are 10,000 yard walks or ride. I have seen a few even longer. Not fun to walk. 

[MelloYello]

10 minutes ago, North Butte said:

There’s plenty of courses built in the last 40 years that are 10,000 yard walks or ride. I have seen a few even longer. Not fun to walk. 

 

I don't think many golf course architects do it purposefully. Architecture evolves as property availability changes. It could simply be that in the suburbs, it's just hard to do parkland-style golf courses.

 

Most of the courses where I live require you walk along a route that either plows through neighborhoods, developments or woodlands of some sort. It's inevitable you end up with a few walks that are the length of an entire hole (or more). 

[ANimz]

I just started walking on Thanksgiving this year, and my fastest round so far was 2:40.  This was with a playing partner as well.  My other two rounds have been a little over 3 hours, but that was having to wait at times.  I would hope I can improve the time, as I have not been at it very long.  Home course is around 6500 yards.  

[Argonne69]

I walked 18 today at a resort course. No walking rate, which wasn't a surprise. I played as a single, and finished in under 3 hours. There were several lengthy hikes of more than 300 yds between a few of the holes. After I finished the round, I walked by the starter's stand, and the starter asked me if I was going to play 18, or just 9 holes. Lol. Some people just can't wrap their heads around the fact that many of us don't goof around on the course. Sheesh. 

 

[FormerBigDaddy]

20 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I walked 18 today at a resort course. No walking rate, which wasn't a surprise. I played as a single, and finished in under 3 hours. There were several lengthy hikes of more than 300 yds between a few of the holes. After I finished the round, I walked by the starter's stand, and the starter asked me if I was going to play 18, or just 9 holes. Lol. Some people just can't wrap their heads around the fact that many of us don't goof around on the course. Sheesh. 

 

Should have kept walking and played 27! ha!

[jwhite86]

I haven't timed myself... but walking on a local course can probably be done as a single in 2:15... which makes me wonder why our men's league regularly takes 2:30 to play 9