Is it rude to walk while everybody else in your group rides?

[chipandcharge]

You misunderstand, greatly.  The guys in the cart are not in a hurry; just interested in playing at a reasonable pace.  With the crowded conditions on the course, the group finishes its round at the pace of the cart riders and not the walkers. The groups behind, I would imagine, also appreciate the efforts of the walkers to keep up with the cart riders.  It works for all involved--the walkers, the cart riders, and the groups that follow.  It eliminates the worst case scenario, where a foursome with two in a cart and two walkers play at the rate of two separate twosomes.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by chipandcharge

You misunderstand, greatly.  The guys in the cart are not in a hurry; just interested in playing at a reasonable pace.  With the crowded conditions on the course, the group finishes its round at the pace of the cart riders and not the walkers. The groups behind, I would imagine, also appreciate the efforts of the walkers to keep up with the cart riders.  It works for all involved--the walkers, the cart riders, and the groups that follow.  It eliminates the worst case scenario, where a foursome with two in a cart and two walkers play at the rate of two separate twosomes.

I don't misunderstand anything.  It's just poor etiquette to leave the tee box or the green before everyone has played.  I've walked with 3 riders, and I've ridden with three riders to one walker, we always modified our pace to the walker.  That doesn't mean that we played slow, only that we respected the fact that the walker would possibly feel pressure to keep up and wanted to alleviate that concern.

What you are talking about is essentially what you say you aren't doing.  By having the walkers leave the tee early, they are playing as a separate twosome from the riders (not to mention taking a risk by going ahead into the line of fire).  If your walkers can't keep the pace set by the course then they have other issues which have nothing to do with just walking.

[MS256]

I have no problem with a walker playing in our group if I'm riding, and I don't mind walking if that's what others are doing, but I wouldn't ever walk if the rest of the group is riding (just my personal choice). I have done it in the past and I didn't like it.

I would never hit first and start walking down the tree line towards my ball before the rest of the group hits. I just feel like it's part of my responsibility to stay on the tee box and help watch the other player's shots. Just seems like common courtesy to stay with the group, watch the shots, and offer a "great shot" if they hit a good one.

Plus I don't really want a duck hook to hit me in the back of the head.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by cipher

Trust me, don't have your cart or a leg from a stand bag or anything like that touch the green.  You will be crucified around here.  Also it is not proper etiquette and could damage the green.

This.  I see guys who carry their bag across the green.  And personally, I think that is rude... I believe you should place your bag or push cart in a convenient location where you will exit the green and walk to the next hole.  But when you place your bag in that area - off the green into the first cut of rough... Walk around the green.  I think carrying a bag across the green is rude.  Definitely never pull/push your cart across the green.

[chipandcharge]

You misunderstood when you supposed that the players in the cart are in a hurry.  They aren't.

[WhySoSerious]

If I was the lone guy in the cart while the other two paired up and you were walking, I'd definitely ask if you wanted to just ride with me and totally understand that you wanted to save the cart fee. I'd probably give you a two hole grace period before asking just to allow you to feel easier about it,too.One guy walking messes up the symmetry and disjoints the whole operation,lol. I try not to roll my pull cart over any part around the green that I'd consider putting from, I'd never drive a cart on the fringe so I'd never pull across it either.

[David in FL]

Only if you don't/can't keep up.

[iacas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Walk around the green.  I think carrying a bag across the green is rude. Definitely never pull/push your cart across the green.

I almost always walk around the green too (because really, unless you're playing a course with massive greens or something, going around doesn't add too much distance or time), but I don't think it's RUDE to walk across the green with your bag on. Me walking across the green is certainly better than having a 250+ pound guy walk across the green.

In Australia they encourage players pull/push their carts across the greens. It minimizes wear "just off" the greens and helps keep the conditions firm and fast. Same is true at the courses at Bandon and Chambers Bay.

Quote http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/golf-travel/2012-05/golf-in-australia-geoff-shackelford?currentPage=2:

DON'T PAMPER THE GREENS
Here's the best part: heftier-wheeled manual carts have been around Aussie links forever and are even considered part of the maintenance plan. At every elite club I pulled into, you're not met by a pretty-boy Disneyland greeter, but instead by a row of free buggies. Very few golfers Down Under carry their bag, and caddies appear almost nonexistent. (Motorized carts are discouraged, though sadly they're appearing at more and more courses.) Most of the standard buggies feature a small sand bucket dangling from the center rod for filling divot holes. And when golfers approach the greens, they're encouraged to push the unit right on across. That simple act--which never feels right to an American no matter how many times you do it--toughens and smooths the greens in the thinking of Australian superintendents. And in a practical sense, it saves an immense amount of pushcart time avoiding the annoying circumvention of what Americans coddle: the putting surface. With less of the chemical dependence that can lead to thatch build-up and the need for frequent aerification, it's no coincidence that Australians sport firmer, faster, smoother and more disease-resistant putting surfaces that are a fraction of the American price to build and maintain.

Now, I'm not saying we're going to start doing that everywhere here (or that I ever do it here)… but if your superintendent is up on the current state of his trade, it might be an interesting discussion.

P.S. The caddies at St. Andrews will walk wherever they want. They'll set your bag down off the green but that's because stand bags CAN rip up a green a little. They'll walk across the green with your bag on their backs, though.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by iacas

In Australia they encourage players pull/push their carts across the greens. It minimizes wear "just off" the greens and helps keep the conditions firm and fast. Same is true at the courses at Bandon and Chambers Bay.

On the courses that have Bent grass around here pulling a cart across the green will probably get you escorted off of the course, and cursed by the group behind you.

To keep those greens alive in the summer takes so much water that the pull cart will always leave tire track impressions that stand out like a sore thumb (and knock putts off line).

Where I play was probably the worst about leaving impressions of any place I've ever played (but they NEVER lost the greens in the summer either like MANY other courses do). Now that they are changed to Bermuda they are much more firm and just as healthy.