"Walking Preferred" Golf Courses

[goblue107501]

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.

Come to the states sometime in July and August and play in the 95 degree heat with humidity. And not just one time and then leave. Play several rounds walking and see if your opinion changes. Not about carts, but about golf in general. It's not very fun to play in those conditions anyway, certainly not much fun to walk it.

[fairwayguy2]

I would love to be able to walk the course again.  I much rather walk than ride, however I have a problem with my right foot that prohibits me from walking anymore.  I found that I played better and faster when I walked.  I used the time between shots to gather my self on bad shots and calm down after good ones..   I am 58 years old now and notice that since I started playing till now all the newer courses seem to be designed to prohibit walking.  The golf clubs don't want to give up the cart revenue.

Occasionally I play a 9 hole course close to me and walk but I pay for it the next couple days.  I think a course for walkers would be a great addition even though I wouldn't be able to utilize it

[ghalfaire]

I don't have a problem with a "walking preferred" course.  It is America after all and if someone believes there is a market for such a course, be my guest.  I suspect in the deserts of AZ you'll go broke quick. But then being an entrepreneur has always included risk/reward aspects.   It gets a lot hotter than 95 degrees here in the summer and walking 18 (or even 9 at times) holes can be hazardous to your health.

[FowlPlay]

Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't rent a cart at any course unless I had someone with me that absolutely needed it.

I would love a course like that.

[deasy55]

My home course only has 4 carts and one of them is for the course ranger. The seniors (over 60) play on a tuesdays (seniors day) and they usually take the other 3 carts out. And even that's only when the course is dry. Other than that its walking. Meaning my course is basically "preferred walking" already.

[SamW]

Originally Posted by goblue107501

Come to the states sometime in July and August and play in the 95 degree heat with humidity. And not just one time and then leave. Play several rounds walking and see if your opinion changes. Not about carts, but about golf in general. It's not very fun to play in those conditions anyway, certainly not much fun to walk it.

I've played plenty of times in those conditions, and I agree it's hard work, in fact there are quite a lot of weather conditions that are pretty hard work. Truthfully though I still walk the course and I still take the conditions as part of the game. But there again the competitive golf I've played is predominantly played under English Golf Union which doesn't permit any carts.

So I guess, if the playing field was level and cart's were allowed in a competition somewhere else then I'd take a cart, but I'd resent it. The reason is that I've been to courses where people play in carts (I've also played a lot in the US but also some other places), I've seen a lot of people that just wouldn't have the stamina to walk a course, they are just not golf fit... I wouldn't let them use a cart to play me because I'd be standing there thinking their golf will deteriorate pretty badly during the round if they walk and I'd be planning my game around that.

If you want to stand with the cart argument, do you think they should be allowed on the PGA tour, I mean why should the pro's be forced to walk 5 miles each day for 4 days to play an event? Going back 150 years, why didn't they just make horse paths on golf courses and have all those old fellas in Scotland riding around the course on a horse? Carts aren't part of the sport, whether its 110 degrees in arizona or horizontal rain with 50mph winds in scotland, it's just something that was added to the game to facilitate golf courses extracting money from unfit people.

[goblue107501]

I've played plenty of times in those conditions, and I agree it's hard work, in fact there are quite a lot of weather conditions that are pretty hard work. Truthfully though I still walk the course and I still take the conditions as part of the game. But there again the competitive golf I've played is predominantly played under English Golf Union which doesn't permit any carts.

So I guess, if the playing field was level and cart's were allowed in a competition somewhere else then I'd take a cart, but I'd resent it. The reason is that I've been to courses where people play in carts (I've also played a lot in the US but also some other places), I've seen a lot of people that just wouldn't have the stamina to walk a course, they are just not golf fit... I wouldn't let them use a cart to play me because I'd be standing there thinking their golf will deteriorate pretty badly during the round if they walk and I'd be planning my game around that.

If you want to stand with the cart argument, do you think they should be allowed on the PGA tour, I mean why should the pro's be forced to walk 5 miles each day for 4 days to play an event? Going back 150 years, why didn't they just make horse paths on golf courses and have all those old fellas in Scotland riding around the course on a horse? Carts aren't part of the sport, whether its 110 degrees in arizona or horizontal rain with 50mph winds in scotland, it's just something that was added to the game to facilitate golf courses extracting money from unfit people.

Here's the difference. You are thinking of golf as competition only. Where all facets of athletic ability need to come into play; stamina, skill, mental toughness, etc. My guess would be that about 99% of all golfers don't care about the competition of it. They play because it is a hobby and it is fun and they can hang out with thier friends for the day. Sure, there are competitive rounds between friends or the weekend tournament, but for the most part, people just want to have fun. While golf can be fun while walking, in certain conditions it isn't. I don't care what the PGA Tour does. I'm not ever going to play in it so it doesn't matter to me one bit. I know plenty of people who could never walk a course because they are not 'golf fit' as you put it. Are they supposed to just give up the game and never play because they can't walk 18 holes? Golf as you know it would end it those people were not playing. For the record, I am not against walking and I am not pro cart. People can do whatever they want. I will use a cart because it is makes the day and round more enjoyable to me. I don't like sweating my ass off and struggling to swing the club after walking up the hill to the 17th tee box. No thanks, that's not fun. I pay my money, I want to play golf and have fun, not be miserable. Could care less about the competition of it.

[BuckeyeNut]

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?

No public course exists that prefers walking because they depend so heavily on cart revenue. IMO....It's sort of a moot point to make because these public courses don't exist.  I don't imagine there are many private courses either in this day in age.  Very few even have a caddy program anymore.......

[sean_miller]

Do you mean there are no courses where power carts are banned or at least discouraged? You surely didn't mean there are no courses where walking is encouraged.

Quote:

No public course exists that prefers walking because they depend so heavily on cart revenue. IMO....It's sort of a moot point to make because these public courses don't exist.  I don't imagine there are many private courses either in this day in age.  Very few even have a caddy program anymore.......

[nevets88]

I walked during the East coast heat wave and many many hot summers and it's not that bad and I don't feel like I'm suffering, actually I enjoy it very much. Carts remind more of driving and I'm not a big fan of driving, I already have to drive to the golf course. That said, carts are fine, I just hate being forced to take a cart.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Do you mean there are no courses where power carts are banned or at least discouraged? You surely didn't mean there are no courses where walking is encouraged.

Quote:

I don't know of any public course that encourages walking in the USA.  I'm sure there must be 1-2 tucked away somewhere...lol, but yes, that is what I meant.  I've sure never seen one.  I guess maybe on the old course in Scotland or somewhere like that they may still do, but I've never played there.

[Gresh24]

Quote:

No public course exists that prefers walking because they depend so heavily on cart revenue. IMO....It's sort of a moot point to make because these public courses don't exist.  I don't imagine there are many private courses either in this day in age.  Very few even have a caddy program anymore.......

Carts aren't a big revenue generator for most courses.  In fact, they can be an expense in certain times/years.  They are offered because more than half the poeple wouldn't come golf if there were no carts.

Many courses will hire a leasing company to manage and maintain the carts, and just hope to break even, and not deal with the headaches.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

Quote:

Carts aren't a big revenue generator for most courses.  In fact, they can be an expense in certain times/years.  They are offered because more than half the poeple wouldn't come golf if there were no carts.

Many courses will hire a leasing company to manage and maintain the carts, and just hope to break even, and not deal with the headaches.

Oh yea...I know exactly what you're saying. The point is they have carts...and they need player butts warming the seats.

so...which came first, the chicken or the egg?   Hahaha.....ya know what I mean??

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I don't know of any public course that encourages walking in the USA.  I'm sure there must be 1-2 tucked away somewhere...lol, but yes, that is what I meant.  I've sure never seen one.  I guess maybe on the old course in Scotland or somewhere like that they may still do, but I've never played there.

If that's truly the case then I'm glad I live in Alberta - unless it's mid-January . . . brrrrr

[BuckeyeNut]

Just exactly how do golf courses encourage people to walk in Alberta?  If you walk, do you get a $5 discount on the green fee??  I'm curious..............

How does a golf course encourage walking?

[Gresh24]

I wonder the same thing.  I've never been at a course that 'encouraged' walking or riding...

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

I wonder the same thing.  I've never been at a course that 'encouraged' walking or riding...

I've definitely seen my share of courses that encourage riding........... =mandatory carts during prime-time.

Hahahahaha

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

Just exactly how do golf courses encourage people to walk in Alberta?  If you walk, do you get a $5 discount on the green fee??  I'm curious..............

How does a golf course encourage walking?

I'm not an expert, but here is a short list of things that courses in my area do to encourage walking - at least among people who would have ever chosen walking anyway. For people convinced carting is the only way to go, they'll cart no matter what. Let's be honest here. That's not really the target audience the OP was addressing anyway, was it?!?

1.) First off, walking is generally permitted for non-members. There's no financial penalty for walking (i.e. not a lot of "cart fee included in price but you can still walk if you choose" BS)

2.) Course layout - green to tee distance. Many, if not most, courses have short walks between the green and the next tee box. There are always exceptions with a few newer mountain, condo, and generally resort courses.

2a.) Course layout - placement of cart paths. There are a few courses where paths only for the carts and it's more walking to take a cart. Wolf Creek (the one at Morningside, AB - not the Wolf Creek that shows up first in Google) is a prime example of this. It's much more enjoyable round on foot because you have your sticks and extra balls. There are plenty of hazards to be found and mid to high handicap riders seem to be on the dead run back and forth all the time.

3.) Tee times are spaced slightly farther apart and early times are available for greens fee players.

4.) The members tend to walk. Most members walk and for junior programs, it's always walking all the time.

Basically, a course encourages walking by not having any policies or attitudes that discourage it.