Flordia Golf and its anti-walking nonsense..

[smith5606]

Fourputt - I am not in favor of denying anything to anyone. The problem is that so many courses are denying walkers the opportunity to walk. That's what this thread is all about. Too many courses restrict walking either directly by not allowing walkers or imbedding a cart fee in the green fee, or indirectly through walker-unfriendly course design. Instead of accusing walkers of denying those who are physically challenged the option of using a vehicle, the question is why should those of us who chose to walk be prevented from exercising our rights. A much more reasonable approach seems to be genuine multi-use courses. Unfortunately, these are not in vogue at the present time. The reason I fear is that the establishment doesn't profit from them to the extent they do from cart-only architecture. Please ride if you must but be understanding to those of us who don't.

[Fourputt]

Please ride if you must but be understanding to those of us who don't.

And I make the same point... you apparently are understanding, but many who post in threads like this one are not. There are those who are so militant about walking (and Shackleford is one) that they feel that if you can't or don't care to walk, you have no business on a golf course. All I want is balance and choice. I agree with you that the choice of walking should always be an option. If not then there should be nearby courses which do offer that option and the player can make a choice to play at those facilities.

At the same time, if you choose to visit or vacation in an area where courses don't tend to offer those options, then you should be prepared for that eventuality.

[thedoxology]

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.

You won't find many links type courses in Florida. In fact you will find more of them in the states I mention than in Florida.

I haven't played outside of the US but my impression of the Open was that the while the course is flat, the fairways are super-undulating and you don't get flat lies often anyway. Sorry to stray off topic...

[thedoxology]

I don't know the official stats, but I'm a firm believer that carts slow down play.

I don't know the stats either but carts have certainly not made the game faster. When walking everybody can go to their own ball. But when riding two people have to go to each others balls while they hit which takes a lot of time. Smart golfers usually drop people off, but the majority do not. I was a ranger at a golf course for a few summers and it's tragic how poorly people play the game. Not just number of shots, I mean the in-between stuff like not reading their putt while the other person is reading theirs, marking their score by the green instead of on the next tee after their shot.

Now, if each person had their own cart it would be a totally different story. Any course that doesn't allow walkers is bogus. The 'before noon on weekends' rule is acceptable, but nothing more.

[smith5606]

I don't know the stats either but carts have certainly not made the game faster. When walking everybody can go to their own ball. But when riding two people have to go to each others balls while they hit which takes a lot of time. Smart golfers usually drop people off, but the majority do not. I was a ranger at a golf course for a few summers and it's tragic how poorly people play the game. Not just number of shots, I mean the in-between stuff like not reading their putt while the other person is reading theirs, marking their score by the green instead of on the next tee after their shot.

Part of the problem that golfers have when discussing this topic is that we invariably remember the worst examples - examples that make our point. I do have to say that I am a very fast walker inspite of a fairly serious disability involving my feet and legs. However, I can walk a course as fast if not faster than most people can when riding a cart. That is not bravado, its just a fact. Most people could as well if they understood how to walk directly to your ball, think about the shot as you walk to it, don't loose 5 balls a round (incurring the requisite 10 per ball in search time), get to the green, put your bag in a convenient place, check the overal lay of the green as you walk up to it, line up your put while others are putting (unobtrusively of course), and then let the put fly. Most people are not like me however. So I can see the point of some cart riders who complain about slow walking foursomes.

Good golfers who ride their carts are not the problem. Idiots are. Unfortunately it seems there are more and more idiots these days. One of the most entertaining things you can see on a golf course is the Shriner-like manuvers that riders ahead of you make as they weave their way across every square inch of fairway, insist on riding when searching for a missing ball, and driving their carts as close to the green as physically possible. I have a great idea for a new business. I am going to buy a field. Put a few asphalt trails on it. Hire a couple of very pretty cart girls to dispense beer and goodies. I will then rent golf carts by the hour to the fools who screw up our Saturdays with their ridiculous manuevers. They can drive them to their hearts content, stop every once in a while, curse loudly, throw a club or two, and buy enough beer to get them through the next thirty minute circuit. They're happy, they get to ride around in a real live golf cart, hang their feet off of the dash board, hassle the cart girls, and get blasted. The best part is that they don't get in the way of the rest of us - walkers and responsible cart riders. Let's face it - the problems that we are talking about probably don't include the people who hang out on fora like this. It lies with the idiots who don't care, won't care, spend money outrageously, and make the lives of dedicated golfers like us miserable. Let's go easy on each other and be as understanding as we can. It takes all kinds. Just be responsible, please. What a rant that was. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.