Flordia Golf and its anti-walking nonsense..

[lhshurdl3r]

Golfers live longer - that is, if they walk instead of driving around

That's because it's a lot tougher to drink when you walk the course

Less toxins in the liver lol

[kafka01]

That's because it's a lot tougher to drink when you walk the course

True

- i guess this study would have shown very different results when conducted on courses with cart obligation & hot cart girls driving around supplying beverages. Most of the guys i play with prefer to get drunk afterwards, trying to forget what just happend the last 4 hours...

[wingchamps]

Even lamer than "no walk" courses are ones that allow you to walk and carry, but not use a push cart. At my club, at least half of us "push", it is easy on the aging back and yet you still get the great exercise. Some courses don't allow this as it apparently is "beneath" them. Take a trip to Scotland you snobs...and you will see what the birthplace of golf thinks about "trolleys".

[elchene]

I recently spent a week in flordia. I just wanted to get out of the cold for a week and play some golf. This was my first time playing golf outside of the northeast corridor. I get down there and discover there isnt

Yeah, that's the one thing I hate. I play much better when I walk, and I play much faster as well.

[Awsi Dooger]

I'm in Miami now, playing a course that doesn't allow walking. It's absurd. I try to violate it whenever possible, generally after a pathetic shot.

On top of that, it's been so dry here in recent months the courses are not as lush as they should be. Our course is roping off the fairway about 40-60 yards before the green and forcing the carts to either side. It's an excellent excuse to walk. I abandon the cart and let my playing partner decide where to dump it.

I play better when I walk, no question about it. I want to trudge forward, check the logical areas for lost golf balls, get into a flippant mood, and plop my clubs where they need to be. Instead, in a cart I've got to worry about which ball to head to first, routes to take, bumps to avoid, where to park the darn thing, and whether or not my playing partner will say something I don't need to hear. Inevitably I'm in a better frame of mind while walking, in my own little world.

And it's true about South Florida carts and filling the divots with sand. I'm still in the mindset to quickly move forward and rescue the divot, even if it flies 10-15 yards, then put it back and cover with sand. In my Miami youth we always replaced the divot, and to my knowledge the carts didn't have sand. Not that I ever used a cart in those days, other than occasional rounds at Doral. My current playing partners here are telling me to forget the divots, which are generally too dry to stay intact in the first place.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I'm in Miami now, playing a course that doesn't allow walking. It's absurd. I try to violate it whenever possible, generally after a pathetic shot.

Perfectly said.

[dave1980]

Can I ask if this practice is prevelant throughout golf in the U.S? Going by a few comments it would appear not, and it appears quite the topic for discussion with replies ranging from course revenue maker to course requirement due to length between holes.

Also what is the general going rate for cart hire bearing in mind the courses insistence on the use of them? How does this compare to green fees as a ratio? What is the difference in time to play a round with and without a cart - ie the issue has been raised about two players sharing a cart and having to plan a route to drive to both balls, does this affect the flow of the round?

Sorry to ask so many questions but it is something that I have no experience of, part of my enjoyment of golf is sauntering down the fairway with the sun shining in the sky having a relaxing time with friends (obviously this is based on the round being on one of the 2 sunny days per year that Scotland has ) I'm not sure how this could be matched by having to worry about where I had parked the cart and remembering 3 holes later when I had started walking the course

[LeafsFanNL]

I prefer to walk when i am golfing here in Newfoundland. If I was travelling to Florida, I'd be inclined to walk if it was at all hot. Heat stroke is not fun.

HB

[Pat007]

Thank God we don't have any absurd rules like this in and around Montreal. There are a few, but they're mostly private or tourist resorts (Tremblant, Royal Montreal, etc). It's definately slower o play, and gets me out of my rythym. As said in posts above, I walk as much as possible.

[IcemanYVR]

Can I ask if this practice is prevelant throughout golf in the U.S?

The courses around Vancouver that require carts, are for a reason, due to the challenging terrain (Chateau Whistler, Furry Creek) and the cart is including within the green fee. I don't know the official stats, but I'm a firm believer that carts slow down play.

I love walking down the fairway as much as the next guy, but I do not wish to spend 10-15 minutes walking through a neighbourhood to the next hold. A cart speeds up that unpleasant experience. This is not the norm in North America, but is becoming more common as land is more scarce, and there is dollar value in building a planned golf/housing community. There is/was a PGA Tour event (I think TPC Sugerloaf?) where the players are shuttled on carts between some of the holes. There are still plenty of beautiful golf courses where you can walk, and enjoy your round.

[nevets88]

Mr Feherty's Bike,

Of course, most of the more upscale and courses with solid layouts are carts only, but if you're willing to step it down just a notch in terms of quality (and you save money), you can walk! (Why am I flashing to Dr. Strangelove?)

Tampa: Mangrove Bay, Buffalo Creek, USF, Fox Hollow (I forget the name of this one - they are affiliated with Fox courses in MA and CN).

Fort Lauderdale - some of the munis allow walking, I forget the names. I think there's a course with the name Colony that allows walking.

Miami -Go to Ft. Lauderdale?

You can always try dumping the cart after the first hole, although I'm sure some would frown on that.

I respectfully disagree that some courses are not walkable, all are walkable, some you just cannot keep up with carts due to distance between holes. Having been an avid runner and now a current cyclist, and having been in poor shape myself, people have no idea how it's possible to get yourself into great shape, we are such a lazy and sedentary society.

[thedoxology]

Florida is a very over-rated golf state in my opinion. The courses are all flat and all have the same feel. Go to any other region of the country and that isn't true. New York, Michigan, California, Oregon, even South Carolina and North Carolina have a wide range of course types. Yet in Florida, courses near Orlando feel the exact same as courses near Miami or Tampa or blah blah. Of course there are some great courses, but which state doesn't have great courses.

[tm22721]

Florida is a very over-rated golf state in my opinion. The courses are all flat and all have the same feel.

I like links type courses where flatter fairways are the norm. The mountainous goat tracks in the US distort the original feel of the game.

It is hard enough to hit a ball off the deck, without it always being above/below your feet as well.

[smith5606]

I humbly submit that there are many courses on this side of the pond that do allow walking. Even a couple like the Bandon Dunes complex will only allow golf carts for the disabled and then only in a very limited and non-obtrusive way.

As several of the non-US posters indicate, the dedication of the establishment to golf carts is a tragic situation. It is not healthy for the sport or for participants. It is tied to revenues, golf course design, and many other things, too numerous to mention. In my humble opinion, it has had a negative effect on the quality of the game and will have long term implications for the viability of the sport. I am very impressed by the arguments of critics like Shackleford who decry the current paradigm that defines "golf" in the States. Something must be done, in my view, of the results of these unfortunate trends will be unplayable courses, a continued reliance on technology over skill, sky-high costs, and ultimately the gentrification of the sport.

I'll go back to sleep now.

[Kevin04]

I'm from Scotland and my local you can have the option of the cart or walking and I'd say that 95% of the members walk around the course, although it's quite hilly and with a few humps and bumps, some of the older generation prefer to take a cart.

Part of the attraction to golf for me is the exercise element that comes with a 3hr round lumping your clubs on your bag.

I've played from Carts before and never really felt the rhythm of the game doing it, I end up hitting a shot and then not really thinking about the next one, when you walk, I feel that you can think a lot more about your next shot and what type of approach you are going to do and you can also look around the course spotting traps, etc and feeling how the turf feels.

[Striper]

I belong to a private club in GA. We have a cart only policy for everyone except a college team that uses our course for practice and tournaments. At a recent membership meeting, a question was asked to justify the policy. The GM's response was "It's a revenue issue, not a pace of play issue. Anyone who tells you differently is lying." "We generate significant revenue from cart fees and need the revenue to survive."

It was the first time I've heard an honest answer to the question.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I understand the bussiness part of courses wanting to use carts. Durning weekend morning rounds i can understand. But I dont think i should be forced to use one if i perfer not to. Thats nonsense. From what ive read in this thread, i guess im partly lucky to play in the northeast, because i have yet to play a course in this region that required me to use a cart to play.

[Fourputt]

I belong to a private club in GA. We have a cart only policy for everyone except a college team that uses our course for practice and tournaments. At a recent membership meeting, a question was asked to justify the policy. The GM's response was "It's a revenue issue, not a pace of play issue. Anyone who tells you differently is lying." "We generate significant revenue from cart fees and need the revenue to survive."

It's a revenue issue for the course I work at too, but not because we actually make that much money on the cart rental, but because half of the players who play here would go somewhere else if carts weren't available. I don't agree with making anything mandatory, riding or walking, but the very few courses that mandate walking are severely limiting their customer base.

As several of the non-US posters indicate, the dedication of the establishment to golf carts is a tragic situation. It is not healthy for the sport or for participants. It is tied to revenues, golf course design, and many other things, too numerous to mention. In my humble opinion, it has had a negative effect on the quality of the game and will have long term implications for the viability of the sport. I am very impressed by the arguments of critics like Shackleford who decry the current paradigm that defines "golf" in the States. Something must be done, in my view, of the results of these unfortunate trends will be unplayable courses, a continued reliance on technology over skill, sky-high costs, and ultimately the gentrification of the sport.

But it's ok with you if most of those players who prefer to ride just sit home on the couch once you've taken away their carts? At least they are getting out and getting some fresh air and a little bit of exercise. Shackleford would relegate most of those players to permanent couch potato status. Taking away carts won't make for healthier golfers, but it WILL make for far

fewer golfers... and a lot of bankrupt courses, thus reducing YOUR opportunities as well. The USA was founded on the principle of freedom of choice, as long as that choice doesn't infringe on the freedoms of others. Is it then unreasonable to expect that most courses will offer choices too? If a course doesn't offer the choices you prefer, then you have the freedom to choose another course. IMO if you can't stand playing from a cart, then don't visit those places where golf is predominantly played from them. By the same token, I will not be visiting Bandon Dunes or most any place in Scotland because I can't walk 18 holes and still be able to say I enjoyed my day. Those walking rounds are behind me now... occasionally I will still walk 9 with a short bag to lighten the load, but that is even becoming more difficult with each new season.