Does anyone walk anymore?

[chisag 11,840]

2 hours ago, Camille Bissarro said:

@DaveP043 I agree weight-wise, but pushing the cart up hills seems to strain my lower back/hips more than just carrying my clubs. Plus I like to have my hands free while I walk. My friend keeps suggesting an electric push cart, like the one he has, but I can't go for that yet (age stigma). When I do use my push cart, I like to ghost ride it down steep hills, and walk unfettered for a few moments, hands in pockets, chill like Kevin Kisner.

 

... That's a shame you feel an age stigma. After my first back surgery in 95 I picked up an electric cart per surgeons orders (a golfer himself)  I can easily say best golf decision of my life. After carrying my bag almost exclusively it was instant love. I was 42 and never thought twice about how it looked or what anyone else thought, I just knew this would be as close to having a caddy for every round I would ever get. The freedom to keep your posture while you walk is not only great for your body in general, it keeps me fresh for the back 9.  

[Camille Bissarro 83]

@chisag yeah, it's not a really serious thing, I mostly tease him with it (he's just a couple of years older than I am, but we tease each other). But I can definitely see how it would be beneficial for both my bodily health and my game.

By the by, my grandmother used used an electric walking cart in the 1980s. It ran on what looked like a car battery and the drive chain, which turned a plate-sized sprocket, seemed to have been taken off a motorcycle. Serious machinery. Or maybe it just seemed that way to my 10 year old eyes.

[Kaplack 80]

I have been mostly a electric cart player, but Covid-19 in the NYC area has caused so courses to ban carts.

The good part is you see different parts on the Course when you are hoofing it.

[revkev 22,645]

I’ve started walking this season. I hadn’t since moving to Florida 14 years ago. I was tired at first but now it’s a piece of cake.

I honestly forgot how much fun it was to walk. I may have to back off a bit during the summer though.


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[tchat07 1,296]

My brother-in-law refuses to walk because he thinks itll take longer to complete the round. I favor walking but not carrying, I'm a member of the push cart mafia haha.

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[StrawberryShortCake 616]

I love walking the course. Sometimes my body thinks otherwise but I play much better when walking. I get time between shots to walk off the frustrating ones and bask in the great shots. It gives me time to think about my next shot and harass my friends about stupid shots from last week. 

[EasyPutter 627]

On 5/9/2017 at 3:03 PM, verojoe said:

Just wondering if there any walkers left. I recently returned to the joys of walking the course. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the idea of leaving the cart behind and playing in a much more relaxed state of mind. Also, it seems to me that I play better when walking. Anyone else enjoy putting one foot in front of the other when playing?

I walk whenever possible. My Clicgear 3.5+ push cart was the best thing I bought to improve my golf experience. Everything you mentioned is affirmed and to it I'll add there is something comforting about habitually counted footsteps and knowing where to look for that ball that tries the "you-don't-notice-me" routine.

[tehuti 559]

I seem to play better when I walk. It forces me to slow myself down between shots, which helps with my tempo, I think.


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[McaseyM 1,710]

i started walking the last round I play on Memorial Day... the holes weren't bad and i wasn't slowing up my group, until the space between each hold become equal to or longer than the holes themselves... Made it through 6, then had to get on motor cart

[TBT 2,384]

Most courses in my area are not really set up for walkers....too far between greens and tee boxes not to mention the 105+ heat index during the summer months.


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[tehuti 559]

Most courses in my area are not really set up for walkers....too far between greens and tee boxes not to mention the 105+ heat index during the summer months.


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It definitely depends on the course and the weather. I wouldn’t try to walk a really hilly course.


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[HeathS16 1,472]

Most courses in my area are not really set up for walkers....too far between greens and tee boxes not to mention the 105+ heat index during the summer months.


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Not easy to get excited about walking in 100+ weather


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[ejgaudette 1,186]

I agree that weather can be tough but I find for myself when riding in a cart the round feel hurried. I don't have time to think about the next shot coming up and enjoy the round. I find walking to be my favorite way to enjoy a round and find it is just as fast. I am still carrying for now and hope to as long as possible then I am sure I will be looking at push cart once those days have passed.

[Alf. S 657]

In the UK, for regular golfers electric trolleys are pretty much the norm. I myself given the option would use one even when golfing abroad. They take most cart and tour bags comfortably but I have one that is specifically made for electric trolleys. Buggies are my least likely choice and will only use when the course and weather dictate I need to use one. I.e hilly with big distances between green and tee, high temperatures, etc. I have a couple of carry bags that I use during the summer mainly when I’m out on my own or pop out for a quick 9 holes.


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[Alf. S 657]

In the UK, for regular golfers electric trolleys are pretty much the norm. I myself given the option would use one even when golfing abroad. They take most cart and tour bags comfortably but I have one that is specifically made for electric trolleys. Buggies are my least likely choice and will only use when the course and weather dictate I need to use one. I.e hilly with big distances between green and tee, high temperatures, etc. I have a couple of carry bags that I use during the summer mainly when I’m out on my own or pop out for a quick 9 holes.


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[cksurfdude 8,020]

On 5/20/2020 at 11:19 AM, GolfSpy Stroker said:

I really will never understand why a course architect would design a course that a person in reasonable good health is physically incapable of walking.... that just makes no sense to me.

Sometimes the land itself underlying the course is not conducive to walker-friendly hole routing. Last Summer played a course in CO that was on beautiful property, and there were some fun and challenging holes, buuuut ........ seemed to me that a lot of the holes were just squeeged into various spaces around the available property, with very few holes connected to the next and very long drives required way too many times, imho. Then add in constant elevation changes .. some quite steep, too .. and walking 18 becomes impractical (unfortunately).

*Edit*
Forgot to add at this course it was also a looong uphill and curvy drive to get to the first tee; plus a longish and steep downhill drive from 18 back to the clubhouse.

[revkev 22,645]

When I moved to Florida 14 years ago, I quit walking.  It was August and 100 plus heat indexes were far too dangerous.  I was probably 50/50 between walking and riding during my time in Wisconsin and 75/25 more walking while I lived in Indiana with nearly 100 percent walking growing up in the Northeast.  While I agree that there is an adjustment between when one is riding and one is walking there really shouldn't be any difference in play.  It's much like pace of play, if you let it bother you, it will but it really should have no impact on your actual play - I have a back that can tighten up - I've learned to stretch when play slows down.  I prefer the time to get to my ball if I've had a bad shot because it's easier to let it go, I've developed a 10 second post shot routine that allows me to let it go when riding.

 

Back to walking, I'm now acclimated to Florida weather and while I'm not a huge fan of the heat that we've been having lately I can tolerate 100 and even 110 plus.  I've been in a fitness program for over 2 and 1/2 years, lost over 40 lbs. had a heart procedure that helped tremendously and decided that I would add walking to my regime this year.  Honestly I think that I've only ridden three rounds out of 30 - each of which were with MGSers.  I'm enjoying walking again.  The greatest benefit is that at least I can feel that I've gotten some exercise if I don't play well. 

[chisag 11,840]

3 hours ago, revkev said:

When I moved to Florida 14 years ago, I quit walking.  It was August and 100 plus heat indexes were far too dangerous.  I was probably 50/50 between walking and riding during my time in Wisconsin and 75/25 more walking while I lived in Indiana with nearly 100 percent walking growing up in the Northeast.  While I agree that there is an adjustment between when one is riding and one is walking there really shouldn't be any difference in play.  It's much like pace of play, if you let it bother you, it will but it really should have no impact on your actual play - I have a back that can tighten up - I've learned to stretch when play slows down.  I prefer the time to get to my ball if I've had a bad shot because it's easier to let it go, I've developed a 10 second post shot routine that allows me to let it go when riding.

 

Back to walking, I'm now acclimated to Florida weather and while I'm not a huge fan of the heat that we've been having lately I can tolerate 100 and even 110 plus.  I've been in a fitness program for over 2 and 1/2 years, lost over 40 lbs. had a heart procedure that helped tremendously and decided that I would add walking to my regime this year.  Honestly I think that I've only ridden three rounds out of 30 - each of which were with MGSers.  I'm enjoying walking again.  The greatest benefit is that at least I can feel that I've gotten some exercise if I don't play well. 

 

... Pretty much right there with you, the exception being in bold print. LOTS of reasons walking can be better for performance than riding as well as the reverse. I like to stay active, keeping my muscles loose and walking makes that so much easier and I never sit during a round. Sitting in a cart and passively riding, then getting out and swinging a club athletically, then getting back in a cart and passively sitting is a recipe for poor play for me. After 2 back surgeries sitting in a cart and bouncing my discs is never a good thing. When I m forced to take a cart on a course with distances too long from green to tee or elevations that make walking impossible I always try and let my pard drive and I walk as much as possible. I'm happy to buy them a beer or two or whatever they want from the cart girl if they allow me to walk and meet them at my ball after they hit their shot. 

... Then there are those with bad knees, hips, ankles etc that can walk but might get too sore or start to hurt by the back 9 so riding in a cart will make a difference in their play too. You were generalizing for the majority and I get that, but I just wanted to throw out there lots of different folks play the game with different physical abilities. 

[BIG STU 7,463]

2 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... Pretty much right there with you, the exception being in bold print. LOTS of reasons walking can be better for performance than riding as well as the reverse. I like to stay active, keeping my muscles loose and walking makes that so much easier and I never sit during a round. Sitting in a cart and passively riding, then getting out and swinging a club athletically, then getting back in a cart and passively sitting is a recipe for poor play for me. After 2 back surgeries sitting in a cart and bouncing my discs is never a good thing. When I m forced to take a cart on a course with distances too long from green to tee or elevations that make walking impossible I always try and let my pard drive and I walk as much as possible. I'm happy to buy them a beer or two or whatever they want from the cart girl if they allow me to walk and meet them at my ball after they hit their shot. 

... Then there are those with bad knees, hips, ankles etc that can walk but might get too sore or start to hurt by the back 9 so riding in a cart will make a difference in their play too. You were generalizing for the majority and I get that, but I just wanted to throw out there lots of different folks play the game with different physical abilities. 

Well I am about to see in another month or two after I heal up. Since I had retired I had mapped me out a 6 hole walking slice at my new club. I was only carrying 6 or 8 clubs in a light nylon Vagabond bag ( similar to a Jones but lighter) > I was doing good with it and after walking super early I could ride 18 or 36. On the 2 days I was working I was doing a one up and back and done by 10:00 or 11:00 at the latest. I could fall in and walk my 6 hole rounds or if some of the gang was there ride 18 with my business (signature) set. I carried both sets in the car. Now we will have to see on my back if I can still carry my 6 or 8 club set. I do have an old school Bag Boy pull cart from the 70s I restored a couple of winters back. I may try it with the 8 club set still with the light Vagabond bag

[stj51 47]

I have been walking a lot lately. A local muni has a membership at a discounted rate that doesn't count for cart but I can go anytime M-F and after noon on weekends and holidays so I'll go at random times during the week and walk it> Affordable way for me to play more G!