Why Would Anyone Want to Carry Their Bag?

[DarkPrince]

And you don't see anything wrong with that???

really its at the insistence of the riders, personally I wouldn't mind walking the whole way, but they just kind of get pissy with me...despite being able to just walk to my ball while they are off searching for theirs. Either way I'm a member out there so I don't pay cart fee's anyway lol, I just choose to walk since its not a force cart course.

[nevets88]

"Wolkodoff found eight male volunteers, ages 26 to 61 with handicaps between 2 and 17, strapped them into some state-of-the-art equipment and took them out for a few rounds of golf on the hilly front nine of Inverness Golf Club in suburban Denver."

8 people is an awfully small sample space.

[Ash1974]

So, I'm gonna get one of these. I've used many buggies before, but these are SIMPLY THE BEST THING EVER!

LOL is that one of those SEGWAY things but for Golf

Seriously do the bigger wheels help when pulling then?

[Rochester]

8 people is an awfully small sample space.

I would agree. However, I think his primary purpose was to determine how many calories they were burning, not the affects on their score. And if, on the average, the eight people were burning about the same number of calories pushing vs. carrying, I find that fairly convincing. Intuitively, I would have thought that carrying would have burned more calories, but evidently it doesn't. As for scores... if a larger sample were used, I would be surprised if those carrying their bags actually scored that much higher. However, the claims in this thread contradicting the results of his study are just anecdotal, or speculative. I'm not a statistician. I don't know if eight subjects is a large enough sample. So without some scientific data to the contrary, I'm not going to refute his claims.

I walk primarily because walking is exercise, and playing golf and walking is better exercise than just walking. (Notice that even when his subjects rode in a cart they burned over 400 calories.) I will concede that there are better, more effective forms of exercise, but golf is fairly low impact, and in addition, I enjoy being outdoors and the camaraderie of playing with friends.

[killerduck]

LOL is that one of those SEGWAY things but for Golf

It's called "Big Wheel Golf". A lot of pro's on the small Australian tour use them. Apparently, you should never pull your buggy behind you (always push it!) but yeah, the big wheels make a MASSIVE difference.

[shades9323]

I don't know if eight subjects is a large enough sample.

It isn't. There are 30,000,000 golfers out there.

[nevets88]

... a few rounds of golf on the hilly front nine of Inverness Golf Club in suburban Denver."

Also define a few rounds. It could be at most 2 rounds and only 9 holes and not the full 18? To me, it seems there's not enough data.

[hollygrove]

I'm 19, I would feel embarrassed if I went around with a push cart.

carrying ftw

[shades9323]

I'm 19, I would feel embarrassed if I went around with a push cart.

That is just sad..

[colin007]

So, I'm gonna get one of these. I've used many buggies before, but these are SIMPLY THE BEST THING EVER!

did you take that pic? that looks like a beautiful course... so, do you pull those carts or push them?

[sean_miller]

That is just sad..

Sad but true - when I was 19 the only people I saw with a pull cart were suburban moms (weekday players) and seniors. Really old people used a pushcart. This was > 20 years ago.

[Rochester]

It isn't. There are 30,000,000 golfers out there.... Also define a few rounds. It could be at most 2 rounds and only 9 holes and not the full 18? To me, it seems there's not enough data.

You guys blow me away!

Wolkodoff, a PhD, puts his reputation on the line, making claims about a study that has 8 participants. But the study is flawed because you guys don't think there is enough data. What are your credentials? How about you send him an e-mail and tell him that his study doesn't hold water because he doesn't have enough data, and see if he responds. LOL... BTW... it was four rounds of 9 holes, each.

[sean_miller]

You guys blow me away!

I work with data every day - 8 people is a small group. That they played 4 x 9-hole rounds each is better. Why not 18?

Even better would be to pick a course and study the same players over 18 holes, transporting their clubs each way, over the course of an entire season. Of course the bag toters had higher scores after only 4 rounds - get them to carry for an entire season (or better yet, their entire golfing life) and report back. This "study" is almost as valuable as the one-off wide paintbrush garbage Gold Digest feeds us.

[nevets88]

You guys blow me away! Wolkodoff, a PhD, puts his reputation on the line...

I'm going to blindly believe something someone said just because he has a PhD? I'm not doubting the veracity of his study, but I do doubt his conclusions.

You have Nobel Laureates who are proven wrong all the time. Statistics is not an exact science. Damned lies and all that.

[colin007]

well, so far this study is the only "evidence" that supports the thought that carrying hurts your score. wheres the evidence otherwise? because you say so?

also, what did you think about the calories burned being just about the same?

[sean_miller]

well, so far this study is the only "evidence" that supports the thought that carrying hurts your score. wheres the evidence otherwise? because you say so?

The only evidence I can provide is my own scoring average while walking versus carting (push/pull/carry - all about the same) which is why I suggested larger sampling and a more comprehensive study.

One study is proof of nothing - doesn't mean it's garbage, it's just only one piece of evidence.

[golfro]

well, so far this study is the only "evidence" that supports the thought that carrying hurts your score. wheres the evidence otherwise? because you say so?

i don't carry to burn calories. I carry because I can.

And yeah, because I said so because I've been carrying and golfing for quite some time now and the different score results from when I carry to when I ride a golf cart is minimal. Not clear enough for me to say there is a pattern. This is just another case for amateurs to make to say "my score improved because I pushed a cart" Yeah whatever, my guess is that your score wasn't consistent enough in the first place to say you can extract any kind of data trend out of it. Listen, carrying has never been a problem for me in the past 12 years of recreational and competitive golfing. Our entier high school team did it and many of them shot under par. Amateurs need to stop making all these excuses for their high score and attribute their score to their GAME not because there is a difference in push cart, pull cart, carry, etc.

[shades9323]

You guys blow me away!

Ok, how about the 8 people on this site that have opposite findings during our play? Should our own experiences not be validated because we don't hold a PhD?