"Walking Preferred" Golf Courses

[BuckeyeGolf]

For those of you who enjoy walking during your round of golf, I'm curious to know if an option to play a course that is "walking preferred" would be attractive to you. Consider a golf course where the policy would be that you should have a "compelling reason" to request a cart to play at that course, i.e. medical proof or some other convincing reason that requires the player to ride.

• Would you gravitate to that course because other players of similar interest play there?
• Would the good course conditions attract you because the cart wear and tear would be insignificant?
• Would the aesthetic conditions attract you because there would be minimal amounts of cart visual or noise distractions.
• Picture the pace of play being more balanced because a course dominated by walking golfers would posses a more "even flow" as opposed to carts that surge and stop on either side of you.

Walkers or Riders, what are your thoughts?

[mdl]

I prefer walking, so I'd be attracted to at least try.  Though I wonder if no carts would mean only fit golfers play there and pace of play is better, or older guys who I'd rather have playing quicker in carts stroll around behind their push carts and every round is 6 hours...

[nevets88]

Walkers can play slow too, I'd be interested and try it, but I wouldn't necessarily think it would be faster, but definitely cheaper.

I think slow play isn't a walking/cart issue, it is an attitude issue.

[BuckeyeGolf]

I would submit to you that cart golf is not necessarily a faster pace of play. The efficiency of walking direct to your ball with your clubs at your side more than offsets the inefficiency of cart driving logistics. If a scratch golfer is by himself in a cart, and the walker is a high handicapper, then the walker would be a slower-paced player. I don't think age is an issue. Maybe as part of the management approach the course starters could remind the players to play "ready golf" and walk with "purpose".

[goblue107501]

Point #1: Yes. It's can be more enjoyable to walk when everyone else in the group is walking. Point #2: Not going to matter. Every course that uses carts are going to have some bad spots here and there, mostly due to golf carts. However, the majority of those spots are usually irrelevant to the play of the hole. And if they do come into play, they are in an area where you shouldn't have hit the ball in the first place. Rarely do you see a messed up fairway or the area around the green torn up from carts. Removing those bad areas will hardly be noticable if they are not there. You notice those areas when you see them, if they are not there, it wouldn't get a second thought. Point #3: Not at all. If fact, many times carts can be a good gague to where the group in front is located so you don't hit into them. Harder to keep track of 4 people scattered across the hole. Never have I thought that the course is ugly or unappealing because there are a few small cars driving around. The people would still be there. Point #4: Good in theory, but I don't know how practical it is. Players will still have to look for balls in the rough, rake traps, chase after bad shots, etc. It sounds good to have 4 people walking down the hole, hit their shots, and move on, while the group behind is doing the same thing, only a shot behind. In a perfect world, it makes a lot of sense. But as soon as it gets off track, it makes it even slower since you can't catch up as quickly. If my tee shot goes in the right rough, and the other players are down the left side, how much help will I get finding my ball? None. Even if the others play when I am searching then they start moving forward. When I do find it and hit, now I am behind and have peple waiting. Instead of a couple of seconds for me to get out of the way, not it is a minute or two to get clear. I prefer to ride when I play, but I used to walk all the time. I would give such a course a try and see what it is like on a 'walking only' course, but I don't think the reasons listed would be the reason why I would go. Other than maybe the first one. I would go to see what it was like and to play the course if it was a nice course. If the course is crap, I wouldn't go regardless.

[BuckeyeGolf]

Originally Posted by nevets88

Walkers can play slow too, I'd be interested and try it, but I wouldn't necessarily think it would be faster, but definitely cheaper.

I think slow play isn't a walking/cart issue, it is an attitude issue.

By attitude, do you mean a player who is conscious of his pre-shot routine? - or they care about pace of play for the good of everyone else on the course?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeGolf

For those of you who enjoy walking during your round of golf, I'm curious to know if an option to play a course that is "walking preferred" would be attractive to you. Consider a golf course where the policy would be that you should have a "compelling reason" to request a cart to play at that course, i.e. medical proof or some other convincing reason that requires the player to ride.

Would you gravitate to that course because other players of similar interest play there?

Would the good course conditions attract you because the cart wear and tear would be insignificant?

Would the aesthetic conditions attract you because there would be minimal amounts of cart visual or noise distractions.

Picture the pace of play being more balanced because a course dominated by walking golfers would posses a more "even flow" as opposed to carts that surge and stop on either side of you.

Walkers or Riders, what are your thoughts?

1.) Yes I would.

2.) Depends on the course. If it's paths only there probably no difference in the important area (i.e. the areas where hopefully I'm hitting my shots)

3.) Most courses in my area are walker friendly, and we don't get the stifling weather like some places do so walking is more common. I find gasoline powered carts more annoying than electric ones, but there aren't typically enough of either to cause a problem.

4.) Absolutely. The "hurry up and wait" nature of cart golf is not my cup of tea. I prefer to walk to my ball directly and without delay. I've even been known to hit irons off the tee in order to not wait for the driver landing area to clear and in order to be hitting my approach from the same area as other players in the group. I've played behind (and unfortunately "with") some extremely slow walkers in my day, but a slow group of riders is much more frustrating because their potential pace of play is so much greater.

It's a personal preference for the most part. If the course is full and the rangers are doing their jobs, there shouldn't be gaps or delays regardless of the various mode of transportation. I don't prefer cart only courses and thanfully I don't have to play them very often.

Peace out.

[nevets88]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeGolf

By attitude, do you mean a player who is conscious of his pre-shot routine? - or they care about pace of play for the good of everyone else on the course?

I mean care. I don't think slow play is an educational issue, maybe a bit, but mostly a cultural one. It's like when I drive in NYC, I let people change into my lane within reason, but most people close the gap. In the UK, at least when I drove there, people let me in. For a society with no patience, that is out the window playing golf. People take their sweet time. At least where I play.

[wmiller]

I might love a course like that. No cart tracks scrawled all over the fairway, dead spots/holes where a cart drove through a puddle, etc..

It would certainly keep many of the fatter butts off the course if they couldn't squeeze their largess into a riding cart. Might even speed up play too, around here anyway, as most walkers I play with are fairly good, and don't waste a lot of time. That could vary in different areas though.

Sure would be nice to try. Maybe a walkers only course? I'd even pay for a caddie, if it wasn't too cost prohibitive.

[B-Con]

Would you gravitate to that course because other players of similar interest play there? - It depends. If I were playing at a time when I was pretty much guaranteed to be a single, then no. If I knew I was going to get paired with someone, then usually yes. To put it simply, there are fewer walking drunks than riding drunks. Would the good course conditions attract you because the cart wear and tear would be insignificant? - I don't find cart wear to be a big deal. Whatever damage there is is usually in the fairways where it matters less than near the green. It would be nice, but there are a lot of more important factors I would consider for the quality of the course. Would the aesthetic conditions attract you because there would be minimal amounts of cart visual or noise distractions. - I think it'd be nicer, yes, but not substantially. Other players are rarely close enough to hear their carts anyway, and electric carts aren't very loud. It would be nice, but not a big deal at all. Picture the pace of play being more balanced because a course dominated by walking golfers would posses a more "even flow" as opposed to carts that surge and stop on either side of you. - I don't think the pace of play would be effected just by eliminating carts. You'd probably have more serious golfers playing, and that would probably pick the pace up, but just eliminating carts wouldn't do it, I don't think.

[paulg]

Most people walk the course in the UK anyway, I know the course I worked at only had 4 carts available. I can't play without one now so I'm going to be biased. Yay for carts.

[JerseyThursday]

Tiger Woods is finishing a course that is “walk only” called The Cliffs at High Carolina. The players will use a caddy.
The location is naturally spectacular and he felt cart paths would ruin it.
I look forward to seeing it completed (2012).

[paulg]

Us poor spazzes :(

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeGolf

For those of you who enjoy walking during your round of golf, I'm curious to know if an option to play a course that is "walking preferred" would be attractive to you. Consider a golf course where the policy would be that you should have a "compelling reason" to request a cart to play at that course, i.e. medical proof or some other convincing reason that requires the player to ride.

Would you gravitate to that course because other players of similar interest play there?

Would the good course conditions attract you because the cart wear and tear would be insignificant?

Would the aesthetic conditions attract you because there would be minimal amounts of cart visual or noise distractions.

Picture the pace of play being more balanced because a course dominated by walking golfers would posses a more "even flow" as opposed to carts that surge and stop on either side of you.

Walkers or Riders, what are your thoughts?

I walk almost every time I play and I enjoy it a lot more than riding in a cart.

- It would be nice to always play with people walking but I don't think it would be a huge selling point for me

- Probably not since well kept courses generally don't have a lot of cart damage

- Carts don't generally bother me unless some one has a total disregard for other people playing in their group

- Doesn't work that way although I wish it did but pace of play is totally based on the players not on walking or riding.

[Doctorfro]

I would def enjoy a walking preferred course although that would probably be a course that is flatter.  I do enjoy a course with some degree of elevation change.  I walked nine this a.m.  And I happened to notice that everyone else that was riding in carts was overweight.  I know that's not always the norm but it caught my eye today.  I wanted to yell at all of them, "get out of the cart, strap on your bag and walk!"

[Spyder]

I would love to walk a course, but unfortunately Grade III spondylolisthesis (football injury) and 3 herniated discs prevent that. The severe sciatic pain that I have often pushes me to the limit of my threshold where only sitting down with a very, very stiff drink will take the pain away. All medications are out of the question and ineffective as I'm nearing my last resort being surgery.

I do have my good days though where I can actually function like a normal 26 year old and walk/run for short distances. I can usually play a round of golf pain free with a cart because when I sit, I'm able to put my ankle on my opposite knee and lean forward to stretch the sciatic nerve out. There are times where simply walking to get the mail, or walking around the mall become almost impossible if I'm not able to stretch.

(For anyone else that has this issue, if any, I feel your pain - literally )

As for the general idea of walking only, sure I would think that a course like that would be just fine. I know that when I opt to have surgery as a very last resort because I can no longer function with the pain, I'll most likely never ride in a cart again. 8 years of excruciating pain and you learn to not take the simple act of "walking" for granite. Salute to the walkers out there - I envy you! Just keep that thought in mind before you bash all cart riders, of any age. Some people wish they were able to be walking right next to you and enjoying the course.

[SamW]

Personally I think carts should be for medical reasons only, and then never for competitive golf or any handicap qualifying round. This is because golf is a sport and an aspect of the sport is endurance. At my course there are very few carts anyway and generally only visitors would ever be seen dead in them.

In a strokeplay or matchplay tournament a cart is clearly a competitive advantage. As a result I would never join a club where using "artificial propulsion during competitions" was within the local rules as I don't wish to play in a cart or suffer the competitive disadvantage of not being in a cart.

I know that a lot of people play golf just for themselves, just to get their own handicap down and no other reason.. for me I'm only playing the game to win things, personal performance is okay it's a bit of a consolation prize. I can have a social round just for the company but it's going to be matchplay and it'll probably have money on it or at least a beer in the bar on it, I wouldn't play with somebody using a cart unless they were totally unable to walk the course for medical reasons and then only if it was a solo cart.

[LankyLefty]

In the US everyone drives and many courses make you take a cart if your more then a 1 or 2.

Now that im in europe I have not taken a cart yet. They are super expensive.

Also a lot of courses in the states were simply not made with a walking golfer in mind. They are a real pain to walk.