Diehard walkers - how long is too long?

[Jay-Bird]

Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kansas is a very long course. The course is laid out over an expanse of rolling hills. The green fees include the cart. No one walks the course. When the college there (KSU) hosts tournaments, the players walk, but are shuttled from green to tee. There are several green-to-tee gaps that take minutes to get through - by cart. I asked the pro there if I could walk the course on a day when it was less busy (a cool day, like tomorrow) and he said "If you wanna walk 8 miles, you're more than welcome to!"

8 miles of HILLS from the frist tee to the 18th green! Would you walk it?

...at what distance do you give up on your notion of walking?

[klaymon]

I'm a walker within reason. I played a course in VA that took minutes to get between the 9th gree and 10th tee via cart. If the course runs the usual 3.5-4 miles, it's plenty walkable.

[Spackler-esque]

I asked the pro there if I could walk the course on a day when it was less busy (a cool day, like tomorrow) and he said "If you wanna walk 8 miles, you're more than welcome to!"

If it's not busy and I'm just out to play a leisurely round (read: started in the morning and really don't care when I get done as long as I'm always moving forward and not stuck) then yeah, I'd walk it. There's more than just distance that would go into that decision, but with water and a couple of energy bars or something I think an 8 mile course would be an interesting experience. I'm not at all saying that I'd want to do it every round.

That being said, I don't generally like these ridiculously spread-out layouts. It's just too disruptive to the flow of the game, IMO. I mean, several MINUTES from green to the next tee by cart? That's absurd. I'd rather just not play a course that's set up like that.

[Jay-Bird]

I mean, several MINUTES from green to the next tee by cart? That's absurd. I'd rather just not play a course that's set up like that.

It is a bit absurd, but the course's design was dictated by the terrain - and very creatively layed out, not just forced in by an architect. It is really an amazing, tour-caliber course.

[Spackler-esque]

It is a bit absurd, but the course's design was dictated by the terrain - and very creatively layed out, not just forced in by an architect. It is really an amazing, tour-caliber course.

That's cool that it's built into the terrain. Too often these monsters are just built for vanity sake and to force people into carts, as far as I can tell. If I had a chance, I'd like to give this one a chance.

I will never say that spaced-out courses cannot be amazing, just that the concept is absurd.

[Titleist Man]

Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kansas is a very long course. The course is laid out over an expanse of rolling hills. The green fees include the cart. No one walks the course. When the college there (KSU) hosts tournaments, the players walk, but are shuttled from green to tee. There are several green-to-tee gaps that take minutes to get through - by cart. I asked the pro there if I could walk the course on a day when it was less busy (a cool day, like tomorrow) and he said "If you wanna walk 8 miles, you're more than welcome to!"

If i had alot of time i would. But then again i cant drive a cart in the first place

[ChiChiIsMe]

Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kansas is a very long course. The course is laid out over an expanse of rolling hills. The green fees include the cart. No one walks the course. When the college there (KSU) hosts tournaments, the players walk, but are shuttled from green to tee. There are several green-to-tee gaps that take minutes to get through - by cart. I asked the pro there if I could walk the course on a day when it was less busy (a cool day, like tomorrow) and he said "If you wanna walk 8 miles, you're more than welcome to!"

I'm a diehard walker, and have played Colbert, and definately would NOT walk it. Stagg Hill, Rolling Meadows, Wamego, CC, hell even Alvamar, but not Colbert.

[bogeyhitter25]

I've walked worse. Quail Hollow (see sig) has a par 3 that's about 200 yards straight downhill. You have to walk down it, and then back up it, and then another 3/4 mile to the 5th tee box. It's pretty ridiculous, and very hilly. It's probably pretty similar to the course you are talking about. Only not as good.

[beachbreak]

I would walk it if at least one other in my foursome did. I don't like being the only walker on a course that long.

[Prairie Golfer]

If I can't walk it, I'm not going to play it.

[chipper2]

Being in my mid-60s and being that I like to walk, I would say 5-miles is reasonable for 18-holes. I could do more as I have walked 36-holes in one day a number of times. But a 5-mile round is good exercise for me.

[iWALK18]

I walk every time I play. But if I have paid for the cart, I'm riding the cart.

[Dpricenator]

Man I love to walk, but that would be a bit much for me. I could do it if that was what the group wanted to do, but I am ussally the only one who wants to walk in my group. I do like the convenience of the cart, but there's something about being out there on your own.

[smith5606]

Colbert Hills' little brother in Newton, KS is around 7 miles around. I have walked most of it (ran out of time due to a very slow 2some in a cart). The difference between Sand Creek and Colbert are the hills, IMO. I am pretty hard-core but I think I might have to gulp a few times before I took CH on. I might have to forego that beatiful view on number 7. I don't know if I could survive the hike up or the thrill of the trip down.

Another course that would be a real pain to walk in Kansas is the (I'm afraid) late, Cottonwood Hills. I loved this course but I'm afraid that it is gone for the foreseeable future, a victim of the current economic situation and some really unfortunate investment strategy. It was a real hike around, full of beautiful views, challenging holes, and miles between some holes. Goodbye, I'm afraid, at least for a while, Cottonwood.

[Jay-Bird]

Colbert Hills' little brother in Newton, KS is around 7 miles around. I have walked most of it (ran out of time due to a very slow 2some in a cart). The difference between Sand Creek and Colbert are the hills, IMO. I am pretty hard-core but I think I might have to gulp a few times before I took CH on. I might have to forego that beatiful view on number 7. I don't know if I could survive the hike up or the thrill of the trip down.

Yeah, that's a sad misfortune. Cottonwood seemed doomed from the beginning, though. It's too hard and too tricky for most, too many blind shots that seem perfect until you get to your ball and it's in a bunker - or worse. The course was designed to beat good players, but wasn't managed right. I only got to it one time. Everytime I'm in Hutch I'll play PDCC if I'm looking for a humbling beat down or Carrey Park if I'm trying to shoot even par.

There's a (relatively)new course in Spring Hill, KS (south of Olathe) that is a Colbert/Spann design - Sycamore Ridge. Similarly priced, beautifully designed - amazing. The front isn't too bad to walk, but the back - with the hills to tire you physically and the woods to tire you mentally - quite a course! http://www.sycamoreridgegolf.com/course.html

[whip_it_out]

Our course runs 7 miles, as the crow flies, and I am more than willing to walk more, so I am not sure what my limit is. Long walks between holes are annoying, but a few seconds of rest and catching my breath usually fixes that.
But I live in Texas, and when it gets to 110 degrees or so, I usually don't want to walk all 18. Sitting is nice at times like those.

[smith5606]

The loss of Cottonwood if it is in fact lost is a terrible comment on the state of golf, IMHO. A course that was listed as high as 5th in the list of new courses you could play in 2008 is closed in 2009. I'm really afraid that it won't be the last great course to close in the near future as the economy puts irresistable pressure on economically marginal tracts. The Cottonwood developer was quoted in the local paper as "assuring" the community that CH would be reopened in April but I will believe it when I see it. If it does, I promise to the Sand Trap community, I WILL WALK IT!. It needs to be done now, before it is gone . . . maybe forever. (Even those words depress me.)

[LeafsFanNL]

Only many large elevation changes encourage me to take a cart.

HB