Walking, Riding and your Handicap

[huskylawyer]

I prefer to walk with my handcart.   My worst rounds are when riding.   As noted by some above, when I walk, I can think about my last shot and think about the next one.  Plus, I need the exercise.

Also, the weather is crappy here right now, so carts can only be on the cart paths.   Driving kinda loses its point when you park on the path and need to walk 50 yards to get to your ball.

[pueblo]

Now that I'm retired and concerned for my health I walk almost all the time. I enjoy Mother Nature and the feeling of being connected. I'm more in tune with bunny rabbits, birds, coyotes, butterflys etc. I'm less interested in my score. As a result my handicap has dropped.

[JayMc]

I score better when I walk.  I carry until it gets really hot, then I'll use a push cart.  Fortunately walking is really encouraged at our club.  If I have to ride when I'm out of town or with non-walkers I prefer to ride instead of drive.  That way I can cheat and walk fairways.  Something about walking helps me prepare for the next shot.

[AZGolfGuy]

Riding in a golf cart, I feel, separates me from my game. Plus, it's annoying to have to load/unload between every hole. About a year ago I purchased a remote control golf caddy from Green Ray Vehicles, and it's SO much better than a golf cart. Since then I've actually become an independent rep for them because it's a legit product and hard to find an electric caddy with a remote control for under $600.

I don't really know about adding strokes to your game just from walking, I haven't really noticed a difference in my performance, but it's just so much better to walk the course. Taking my time and enjoying the nature of the course is half the fun for me :)

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by AZGolfGuy

Riding in a golf cart, I feel, separates me from my game. Plus, it's annoying to have to load/unload between every hole. About a year ago I purchased a remote control golf caddy from Green Ray Vehicles, and it's SO much better than a golf cart. Since then I've actually become an independent rep for them because it's a legit product and hard to find an electric caddy with a remote control for under $600.

I don't really know about adding strokes to your game just from walking, I haven't really noticed a difference in my performance, but it's just so much better to walk the course. Taking my time and enjoying the nature of the course is half the fun for me :)

Even if my score was identical either way, riding in a power cart is annoying. Maybe I'm just selfish, but I want to travel directly to my own ball and be standing there ready to hit as soon as it's my turn. Plus it's nice to see and play the course the way the architect envisioned it, which is hard to do while driving on a little path through the trees.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Even if my score was identical either way, riding in a power cart is annoying. Maybe I'm just selfish, but I want to travel directly to my own ball and be standing there ready to hit as soon as it's my turn. Plus it's nice to see and play the course the way the architect envisioned it, which is hard to do while driving on a little path through the trees.

For the most part, the courses I play don't require "driving on a little path through the trees".  I drive straight to my ball as soon as I clear the teeing area, and continue to do so until I get near the green.  Usually have to return to the path some 50 yards from the green complex.  I can drive as fast or slow as I wish, depending on whether I'm traveling/talking with a walker as we head for our balls.  If the pace is slow I will often drive slower just so I don't feel like I'm waiting as much.

I love threads like this where the walkers seem to feel like they are somehow better or more pure than the riders just because they walk.  They love to talk about how they prefer to walk because it slows down their pace and relaxes them.  I don't have a problem with that (I was a dedicated walker for 25 years myself), but then the next time there's a pace of play thread, they will be trying to reverse themselves and bitch about how as walkers they are so much faster than riders. So which is it guys?  You can't have it both ways.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

For the most part, the courses I play don't require "driving on a little path through the trees".  I drive straight to my ball as soon as I clear the teeing area, and continue to do so until I get near the green.  Usually have to return to the path some 50 yards from the green complex.  I can drive as fast or slow as I wish, depending on whether I'm traveling/talking with a walker as we head for our balls.  If the pace is slow I will often drive slower just so I don't feel like I'm waiting as much.

I love threads like this where the walkers seem to feel like they are somehow better or more pure than the riders just because they walk.  They love to talk about how they prefer to walk because it slows down their pace and relaxes them.  I don't have a problem with that (I was a dedicated walker for 25 years myself), but then the next time there's a pace of play thread, they will be trying to reverse themselves and bitch about how as walkers they are so much faster than riders.   So which is it guys?  You can't have it both ways.

I prefer walking. I find riding in a powercart with another player who will undoubtedly get to his ball first annoying after awhile. A cartpaths only course is even more annoying.

Not sure what you're going on about.

[max power]

This is the main reason I prefer walking-I hate being tied to the cart.  From a social standpoint I end up riding more than I like because I'm with a good friend, and they're not going to walk.  Of course I do the driving, and also direct most of the conversation...

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Even if my score was identical either way, riding in a power cart is annoying. Maybe I'm just selfish, but I want to travel directly to my own ball and be standing there ready to hit as soon as it's my turn. Plus it's nice to see and play the course the way the architect envisioned it, which is hard to do while driving on a little path through the trees.

[motteler621]

riding in a cart is kind of a treat for me on the course. I agree it does kind of take your focus off of the game compared to walking but you are way less tired after 18 when you ride. I normally walk simply because its 15-20 bucks cheaper per round. this really nice course near my house (top 100 in the country) includes cart in the price and everyone has to ride, it keeps the pace of play up if you know how to ride and play

[JerseyThursday]

This thread raises an interesting point. Our club championship is based on match play. Most of the good players walk, but the guy who is reigning champ always plays in a cart (his own). I think he uses it to his advantage. If you walking and your opponent is riding they can race down to their ball, access their situation/yardage and stand there looking impatient while you walk to catch up. There is a ton of psychology in match play and that would be a tough one to block out.

[max power]

True-but you could also see it as you taking your time and enjoying your stroll, and making your opponent stand around and wait.  Works both ways I guess.

Originally Posted by JerseyThursday

This thread raises an interesting point. Our club championship is based on match play. Most of the good players walk, but the guy who is reigning champ always plays in a cart (his own). I think he uses it to his advantage. If you walking and your opponent is riding they can race down to their ball, access their situation/yardage and stand there looking impatient while you walk to catch up. There is a ton of psychology in match play and that would be a tough one to block out.

[nleary9201]

Hey Jersey, I wonder what the stats say about riding vs. walking.  I think after about 14 or 15 holes carrying your bag, fatigue set in a little.  I think riders have an advantage.

[nevets88]

I'm a die-hard walker and I don't think that it's more "pure" or that pace of play is faster. Everyone is entitled to a cart if they want it.

However, being a walker is like being a lefty in a righty world.

The industry is geared towards *making* you take a cart. You should be able to do what you want, so if you want a cart, 100% of the time, you can get one, the course is glad to accommodate, but if you want to walk, you can't on many courses (FL, SC, AZ).

People think it's some kind of miracle you can walk a hilly course on a hot day and not feel fatigued and keep asking you to get in the cart. America has gotten so out of shape they don't realize that walking 18 really isn't that fatiguing assuming no congenital conditions or injuries.

[NEOHMark]

Originally Posted by nevets88

The industry is geared towards *making* you take a cart. You should be able to do what you want, so if you want a cart, 100% of the time, you can get one, the course is glad to accommodate, but if you want to walk, you can't on many courses (FL, SC, AZ).

Not to mention, there are many course designs (too many, IMO) that make it virtually impossible to walk.  Example - my brother and his family used to have a condo on Tidewater in N Myrtle Beach.  The first time I played it I was shocked at the distances between one hole's green and the next tee box.  It's a nice enough course, but they have - quite literally - entire streets (sometimes several) winding between holes......with condos on both sides of the street.  Some of the distances between green-to-next-tee probably rival the length of a long par-5!  It's ridiculous.

[granitegolf]

I score much better when I walk. I walked 54 holes this last Saturday and my best score was my last 18 with a 69. I feel too rushed when riding in a cart and really have to make an effort to slow down.

[golf4fun12]

I don't know about you guys, but when I ride in a golf cart, it makes me lazy. I don't play as well because of that. If I ride, I usually am with friends who will not walk and we just drink the whole time. haha.

[phillyk]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

For the most part, the courses I play don't require "driving on a little path through the trees".  I drive straight to my ball as soon as I clear the teeing area, and continue to do so until I get near the green.  Usually have to return to the path some 50 yards from the green complex.  I can drive as fast or slow as I wish, depending on whether I'm traveling/talking with a walker as we head for our balls.  If the pace is slow I will often drive slower just so I don't feel like I'm waiting as much.

I love threads like this where the walkers seem to feel like they are somehow better or more pure than the riders just because they walk.  They love to talk about how they prefer to walk because it slows down their pace and relaxes them.  I don't have a problem with that (I was a dedicated walker for 25 years myself), but then the next time there's a pace of play thread, they will be trying to reverse themselves and bitch about how as walkers they are so much faster than riders.   So which is it guys?  You can't have it both ways.

After working at a public course for a couple summers, I've seen that people who can correctly use a driving cart can play faster than walkers, but 90% of people who take a driving cart do not use golf etiquette while using them, and it ends up slowing play down compared to if they were walkers.  I have nothing against getting carts.  I have a problem with people forgetting golf etiquette when they use the carts.  But, when walkers forget etiquette that does slow things down much more.  So, it is a bit of both.  But, I think more people forget etiquette when in driving carts.

I'm definitely a walker, however.  I do sometimes use the cart after work, but normally I like to carry my clubs.  I score better I think when walking, because it's more personalized and to me the carts distract me from my game somehow.

[psulefty]

For me, its easy.  I always play better when I walk and push my bag with my Clicgear. Always.  The shared cart, bounce back and forth across the fairway experience breaks my concentration, but I'm a strange old coot.  I prefer playing by myself at 0630 and being the first dewsweeper. It's magnificent out there!  (And, yes, I do enjoy my friends and my foursome, but I never play as well then. That golf is social.  My solitary golf is for playing well, and improving my game.)