Walkers and Riders… Just Don’t Mix Well!

[Sandy Lie]

....so I typically walk #2 and #4 but sometimes I ride if the other players ride.  This is a bit of a rant so feel free to give your perspective.  We had one walker and two carts. Let me mention we were playing course #2 which is always cart path only.

 It started off just fine.  We were following a walking foursome so the pace should be just fine.  We completed the first hole on pace but as we played the 2nd and 3rd holes we started to fall behind.  The walker ( let’s call him Fred) was someone we hadn’t played with before but on the 2nd hole said he hadn’t played in a while but plays at a 2-3 Handicap.  Ok, I’m a 5 and my buddy is. 13.  
When we finished the 3rd hole the group in front was on the 5th green.  For every hole we finished the group in front extended their lead and by the time we were in the 13th they were done!   Fred was playing military golf and worse. We spent time looking for his errant shots, which messed up pace of play and essentially my game and my friends as well.  After 14 my friend said “enough”,  To me he said I’m not out here to look for lost golf balls.  So he leaves and that leaves me and Fred.  I offered him a ride but he declined. 
By this time we’ve played 15 holes and we are at 4hrs and 20 minutes.  I decided to just play and drive and I was essentially leaving him behind. I would finish the last 3 holes before he made it to each green.  

It feels like I was rude, but I did not want to spend 5 hours playing today.  Again, riders and walkers don’t mix well.

[Yukari]

That's not rider/walker not mixing well.  It is Fred not mixing with anyone.  He seems to be oblivious to pace of play.

Bottom line: Fred is a slow poke.

[Buckeyebowman]

57 minutes ago, Yukari said:

 

Bottom line: Fred is a slow poke.

Or an outright liar! Let's face some facts here. He proclaims that he hasn't played in a while, but is usually a "2 or 3" handicap. Sez who? I've been to this movie before, and it was obvious early on that these folks had no idea of what they were doing! 

[Sandy Lie]

...one thing I forgot to mention was that Fred started during beer out of his bag at 10:30!  At first I thought it was a Coke .

[Sandy Lie]

8 hours ago, Sandy Lie said:

...one thing I forgot to mention was that Fred started during beer out of his bag at 10:30!  At first I thought it was a Coke .

 

8 hours ago, Sandy Lie said:

...one thing I forgot to mention was that Fred started during beer out of his bag at 10:30!  At first I thought it was a Coke .

Sorry it’s drinking beer.

[bkuehn1952]

I agree with @Yukari that this episode is not really about carts and walkers.  A moderately competent walker should be able to maintain pace with people in carts when it is "cart path only."  It is a shame that "Fred" ruined the round.  @Sandy Lie, you have a lot more patience than I.

 

[Sandy Divot]

I would almost think that three guy playing cartpath only golf would hold up a decent walker. You guys should be considered for sainthood for not ditching Fred when you got a few holes behind. Were you guys holding up groups? Don't they have marshals to keep play moving on #2 ?

[p1n9183]

Slow player and maybe a liar too.
After 5 years of no golf i started playing with my old handicap of 3. In 2 month without practice it went up to 5 and then started going down again. You don´t forget how to play golf if you were a real "scratch player". I call BS on his index!  

[leftybutnotPM]

17 hours ago, Sandy Lie said:

 Again, riders and walkers don’t mix well.

Complete nonsense.

I never ride in a cart and almost always play with people who do. Even when there are two carts  there are no p[ace of play issues. It has never even been a discussion. But the carts have to be used properly - like driving up ahead to locate balls in the bush etc. and players in the carts walking to the green and to the other side of the fairway with clubs in hand. so the cart isn't just hopping from shot to shot.

A slow golfer who lies about his handicap has nothing to do with golf carts.

Edited January 29, 2020 by leftybutnotPM

[Sandy Lie]

11 minutes ago, leftybutnotPM said:

Complete nonsense.

I never ride in a cart and almost always play with people who do. Even when there are two carts  there are no p[ace of play issues. It has never even been a discussion. But the carts have to be used properly - like driving up ahead to locate balls in the bush etc. and players in the carts walking to the green and to the other side of the fairway with clubs in hand. so the cart isn't just hopping from shot to shot.

A slow golfer who lies about his handicap has nothing to do with golf carts.

Nonsense or not if you did not experience what took place it is what it was.  I would say in many circumstances walkers cannot keep pace with carts. In excessive heat for example a walker would fall behind due to exhaustion plain and simple.  Again there is no single answer either way. We have only what we experience on the course that day.

[leftybutnotPM]

1 minute ago, Sandy Lie said:

Nonsense or not if you did not experience what took place it is what it was.  I would say in many circumstances walkers cannot keep pace with carts. In excessive heat for example a walker would fall behind due to exhaustion plain and simple.  Again there is no single answer either way. We have only what we experience on the course that day.

Your issue was a very slow, incompetent golfer who was also a liar. Nothing to do with carts.

His dishonesty didn't slow him down but it altered the expectations of those he was playing with.

[mcanadiens]

18 hours ago, Sandy Lie said:

 We were following a walking foursome

Of course, if walkers were the problem, that walking foursome would have never gotten away from you.

Really, it doesn't matter if you ride or walk. It doesn't matter if you suck. You just can't take that much time looking for balls. 

I suck and I walk. I'm able to do that without slowing anyone up. Especially not if we are behind four walkers to start with.

 

[leftybutnotPM]

12 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Of course, if walkers were the problem, that walking foursome would have never gotten away from you.

 

HEY! Stop using logic to make an obvious and valid point. It's not fair.

Edited January 29, 2020 by leftybutnotPM

[klineka]

18 minutes ago, Sandy Lie said:

I would say in many circumstances walkers cannot keep pace with carts.

Do you have any facts or data to prove this? 

21 minutes ago, Sandy Lie said:

 Again there is no single answer either way. 

Then why did you title this topic in a way that suggests there is only one single answer?

23 minutes ago, Sandy Lie said:

We have only what we experience on the course that day.

One experience on one single day doesn't make something fact.

[rehmwa]

cart path only - .......

unless the terrain is difficult in general, I find walking might be a bit faster than cart since you can go straight to your ball on each shot...

This was a clear case of Fred is slow - any other defects don't really matter in the conversation....he's slow....that's it.....he plays slow.

[p1n9183]

2 weeks ago I played in a course designed for carts. The distances from green to tee were hugh.

I tee'd off with another guy, both walking the course. In front of us there was a foursome also walking.
On the 3rd hole fairway they let us pass thru. On the 6th hole we reached the next group, it was a threesome riding carts. At that moment the group behind us was still playing the 4th hole´s green.

The threesome was so slow that the foursome behind us catch us on the 10th green and mock us that we should play faster.
The threesome didn´t let us pass thru even tho they were always more than 1 hole behind the next group. 

The outcome was a round of two played in more than 4 hours just because we get stuck behind SLOW people in carts. 

[lastings]

1) Walking is typically faster than cart path only carts. 

2) sounds a lot like walking/riding mixture was not the root of the problem.   losing balls and spending too much time looking for them was.  

17 hours ago, Sandy Lie said:

...one thing I forgot to mention was that Fred started drinking beer out of his bag at 10:30!  At first I thought it was a Coke .

good for Fred.   

[lastings]

19 hours ago, Sandy Lie said:

It feels like I was rude, but I did not want to spend 5 hours playing today.  

You never did answer as to whether or not you were holding up the group behind you.   Because, if you weren't, maybe stop and smell the roses a bit.   It's a treat to spend 5 hours on Pinehurst #2, not a chore.  

Edited January 29, 2020 by lastings