Does anyone walk anymore?

[Another Steve]

In the past ten years I've had right knee surgery and shortly after I got close to 75% recovered I turned my left ankle inside out and broke the leg. For some reason I got really out of shape and gained 100 pounds. Up until then I walked all the time except for outings. Even then, my father in law drove the cart and I walked... it was sort of a motorized caddie. The two courses I play the most you could call hilly..... 

How about walking this course - or would you even play it? (Note that all of the greens are elevated to some extent and have given me US Open type roll back/off and this is a muni! 

First hole straight par 5, all downhill\side hill with a couple flat target areas. Elevation change is 75 foot downhill unless you go right - then it's into a valley that's another 50 foot below the green and you are looking at a 190 yd plus uphill carry tot he green ( the hillside funnels down to #17 fairway that we will talk about shortly). Second hole is a par 5 relatively level for the first 230 yds then drops off 25 feet in 20 yards, turns ~30* right and goes up the hill 250 yds to the green, 75 foot elevation gain once you start uphill. Third is all downhill par 5 90* dogleg left 275-300 yds and 120 foot elevation drop to the corner fairway. From the corner to the green is downhill another 15 feet to a slightly elevated green. Holes 4 - 13 are nominally up\down tee to green 20-50 feet. Hole 14 is a ~160 yard par 3, the green is 20 feet above the tee but plays over a 60 foot deep valley. Hole 15 plays 300 yards all up hill.  There is is about 260 yard carry with 100 foot elevation increase from tee to the sort of level fairway area. Hole 17 is 300 yard dogleg left. 150 yard forced carry over a tree filled gully to the fairway, 50 foot elevation drop. You can try to cut the dogleg but it's a blind high draw over trees to a maybe 20 yard wide fairway. Straight line carry to the green is about 280 and anything that misses the green left will be in the woods. Right/long is gonna be  OB  off the property. Play a 3, 5 wood, or hybrid. Any miss left and is runs down into the gully\woods. Safe miss is long and right as the hill on that side will backstop it and run it down towards the fairway. The safest play is to hit your 150 yard club 2 times. Hole 18 is a 300 yard all uphill sidehill dogleg par 4 (with 100 foot elevation increase) to an elevated green (miss left, short, or long and you are guaranteed OB).  I have yet to determine the best way to play this one as everything runs sidehill left to the cart path and OB. I kinda want to just bomb it at the clubhouse and hope that hill funnels to the green. The course is short at just a bit over 6000, but it's the elevation changes, tree lined 15-30 yard wide fairways and decently fast greens that make it a challenge. Driver makes sense on maybe 7 holes, but you need to be able to control length and path. Very much a target type course, you really are not gonna overpower it.

My other main course is a "links style course" that has similar elevation changes, but is 7000 yards and pretty wide open.

Yeah, I ain't walking much these days.

[Another Steve]

On 4/15/2021 at 8:44 PM, chadley300 said:

I walk when the option is available.  There are a lot of courses near me that mandate riding stating it speeds up play so there is no option to walk.

As long as they NEVER  have "cart path only" and the green fees are one price - they don't charge an extra fee for carts (makes no sense if the require carts) then I am sorta OK with that.... To be honest, last year when they made everyone take their own carts, several times we had a foursome complete 18 in about 2.5 hours on a 7000 yard course and one time two of us played another 9 in 55 minutes. We were still waiting for greens to clear to hit our approach shots. If no one was in front of us and we were in the mind to play speed golf a foursome could do 18 in 1:45 - 2:00 hours but that would NOT be an enjoyable round IMHO. I am of the opinion that the proper speed of play for a round of golf is whatever it takes to hit your ball, walk to it, decide what your next shot is and make it. Allow for a couple 3 putts and duffed chips.... my purpose is to enjoy the round, not complete it ASAP to rush on to the next event.

Honestly, we as a society need to slow the **** down and look at the scenery a bit more often!

Edited April 19, 2021 by Another Steve

[sixcat]

The notion that walking slows down play is complete nonsense!  If a course doesn't allow the option to walk, I'm not spending my money there.

 

[revkev]

I'm planning to only play 9 and walk each Tuesday afternoon in league this year.  I know that people will mutter behind my back - "walkers!!$%#" - as if we would be the slow play issue on a course that averages 4:45 a round.  It's guys playing from the wrong set of tees and people who spend forever reading putts on a course that they have played several hundred times - we all know that the ball breaks towards 62nd avenue already - just putt the thing!!!

[WaffleHouseTour]

I can always out walk a foursome, keep pace with a threesome, get beat by a twosome or a single in a cart.  Almost always its because of the distance between holes...  My home course has some hills and a about a block walk between 9 and 10 that I can't overcome when people are in those zippy carts, but then I wait on them if they slide around me.  I've got a few places where I can walk through some short cuts to beat those carts. 

[MarineJoe]

I try to walk 9 holes twice a week...our course has 27 holes, I work 4 days a week, and on one 9 we can walk those holes in the mornings...otherwise, the course requires us to ride......honeydos prevent me from walking 3 days a week!

[JDGAFFLIN]

Push Cart Mafia.  

[Doug21]

I walk as much as I can but I always use a push cart. I’m less tired at the end of my round. I prefer walking over riding. 

[Kevin dean]

Caddied for 10 years when a kid, how I learned how to play. Am a 5 hdcp., always play better when walking and thinking about what shot I need for next shot. Just got new bagboy nitron,  pops open and close no issues,  so not an excuse to not walk!

[Strohmoose]

I would love to walk but my arthritic hip at age 77 only allows me to go about 50 yards before i have to sit and let the pain subside. I would also like to have a 120 mph swing speed but again my arthritis won't allow that either!

[RollingGreens]

First time playing with another member who I just met in the practice green. I was walking with my pushcart he was riding. This guy had me running from shot to shot. He was hustling in his cart. I’d push the cart down the hill and run after it just to catch up. Needless to say lesson learned. I walk when others are walking and will ride if that’s what the group is doing. Needless to say I told a few members the story yesterday at the course and everyone thought it was hilarious 

[chisag]

3 minutes ago, RollingGreens said:

First time playing with another member who I just met in the practice green. I was walking with my pushcart he was riding. This guy had me running from shot to shot. He was hustling in his cart. I’d push the cart down the hill and run after it just to catch up. Needless to say lesson learned. I walk when others are walking and will ride if that’s what the group is doing. Needless to say I told a few members the story yesterday at the course and everyone thought it was hilarious 

 

 

... It is so unique to golf but I never worry about a rider or all riders in my group. Unless there is a hole or holes open in front of us, walking never slows the group down. Unless they are hustling like your pard. But I just can't imagine playing baseball and sitting in a chair but jumping out as the pitch is delivered and then go back to sitting until the next pitch.   I have always felt golf is an athletic endeavor so walking keeps me loose and my body ready for the next shot. Riding and sitting then jumping out for a shot does not and my game always suffers. 

[RollingGreens]

1 minute ago, chisag said:

 

 

... It is so unique to golf but I never worry about a rider or all riders in my group. Unless there is a hole or holes open in front of us, walking never slows the group down. Unless they are hustling like your pard. But I just can't imagine playing baseball and sitting in a chair but jumping out as the pitch is delivered and then go back to sitting until the next pitch.   I have always felt golf is an athletic endeavor so walking keeps me loose and my body ready for the next shot. Riding and sitting then jumping out for a shot does not and my game always suffers. 

I love walking. I focus a lot more. It makes me think about the game and what I’m trying to accomplish. Plus finding all the balls people miss is nice. I was surprised he treated me like that. Really nice guy the whole time, but he must love playing speed golf

[Svo]

Have always walked & used a push cart (wore out a Sun Mountain). Like many others here, riding easily adds 5 to my score. Walking, you can still chat, enjoy the scenery, and have a pint, but more importantly, you have a better perception of the hole, upcoming shot, etc. Riding, I find I arrive at my ball, and only then really start to look about to see what shot options I have. Walking, you do this far before arriving at your ball. Walkers are slower than riders? Rubbish. Courses make money on carts, full stop. Nothing to do with speed. And let's face it, golf isn't exactly like playing tennis, so the 8km or so walk does all of us some good (injuries/medical reasons aside). I haven't met a hilly course I won't walk, nor too hot a day. 

[Mark Shukwit]

I walked every round last year(1-2x weekly) due to covid and used to carry when I was younger. I picked up a used pull cart and though there were certainly some tough walks, once I built up endurance, I played my best golf ever. Went from a hndcp of 16 down to a 11.3. Walking allowed me to process my errors and plan for the next shots. I don’t want to go back to riding if I can help it !! Come join the fun of a long walk I’m mowed pastures!!!

[MarkA]

I never ride unless forced

[GolfingSooner]

Walk 90% of my rounds throughout the year including Texas summers. Game is so much more enjoyable when you can take time to observe the strategy of the hole....terrain around the green

[Dave Tutelman]

I walk whenever they will let me. Some courses insist on riding. They claim it's speed of play. I am sure it is revenue. In fact, Cart-Path-Only rules make the play VERY slow. I have been in plenty of foursomes on a CPO day with just one guy riding, and we walkers are ALWAYS waiting for the rider.

A few of the reasons to prefer walking:

1. Exercise! This is a BIG one. THE big one.
2. Bouncing around in a cart is in fact harder on my back than walking.
3. Fewer lost balls. I don't lose the line of the shot going where a cart has to go.
4. Always have the right club with me, even if I mis-estimated the distance to the hole.
5. The "rhythm" is just better. This part is very subjective, so I can only speak for myself. But I feel more a part of the golf course, I understand where I am and what I have to do to get where I want to. On foot I'm always playing golf; in a cart, I'm somewhere else between shots.

[Brinkie]

I usually only get to play on weekends and most courses will not let you walk unless it is very early or twilight.  I don't mind walking but a 4some walking often will take longer than riding so you always have someone right behind you which messes with my rhythm a bit.

[Bill Nakayama]

On 5/9/2017 at 2:03 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 at least four 18 holes rounds a week. I used to walk/play everyday  but the golf course in my neighborhood closed due to poor management & no owner support. Like yourself I find walking is a more enjoyable way to play golf.