Do you ride or walk the course?

[jshots]

I had back issues last summer, and I was walking like 4 rounds a week. This summer they had gone away, but I wasn't playing much just practicing. Last weekend I played just 2 18 hole rounds walking and once again my back is not doing good :( And to think a few weeks ago I responded to some kid on here telling him he needs to suck it up and carry his bag around the course

Luckily I recently started picking the range for free golf at a course that is only carts. I suppose you could walk but you would definitely hold up pace of play.

I love walking though. It is really nice, maybe I just need a pull cart or something. To answer the OP I do both, but I prefer walking when I am in shape. Its surprising how tired you get walking 18 holes when you haven't done it in a while.

[Inebriated]

Originally Posted by wmiller

You're the one trying to tie walking or riding to rules. Nobody else mentioned it.

Golf carts can ruin golf courses. At the very least, they are hard on the course, requiring extra cost/upkeep You can see the tracks/smashed grass all over the fairways. Worse when some idiot drives through a really wet area.

Fact: Several times a year here in Tucson, carts are not allowed on the grass. The fairways are in much better shape then.

Carts are excellent sources of money for the courses, so will never be banned. Too bad. Maybe if they banned carts, less people would play, and I could get back to my sub-3 hour round walking the course.

Look at the first page. Every other post is "because it's how the game is played."

The game wasn't meant to be walked. It was meant to be enjoyed, and if riding does that, then who are you to judge, or for that matter, care? All the courses I go to have very clear rules about carts on fairways (meaning no carts on fairways). And even if they do allow them, it's their choice, not yours.

Enjoy the game, and stop worrying about other people.

[Drew Chung]

Originally Posted by schigara

I used to only ride carts because I was a smoker. I quit smoking 18 months ago and now love to walk and walk whenever I can. I play better because I have time between shots to think and shake off any bad shots.

Also, just because you are in a cart does not mean you are faster than a walker. Me and my playing partner get held up by cart riders all the time. Walkers tend to play faster where riders tend to play slower but they do technically get to their ball faster but since most courses require a pair riding to use one cart, they ultimately play slower than a pair that are walking that get to their respective balls at the same time whereas the two in the cart, get to one ball, decide club, shoot and then travel to the other persons ball, decide club selection and shoot.

It is very rare that cart players play faster than me and my walking buddy. The biggest difference though is actual pace of play. Riding or walking, a considerate player will assess the basic distance and lie while enroute to the ball and will take just one partial or full practice swing, at most, and then fire and quickly place the club back in the bag and roll. He will not get to the ball, look around for 45 seconds for markers and then decide which club and then take 4 full power practice swings and then stab the club in the ground and go 10 feet or slice/hook out of bounds!

Courses in Memphis are very crowded during the weekends and when we are held up with slow play, 95% of the time, it's cart riders who know jack &*$%@ about etiquette. It is extremely rare to get held up by walkers.  Walkers tend not to be ignorant or rude like riders also. When held up by walkers, they are much more inclined to offer to let faster groups go by than riders.

Since we have gotten 98-100 ambient temps with 100-110 index temps, I have been getting the cart as I like to play 27-36 holes and am not a big fan of heat strokes.

well said...i agree.

here in LA...it got close to a 100 i think about 2 weeks ago...i walked 18 and felt like i walked 54...it was grueling...my clothes were drenched with sweat..i got a tan line that looks hilarious, i probably lost about 5lbs...but man...my feet were aching and i was hurting that night. i thought i was going to get a heat stroke. ran out of water...no snack cart anywhere to be found...i got to the last hole and this couple in a cart offered me there cold gatorade...the lady looked at me and thought i was going to faint. i drank that thing in like 5 seconds flat lol.

barely finished with 2 holes left.

i also agree with the pace of play. usually out where i play it's the non-avid golfers that ride...they have no etiquette whatsoever...but i'm glad they ride...if they walked and shot shank after shank...i'd get pissed lol

[carpediem4300]

always walk, but will occasionaly get a cart if im playing 36 in a comp or socieyt match

I dont mind carts but hate it when they hold play up and then when you play through they magically speed up and make you look bad, and agreed on the majority consensus that non avid golfers use them more,

but if you enjoy your golf more by driving, then do it, as someone pointed out, its a game to be enjoyed!

[Golfz]

walk, its better for you. And I carry the bag, why be lazy and have an electric motor?

[lumpuckeroo]

I like to walk, but it depends on the situation.  This July has been very hot and humid in the midwest, if I play an afternoon or evening round I have been riding, but if I can get an early start, like before 8 AM, I have been walking.  Even the early morning rounds we will walk and play 9 holes and then call it quits.  Last week we caught a small break in the morning heat, we teed off at 8am and the temperature was 72, but the humidity was 65%, within 2 holes there wasn't a spot on my shirt that wasn't soaked.

As I said, I like to walk, but there are times here in the midwest where conditions are just to much to walk.

[goblue107501]

I ride 95% of the time. There is a short muni near my house that I will play maybe once a year for nine holes and I will walk that. Everything else I ride. I used to walk quite a bit, mostly just to save money. I used to drive about an hour to a friends course and walk 18 since the guest rate for walking was only $24. I am not old, fat, or lazy. I'm in moderate health. I certainly wouldn't drop dead if I walked 18. Here is my reason: I just don't want to. Deal with it. It doesn't make me a bad person or less of a golfer. I get tired of the superiority that some people have just because they walk. This is what it is like to walk around here (change LA to MO)... [quote name="Drew Chung" url="/forum/thread/50923/do-you-ride-or-walk-the-course/36#post_628383"]here in LA...it got close to a 100 i think about 2 weeks ago...i walked 18 and felt like i walked 54...it was grueling...my clothes were drenched with sweat..i got a tan line that looks hilarious, i probably lost about 5lbs...but man...my feet were aching and i was hurting that night. i thought i was going to get a heat stroke. ran out of water...no snack cart anywhere to be found...i got to the last hole and this couple in a cart offered me there cold gatorade...the lady looked at me and thought i was going to faint. i drank that thing in like 5 seconds flat lol[/quote] Why should I put myself through that? I play golf to enjoy the day and enjoy the game. I play to have fun and visit with my friends and just have a good time. I don't get to play that often anymore, so when I do play, I want it to be enjoyable. What I don't want is to get to the last few holes and be struggling to swing the club. Why should I walk and put myself through all that? No thanks. I'll just ride and enjoy my day. Of the three courses I usually play, only one is walkable anyway. They others have a bunch of room between holes and you would get passed 5-6 times a round since you simply wouldn't be able to keep up.

[Elvisliveson]

I walk, carrying my bag. For me, it's an additional form of exercise on the one day a week I don't. I've been playing golf for 30+ years and today's equipment has made walking easier than ever.

[Whiskey84]

I'm trying hard to walk more, but I need a cart about every 4th round to take the stress off my knees.

[Kieran123]

Wow.

A lot of hate for people who use carts.....

Why do people hate so much? What difference does it make to your walk?

Carting is GENERALLY faster, and people have their reasons - mainly being health, so if that offends you and it isn;t how the game 'should be played' then suck it up princess. A lot of us with health issue would give anything to rid ourselves of our pain and save the money spent on carting and be able to walk.

Walking does not move you up the ladder so stop trying to claim brownie points for doing so beige.

[deasy55]

Now this is a childish post

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Wow.

A lot of hate for people who use carts.....

Why do people hate so much? What difference does it make to your walk?

Carting is GENERALLY faster, and people have their reasons - mainly being health, so if that offends you and it isn;t how the game 'should be played' then suck it up princess. A lot of us with health issue would give anything to rid ourselves of our pain and save the money spent on carting and be able to walk.

Walking does not move you up the ladder so stop trying to claim brownie points for doing so beige.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by deasy55

Now this is a childish post

How so?

[indykappa]

interesting topic.  i voted "cart", but i am only 2 months into golfing.  i can definitely see both sides of the argument, and i'm not opposed to getting some extra exercise, but i DO NOT think that riding a cart is akin to laziness.  for what it's worth...i will be walking when i play on thursday

there was a post earlier that said something to the effect of "what if a dirtbike or a tank was on the course?"...and i think that that was quite a reach.  we're talking about golf carts...period.

several posters have mentioned that "the pros don't use carts", but how many folks on this forum are pros?  guys in major league baseball use wood bats, but college players use aluminum...see what i'm getting at?  i find it laughable that so many of you cite what the pros do...they are PROS...that's their job.  how many folks here get paid to play?  hell, how many of you even get paid to teach someone else how to play?  unless you are aspiring to become a pro, i just find the "that's what the pros do" argument to be a little bit lame.

[deasy55]

Well if you considered my perfectly normal post on the 1st page as childish then I can call your post which actually contained the phrase "suck it up princess" childish.

Originally Posted by Kieran123

How so?

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by deasy55

Well if you considered my perfectly normal post on the 1st page as childish then I can call your post which actually contained the phrase "suck it up princess" childish.

Valid reason

Yours was childish because you generalized that old people always cart

The term suck it up princess is generally used by older generation towards the younger generation to tell them to stop being childish.

[deasy55]

I'm sure every person reaches an age where they will either have to give up golf or use a cart. I said I hadn't reached that age. Still don't see how that is childish.

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Valid reason

Yours was childish because you generalized that old people always cart

The term suck it up princess is generally used by older generation towards the younger generation to tell them to stop being childish.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by deasy55

I'm sure every person reaches an age where they will either have to give up golf or use a cart. I said I hadn't reached that age. Still don't see how that is childish.

Then why didn't you say the above in your post, then just saying 'old' people.

Anyway

[aschroeger]

I ride..  Just because.... I have a friend I golf with who insists on riding so we ride.

Doesn't slow us down like some people who ride to one ball, wait for the hit then ride to the other.  We ride to one ball, drop off the player and do to the next ball.