Walking vs Riding

[Caddie1966]

19 hours ago, Dibb said:

I'd like to get people's opinions on walking vs riding. This is obviously a broad topic, considering there are a lot of factors like weather, walking ability, etc. Just wanted to see everyone's take on it. I play with a Saturday group where i would say 80% of the people walk with a push cart, and I think most of them do it for exercise given their age and life style outside the course. But being a younger member of the group and living in South Texas, I don't find it enjoyable to walk in 100* weather especially if I'm carrying my bag. All thoughts are much appreciated!

I’ve been walking and playing for 58 years.  I’m a North Texas 70 year old who has ridden 8 times this year over 56 rounds.  2 rounds at a resort course where walking wasn’t an option, 2 times in tournaments where we had to ride and 4 times in the past 2 weeks given the weather in July.

I will alternate walking and riding from now through August.  Really early rounds will be walking and any start time after 9:30 I will ride.
I use a bag boy 4 wheel cart I’ve had for the past 10 years, prior to that I carried.  

Walking helps keep me healthy and keeps my runway model physique in shape .  Walking gives me the chance to talk more with my playing partners instead of just my cart partner.  I plan my next shot, review my last swing and just enjoy the day and the round.  I have always found walking the course to be a better experience.

[Nat]

My course is very hilly (more elevation changes than AN). I still walk 95%. In sept-may I carry, summer I’ll use a push cart. I will ride when it gets ridiculously hot, like it is now if I’ve worked out early and have a later tee time. I find I concentrate much better when walking.

[KG0716]

When it is not 90 plus degrees out I prefer to walk. Now that being said if I am in a foursome, or skins match I will take a cart to make pace of place faster. However on week nights or if I am out with my kids when the course is not as busy I prefer to walk (with a push cart) I feel I play better and enjoy my time more. Not so much rushing around and feeling pressured to play fast. Again it all depends on how busy the club tee sheet is and format I am playing. Love the topic discussion!

[ButchE]

we've ground this flour before. walk if you wanna, ride if you don't. At 67, and having walked way too many miles already, I'm not walking 1 hole. My jobs required physical labor and covering about 45 acres. I was as skinny as the running gears of a KadyDid. The guy who covered for me one day wore a pedometer: 13 miles. 1 day. times 25 years. do the math, and that's not counting the Army/farming/brick tendering/ railroad all done before that job. nope... not walking any further than the parking lot.

 

[Jason Costain]

my default is push cart as you get to see more of the course plus the this gives you the chance  to calm down after a bad result.( I don't know why people carry ego? it's not as if the pro's carry) really long courses or really hot cart is a fallback. 

[Wib081]

20 hours ago, Dibb said:

I'd like to get people's opinions on walking vs riding. This is obviously a broad topic, considering there are a lot of factors like weather, walking ability, etc. Just wanted to see everyone's take on it. I play with a Saturday group where i would say 80% of the people walk with a push cart, and I think most of them do it for exercise given their age and life style outside the course. But being a younger member of the group and living in South Texas, I don't find it enjoyable to walk in 100* weather especially if I'm carrying my bag. All thoughts are much appreciated!

So I live in northeast Ohio and it can get warm but not south Texas warm lol. I use a push/pull cart if I’m by myself. However if I’m with my kids or someone that doesn’t like to walk I’ll hop in a cart. Personally I like the exercise from walking and I don’t noticed much difference in the time it takes to complete a round. If it were me I’d use my push/pull cart every time but I let my playing partners choose if that’s what they want to do. 

[Matt Reed]

I started walking with a friend group regularly. I bought a cheap push cart which did the trick and committed to doing it.  We have a good course for walking but TN summers can get dangerously hot for a fat old man. I have trouble walking two days in a row so I wouldn’t do that.  It certainly negatively affects how I play due to being out of shape. I would say at least 2 shots but possibly more. I purchased a mgi zip navigator and hope to make a renewed commitment to walk more.  It didn’t take much for me to convince myself to ride. 

[Murv]

I am 79. And I play with an 85 year old and an 81 year old and we all walk. Out of 12 retirees 9 of us walk. Several have electric walk behind carts the rest regular carts. When it is hot and humid we sometimes walk nine and ride nine. We don't walk real fast...we pace ourselves. We average 4 hour rounds. Golf is a better game walking.

[OldCaddie]

Definitely walking. Electric carts killed a lot of caddy programs. 

[toncol]

It's a game designed for walking and I find that I play better when I walk.  I tend to be a walk/carry guy most of the time.   I'm more focused on what I'm doing and more in tune with the course.  In my opinion, as you walk to your approach shot say, you get a feel for the wind, the ground, the temps etc...all the things that will influence the next shot.  Also, if your previous shot wasn't great, you haven't rushed up in a cart, still PO'd, and followed a bad one with another.  That said, I'm not banging the drum for either point of view.  If walking is your thing, more power to ya.  If you prefer to ride, go for it, it's your call.  Couldn't care less what anyone else chooses to do.  Here in the NE it can easily be 90s with high 80s humidity on a summer day and walking 18 can be tough duty, so sometimes I'll walk the front and ride the back.  It's all about enjoying the round and playing in a reasonable amount of time.  I play from tees at about 6800 yds at my course, and unless someone holds me up, I can easily play in under 4 hrs, walking or riding. 

[cakeman]

Wish I could walk. Exercise would do me good but unfortunately bad knees puts me in a cart 

[Stuka44]

Our regular group uses carts throughout the summer.  Then when fall and winter come, and the temps drop, and courses become cart path only, my one brother and I who play all winter long, will walk.  We find walking much more convenient when cart path only, and walking when its 37 degrees  at tee off, helps keep the body temp up for about 14-15 holes, by the last few the cold seems to be getting in a little, but its almost over.  And two courses which are open all winter, are nice and flat, and very conducive to walking, and they are two of the best draining, as they are near the lake, and have very sandy soil.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Stuka44

[skywalker90]

My decision is almost always based on the situation.  My default is to walk with a push cart and agree with the notion that the game is better when walking.  But, there are plenty of scenarios that I choose to ride

• Weather.  I do have an umbrella holder for my push cart but if its its steady rain for 18, I'm riding
• Speed round.  I have a newborn at home and on the special times i've been able to get out to play, i do it first thing in the morning and have chosen to ride.  With no one ahead of me and a riding cart I can get a round in in 2 hours and home before the baby wakes up
• Socializing.  If I'm playing with someone that I really want to catch up with I prefer to share a riding cart.  I know if we are both walking, there would technically be more time to talk, but i've strangely found it more difficult to converse when walking

[ccostel18]

19 hours ago, Dibb said:

 

I'd like to get people's opinions on walking vs riding.

 

I play a mixture of both. For my regulars and myself it really is course dependent. Our regular Saturday morning course is always walking with push carts (some of the younger folks carry). I use walking for both exercise and a means of playing better like others have mentioned. It keeps the pace of play moving better because you are not having to traverse back and forth over the course to get to each player’s ball positions. I also just feel more connected to my round. By only being concerned with where my ball is, I can focus on my next shots better as I am walking to it. It also is a means to slow down our pace of play if we get behind a slower group. Walking is also a HUGE advantage when the dreaded cart path/90 degree rule is in effect  

Sometimes walking just isn’t an option and carts are a must. If I am pressed for time on an open course then I will ride to cover as much ground as I can in as little amount of time as possible. 

[GKgolfin]

I prefer walking for the additional exercise benefit.  I have a battery powered cart to avoid having to push a cart around.  Seems to also help me loose and in rhythm during the round.  I ride when my wife plays or if I play with someone else that needs to ride

[Mike B]

At 71 I walk 90% of my rounds. I do play a relatively flat course so that helps. While living in Geargia I played a course that didn't allow walking after a certain age. Extremely hilly course and quite busy. Amazingly when I do ride it is with my son. He doesn't walk.

[DotesMaGotes12]

This is a great topic! I am definitely a morning golfer and if I don't have anything else to do or stuff to get done later in the day I will walk 99% of the time. If I have something I need to get done or I am golfing with a group of buddies then I will ride.  

I have always said that I play better when I walk because I feel like I am more focused on my game and hitting good shots. I don't want to be playing army golf if I am walking lol.

[KB13]

After watching quite a few of No Laying Up videos a few years ago I decided I wanted to give walking the course a chance - I found it to be a much more enjoyable version of the game (and cheaper depending if the course has walking fees). It lets you see the course architecture in a different way, and learn the course better. I find it to be faster as well - you aren't spending 5 minutes searching for your partners ball that you know went OB but they swore their slice was really a "fade" just because you are along for the ride. 

I do think you lose some comradery walking if your buddies arent walking too, but its still worth it.   

[Zman56]

I love walking 18 holes twice a week!  Purchased a Caddeytek push cart during Covid.  It is good exercise as I get 12-13k steps each round of golf.  I also feel I play better as you see more of the lay of the course most importantly the green as you walk up to the green.  However, I played yesterday in 95 degree weather and found I was more tired the last few holes.   

[StrokerAce]

I think the game is meant to be walked. I've never played in the UK but I don't think they even have carts? Or if they do you need special permission?

When I played at Bandon with a friend who is handicapped he had to get very special permission to use a cart and the caddy drove the cart. Everyone else walked and riding is the exception.

That being said I fully understand those people that want to enjoy the game and are unable to walk for one reason or another.

I think it's pretty much like everything in golf --- do whatever makes you happy... if there could be a judgment free zone in the world it should be on the golf course.

[jbern]

29 minutes ago, skywalker90 said:

My decision is almost always based on the situation.  My default is to walk with a push cart and agree with the notion that the game is better when walking.  But, there are plenty of scenarios that I choose to ride

• Weather.  I do have an umbrella holder for my push cart but if its its steady rain for 18, I'm riding
• Speed round.  I have a newborn at home and on the special times i've been able to get out to play, i do it first thing in the morning and have chosen to ride.  With no one ahead of me and a riding cart I can get a round in in 2 hours and home before the baby wakes up
• Socializing.  If I'm playing with someone that I really want to catch up with I prefer to share a riding cart.  I know if we are both walking, there would technically be more time to talk, but i've strangely found it more difficult to converse when walking

This is almost my situation as well. I play somewhat regularly with a guy who hates walking, so I know if I’m playing with him we’re getting a cart. Otherwise, it all depends on the situation. 

[Golf2Much]

Before I moved to Key West, I walked all the time (with the exception of tournaments where carts were required).   I found walking helped me keep a certain rhythm to my game and allowed me to better prepare for my next shot.  Our course here (the only 18 hole course within 120 miles), we are required to ride in a cart, mostly for maintaining the course's revenue stream.  As much as I liked walking, from June to September in Key West, riding certainly helps beating the heat and humidity.

[Matumbo]

I usually like to walk with my push cart. Mostly for the exercise and fresh air. I've/will take a cart depending on weather, etc. as well (rain, heat, hurt knee). Usually if I'm playing 18, I'll take a cart though have walked 18 before. 

[garyt1957]

2 hours ago, jolter1 said:

Since my late 50's, now 70, I have enjoyed the use of a cart. For me golf was never a means to get excercise, as I do a daily morning workout. What is really fun about using a cart is when I get a sunrise tee time during the week and I am a single. Gosh how much fun it is to play with a continuous rhythm and in under two hours.

This is my thought also. I work out for exercise and play golf for fun, so I usually ride. The other day I played 18 with a cart then went and played basketball.  But if you're older and walking is all you do for exercise than why not combine them?  I'm 66 BTW.

[badge56]

I am 72 and always walked until I was 68. I cart now. I can still walk and walked a few this year when cooler. But the summer heat and humidity kills me. I did not enjoy myself anymore. Still don't like it when its too hot but at least I can relax on the cart

[JRDuck40]

21 hours ago, Dibb said:

I'd like to get people's opinions on walking vs riding. This is obviously a broad topic, considering there are a lot of factors like weather, walking ability, etc. Just wanted to see everyone's take on it. I play with a Saturday group where i would say 80% of the people walk with a push cart, and I think most of them do it for exercise given their age and life style outside the course. But being a younger member of the group and living in South Texas, I don't find it enjoyable to walk in 100* weather especially if I'm carrying my bag. All thoughts are much appreciated!

Live in southern Wisconsin. As we ONLY get about 6 months of "golfable" weather, I try and take full advantage. I walk I would have to say around 75% if not 80% of my rounds. Only time I have taken carts over the past month was a trip to Greywalls in Marquette MI. They will actually NOT let you walk this course due to undulation and length between holes. I say grab a push cart and get after it. 

[No3Putts]

I'm 64 and I walk 90% of the time, sometimes doing36 holes in a day.  Over the years I've migrated from carrying my bag to a pushcart to now using the Alphard V2 on my CliqGear.  I've used this on days in the high 90's and humid with no issues -- it's great exercise and I love the way walking allows me to truly experience and appreciate the course. The biggest benefit to me though is that I can use the time walking between shots to clear my head and prepare for my next shot.  It let's me decompress from mistakes and gives me the chance to think about options without feeling rushed.  As importantly, it's a great chance to engage with my playing partners and enjoy the day.  I can honestly say, I've never enjoyed a round riding (outside of rainy weather) more than I enjoyed walking.

[Woodrow72]

I walked carrying my clubs for most of 40 years , now I ride as most of the guys I play with do so and many courses are spread out so much , used a push cart for a few years , I still would walk if I had a self propelled cart because I just love walking , but living in Florida most of the year isn’t feasible due to heat and humidity 

[Beakbryce]

Rather walk than ride. However, like a lot of others on this topic, I live in AZ and I am not walking in the heat. For exercising in the summer just as soon jump on my bike. Besides, get 2.5 to 3 miles walking even when riding. It,s not like you have to park next to a tee or green. Give it some space and you can still get in some steps.

[Wmyoungiv]

1 hour ago, BigSissy said:

Some slight arthritis is my back makes walking a must for me as it keeps my back muscles loose.  I play in Western Washington so heat and humidity are not as much of an issue as in other parts of the country.  I used to push a cart, then went to an electric cart, now am having a blast using an eBike.

Thanks for saying that, from a physical therapy perspective, most people go the other direction.