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Walking vs. Golf carts


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I wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on walking vs. riding in a golf cart.  

This topic should be relevant now more than ever before during this time of 'social distancing'.  Most courses that are open during this pandemic are walking only.

I personally feel that walking the course is the way the game is meant to be played.  First and foremost, going back to golf's roots, the game was always walked.  Walking the course allows you to be more connected to the course, more involved in the match, more engaged with playing partners, and more aware about what is happening on the course. 

I feel that golf carts take away from the true golf experience.  Also, I truly believe that golf carts are one of the biggest culprits for slow play.  It is very rare for both golfers in the same cart to be hitting shots in the same general vicinity.  You have to cover more ground with a cart.  There seems to be a lot of unnecessary time wasted driving around between shots.  Carts seem to be more appropriate for the scramble tournament beer drinking couple rounds a year golfer.  To be fair, there is nothing wrong with these golfers, and I absolutely enjoy the occasional scramble and beer drinking outing like the rest of us.

I feel that more and more golf courses seem to promote and even require golf carts and do not even give the option to walk.  Courses seem to be designed for carts with long distances between holes due to the course being part of a residential development.  Resort style courses and modern country clubs all fit into the golf carts only profile.

Hopefully more golf courses will follow in the footsteps of Bandon Dunes.  This golf mecca has done it right.  Top notch, old school links golf the way the game was meant to be played.

This time of 'walking required golf' may be an eye opener for the game!

Thoughts?

 

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4 years ago, as I was planning m6 retirement, I was shopping for remote control carts. I then found out that I had torn ligaments in my left foot that gave way to excruciating pain when I tried to walk downhill. The Drs suggested surgery repair but then I would have 4 months with no weight allowed on my left foot. I decided to pass on the surgery and wear a brace. Now I rid3 a cart and park on backside of the green with my handicap flag. I don’t like it but it allows me to keep playing.


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I prefer walking when possible, but having just gone through surgery, and now dealing with back pain that may put me out of the game for an extended period of time, I may not have a choice, but to ride in a cart going forward.  I like walking, because it typically is cheaper, and it frees me up not to have to always go to my cartners ball as well as mine.  I honestly think carts slow the game down.  But with my physical condition currently being less than nominal, I'll opt for a cart, rather than not try playing at all.

We'll see.

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I would say I walk 90% of the time.  I enjoy the extra exercise I get during the round.  Most of the courses I play here in Chicago are short enough that walking is the best option.  The courses in the suburbs are more suited to carts with longer distances between tees. I walk at these longer suburban courses if I'm alone.

Now, full disclosure here.  I do enjoy the occasional beer-fueled charity scramble once or twice a year. 

In the city, more and more courses are making the GolfBoard available for rent during the round. I don't have any personal experience using them, but I see the GolfBoard as a viable alternative to the cart. Does anyone have any thoughts/ experience with the boards?

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Walking is what I do most of the time. I love the workout, but most of all, I love that I'm able to maintain my focus. I'm not worried about my cart partner and where he's at.

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My club has three walkable courses and I do not remember the last time I took a cart playing at home.  We are fortunate the courses were all designed pre-60s so there is no housing and distance between green and tees are reasonable.  When I do play away, I frequently take a cart since I often find myself playing housing development or resort courses.  It is embarrassing, but I have to remember how to work the cart and always ask the starter for their cart rules.  Appreciate that there is a social aspect to two person carts but they are such a waste of time when the players hit different distances on drives.  Like when I play with my son and he hits it a 300 yards to my 220.  Also, I never truly appreciate the rise and fall of the course or the slope as much when I take a cart. 

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I ride. Even during this pandemic our club allows riders as singles or family members only. 
 

Walkers are the bane of my golfing existence. They are just so slow compared to riding. A few walkers on the course can turn my afternoon 9 to a 2+ hour round when normally my son and I can finish in closer to 1 hour. 

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I lost a lot of weight The last couple years and took to walking the course as part of my exercise regime. I’ll easily do 36 holes on foot

 

 

 

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I love walking, but at 78 years young we play a very hilly course I find I need to take a cart. I play with my wife and while we ride we try to take turns walking on every other hole. I take the odd holes and she takes the even holes. This allows us to ride and also to get some walking exercise. Our course allows carts and if you live together you can ride in the same cart. Of course a lot of people must ride in separate carts. This is a good thing, but it also creates a problem. It is first come first served. Today we almost did not get a cart. I miss walking and carrying my bag. To me nothing beats walking down a beautiful fairway carrying you bag on a great sunny day at a  course you love. 

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I love being able to use a push cart. I feel like you stay more focused during your round walking vs riding in a cart. There are a lot of distractions in a cart and I feel like you’re quicker to play and make decisions without really taking everything of the shot into consideration. 

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20 hours ago, CO2planker said:

Never tried the golfBoard.  From golf bikes to actual club toting goats, there are definitely people exploring alternative ways to get around the course!

I forgot about the Goats!  Something I've always wanted to try!

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Depends on the weather and the course played. I have a personal cart and use it especially in the summer when it's really hot or on cold days (I have an enclosure + heater). In the spring and fall I'll generally walk the course, especially if it's cart path only. FYI our course is long - 7.5 miles and very hilly so not conducive if it's really hot or cold. . 

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15 hours ago, crw said:

I ride. Even during this pandemic our club allows riders as singles or family members only. 
 

Walkers are the bane of my golfing existence. They are just so slow compared to riding. A few walkers on the course can turn my afternoon 9 to a 2+ hour round when normally my son and I can finish in closer to 1 hour. 

That is unfortunate.  Hopefully you have addressed this problem with your clubs board members.  Perhaps they need to re-evaluate the course pace of play protocol and educate members on basic course etiquette.  Is there a presence of course marshalls, are slow groups allowing faster/ smaller groups to play through, is walking the only reason they are slow, do all groups with carts finish in similar pace?  Good member discussion/ action at the club may help speed everyone up.

 

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13 minutes ago, CO2planker said:

That is unfortunate.  Hopefully you have addressed this problem with your clubs board members.  Perhaps they need to re-evaluate the course pace of play protocol and educate members on basic course etiquette.  Is there a presence of course marshalls, are slow groups allowing faster/ smaller groups to play through, is walking the only reason they are slow, do all groups with carts finish in similar pace?  Good member discussion/ action at the club may help speed everyone up.

Normally I don’t ask to play through and just skip the hole.  It’s not possible right now due to how busy the courses are due to it being one of the handful of things people can do. 

I don’t think the players skill has much to do with it, rather the courses aren’t the best designs for walking with large gaps between greens and tee boxes and 3 of the 4 courses being 7000+ yards. 

The board and staff know and during normal times have a 4 hour pace of play notice in each of the carts. Right now they have a social distancing reminder. I wouldn’t say anything now because I’m just happy they are open. 

Edited by crw

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15 minutes ago, crw said:

Normally I don’t ask to play through and just skip the hole.  It’s not possible right now due to how busy the courses are due to it being one of the handful of things people can do. 

I don’t think the players skill has much to do with it, rather the courses aren’t the best designs for walking with large gaps between greens and tee boxes and 3 of the 4 courses being 7000+ yards. 

The board and staff know and during normal times have a 4 hour pace of play notice in each of the carts. Right now they have a social distancing reminder. I wouldn’t say anything now because I’m just happy they are open. 

Agreed, I am fortunate that we are able to even play at all!

 

T.Webb.jpg

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23 hours ago, CO2planker said:

So I have only been playing for a year and a half now and I have only taken a golf cart. However, what I do enjoy about the game so much is being outdoors. I do see your point where if everyone is having to walk the course then people wouldn't be able to catch up as fast. However, I would also think that by talking you would need to have bigger gaps between time slots. Because lets say you have a group of 4 everyone has to check in walk to the first tee and his then walk to find their ball (like an Easter egg hunt for me at the moment) and hit off a second time before the next group could even go. 

I am not disagreeing that not walking a course does take away from some of the spot. But at least in my case it would probably take me longer to get through 18 holes by walking it.   

 

I wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on walking vs. riding in a golf cart.  

This topic should be relevant now more than ever before during this time of 'social distancing'.  Most courses that are open during this pandemic are walking only.

I personally feel that walking the course is the way the game is meant to be played.  First and foremost, going back to golf's roots, the game was always walked.  Walking the course allows you to be more connected to the course, more involved in the match, more engaged with playing partners, and more aware about what is happening on the course. 

I feel that golf carts take away from the true golf experience.  Also, I truly believe that golf carts are one of the biggest culprits for slow play.  It is very rare for both golfers in the same cart to be hitting shots in the same general vicinity.  You have to cover more ground with a cart.  There seems to be a lot of unnecessary time wasted driving around between shots.  Carts seem to be more appropriate for the scramble tournament beer drinking couple rounds a year golfer.  To be fair, there is nothing wrong with these golfers, and I absolutely enjoy the occasional scramble and beer drinking outing like the rest of us.

I feel that more and more golf courses seem to promote and even require golf carts and do not even give the option to walk.  Courses seem to be designed for carts with long distances between holes due to the course being part of a residential development.  Resort style courses and modern country clubs all fit into the golf carts only profile.

Hopefully more golf courses will follow in the footsteps of Bandon Dunes.  This golf mecca has done it right.  Top notch, old school links golf the way the game was meant to be played.

This time of 'walking required golf' may be an eye opener for the game!

Thoughts?

 

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I walked 18 yesterday (6000 yard course) just shy of two hours because no one was in front of me. With a cart due to winter rules it would've been the same probably. Had it not been cart path only i would've been done even quicker.

That being said, I prefer walking.

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For the first 55 years I always walked unless I was playing at a resort or in the 4 winter months at our Club in the Desert, where riding is required. Four years ago I had my first knee replacement (the preceeding year of limping around the course with a bone-on-bone knee was not fun) and following rehab I started walking again. Wore out the other knee and then 2 years ago replaced it, as well. 

I'll be 72 in 2 months, played 122 times last year and have a 7.4 Index as of the moment.

If you know anyone who has had knee replacement surgery, they have probably told you that the week following surgery is godawful miserable. The 2nd week is just miserable and the 3rd-4th weeks are slightly better, horrible. BUT, following 4-5 months of faithful rehab, you are pretty much almost good as new.

HOWEVER, just before going into the O.R. prior to the 2nd replacement my doctor asked me if I had any final questions. I said Yes. "Do these wear out?"

 

He said YES. Depending upon use, they should last 10 - 20 years before needing to come out and have new hardware reinstalled!!!

That's it! I now ONLY ride, even though I can easily walk the 18 holes every day. I plan to outlive my artificial knees.

 

For what it's worth, sometimes after a heavy rainstorm and we are restricted to cartpaths, according to my Apple Watch I walk about 7,500 steps over the 18 holds of going back & forth to the cart. On such days, I leave my cart at the clubhouse and walk the full 18for about 10,000 steps. A round fully using the golf cart clocks about 3,500 steps.

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At my club we can walk or ride. I prefer to walk & use a push cart..my back can’t take carrying a bag at my age! I do occasionally take a cart especially when it’s very hot or we play a few days in a row. 
it is good exercise and I do think I’m more focused on my game when I can walk.

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On 4/17/2020 at 9:37 PM, CO2planker said:

I wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on walking vs. riding in a golf cart.  

This topic should be relevant now more than ever before during this time of 'social distancing'.  Most courses that are open during this pandemic are walking only.

I personally feel that walking the course is the way the game is meant to be played.  First and foremost, going back to golf's roots, the game was always walked.  Walking the course allows you to be more connected to the course, more involved in the match, more engaged with playing partners, and more aware about what is happening on the course. 

I feel that golf carts take away from the true golf experience.  Also, I truly believe that golf carts are one of the biggest culprits for slow play.  It is very rare for both golfers in the same cart to be hitting shots in the same general vicinity.  You have to cover more ground with a cart.  There seems to be a lot of unnecessary time wasted driving around between shots.  Carts seem to be more appropriate for the scramble tournament beer drinking couple rounds a year golfer.  To be fair, there is nothing wrong with these golfers, and I absolutely enjoy the occasional scramble and beer drinking outing like the rest of us.

I feel that more and more golf courses seem to promote and even require golf carts and do not even give the option to walk.  Courses seem to be designed for carts with long distances between holes due to the course being part of a residential development.  Resort style courses and modern country clubs all fit into the golf carts only profile.

Hopefully more golf courses will follow in the footsteps of Bandon Dunes.  This golf mecca has done it right.  Top notch, old school links golf the way the game was meant to be played.

This time of 'walking required golf' may be an eye opener for the game!

Thoughts?

Personally hate carts not only for the speed of play but even with a best friend next to me it’s annoying waiting for them to play and driving all over the course 😩

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It really doesnt matter to me one way or the other.  I do enjoy walking more but carts are fine.  I personally dont think that carts make it any faster because people are efficient with a cart.  It seems like most, instead of dropping 1 player at their ball and then the driver going over to their ball and meeting up after both have hit their shots people just stop at 1 ball, person hits it, then they drive over to the other ball.  Thats really no more efficient than people who walk and everyone walks to their own ball.

When its 90 degrees in the middle of the summer though, I prefer a cart.  With all this COVID nonsense though, I dont see myself taking a cart anytime soon.

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Where I've played in Denmark, riding golf carts seem rare. People of all ages are either pushing a cart or carrying their clubs. Whenever I get together with my brother in California we usually ride. At first, it had to do with 100°+ temperatures in the Central Valley, and shade was just a necessity. After that, it became a habit, I suppose.

Now since the lockdown, I'm becoming more aware of that choice. We've talked about walking the course instead, but my bro wants to get better at moving the ball forward (rather than left or right).

 

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