run the roughs?

[krupa]

Just looking at the local rules of a course we're playing this weekend and one of them says, "Do not run the roughs."  

What does that mean?

[DaveP043]

Some courses would prefer that you keep your golf buggy on the short fairway grass, so you don't mat down the longer grass in the rough.  I'm guessing that's what they mean, but I'd ask them when you get there, just to be sure.

[woodzie264]

7 minutes ago, krupa said:

Just looking at the local rules of a course we're playing this weekend and one of them says, "Do not run the roughs."  

What does that mean?

I would assume it means to keep the carts out of the rough. Courses that pride themselves on it's playing conditions and course difficulty like the rough to be in good shape (vs it being trampled down).

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

Some courses would prefer that you keep your golf buggy on the short fairway grass, so you don't mat down the longer grass in the rough.  I'm guessing that's what they mean, but I'd ask them when you get there, just to be sure.

We posted at the same time!

 

[krupa]

2 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Some courses would prefer that you keep your golf buggy on the short fairway grass, so you don't mat down the longer grass in the rough.  I'm guessing that's what they mean, but I'd ask them when you get there, just to be sure.

 

1 minute ago, woodzie264 said:

I would assume it means to keep the carts out of the rough. Courses that pride themselves on it's playing conditions and course difficulty like the rough to be in good shape (vs it being trampled down).

Thanks!

[Strandly]

If I remember right I played a course where the entire thing was cart path only and it was one of the dumber things I've seen since starting the game.  Some areas the path was nowhere near the fairway so even though you're riding it takes as long to play as if you were walking.  And if you duffed the ball 30 yards you'd have to walk clear over to the cart to get a different club and then walk clear back to hit the ball.. again.  Just dumb..

[WUTiger]

This thread from 2014 talks about golf carts and turf damage:

[newtogolf]

My old home course just installed GPS devices in the carts which prevents them from being driven off the cart path unless the starter over rides it (for those with health issues).  It has really slowed down rounds and upset members who now are walking an extra 1 - 2 miles because of the GPS devices.  

I think part of the reason they did it was to protect the rough and fairway from cart damage, the other part was they'd prefer you pay caddies to carry your bag ($80 per golfer) and have members walk the course.  A small percentage of the more tenured membership used caddies and were annoyed that others weren't so I think they pushed for the GPS devices as a way to get people to use the caddies more.  

[Aguirre]

Most courses in Myrtle Beach prefer you drive on the fairway, and I've noticed a relaxation of the rules here in Western PA about the 90 degree rule over the last decade. Really, if your fairways are cut to an appropriate length, a cart makes no difference unless it's exceptionally wet. But it does matter in the rough, particularly with certain grasses. 

 

[No Mulligans]

Similar to what others stated:

I played at Torrey Pines weeks before a pga tournament and they wanted us to keep the carts on the cart paths and the fairways, and avoid the rough.

The carts weren't having an affect on the fairways but I suppose they would damage the rough.

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, newtogolf said:

My old home course just installed GPS devices in the carts which prevents them from being driven off the cart path unless the starter over rides it (for those with health issues).  It has really slowed down rounds and upset members who now are walking an extra 1 - 2 miles because of the GPS devices.  

I think part of the reason they did it was to protect the rough and fairway from cart damage, the other part was they'd prefer you pay caddies to carry your bag ($80 per golfer) and have members walk the course.  A small percentage of the more tenured membership used caddies and were annoyed that others weren't so I think they pushed for the GPS devices as a way to get people to use the caddies more.  

We played a course in Orlando, Dubsdread IIRC, that had this feature. We were on the way to the next hole, which was across a street. We took a wrong turn looking for the cart path. The cart stopped dead. We had to push it back into the range of the hole so the GPS override would start the cart again. We must have looked like idiots to the drivers going by.

[newtogolf]

4 hours ago, boogielicious said:

We played a course in Orlando, Dubsdread IIRC, that had this feature. We were on the way to the next hole, which was across a street. We took a wrong turn looking for the cart path. The cart stopped dead. We had to push it back into the range of the hole so the GPS override would start the cart again. We must have looked like idiots to the drivers going by.

I'm told these carts start to beep when you are outside the path they want you to be on and then like yours eventually just shut down.  They have to then be put in reverse to get back onto the proper path.  My buddies from my old club tell me they've seen a lot of cart pushing because people didn't know they could just reverse back onto the path.  

[dave s]

Eaglesticks in Zanesville, OH.  The rule from the starter on the first tee was 'keep the carts on the fairways or cart path at all times. Do not drive in the rough.'

Southern Ohio is pretty hilly and one could EASILY cause a cart to roll over on the hills / rough areas of that course.  As in the Eaglesticks exxample, it's for SAFETY reasons they instruct you to keep the carts out of the rough areas on the golf course.

dave

[imsys0042]

On 7/21/2016 at 10:36 PM, newtogolf said:

My old home course just installed GPS devices in the carts which prevents them from being driven off the cart path unless the starter over rides it (for those with health issues).  It has really slowed down rounds and upset members who now are walking an extra 1 - 2 miles because of the GPS devices.  

I think part of the reason they did it was to protect the rough and fairway from cart damage, the other part was they'd prefer you pay caddies to carry your bag ($80 per golfer) and have members walk the course.  A small percentage of the more tenured membership used caddies and were annoyed that others weren't so I think they pushed for the GPS devices as a way to get people to use the caddies more.  

$80 per bag!   I caddied at the wrong place.   I used to get $20 (plus tip) when I stopped.

On 7/21/2016 at 11:08 PM, Aguirre said:

Most courses in Myrtle Beach prefer you drive on the fairway, and I've noticed a relaxation of the rules here in Western PA about the 90 degree rule over the last decade. Really, if your fairways are cut to an appropriate length, a cart makes no difference unless it's exceptionally wet. But it does matter in the rough, particularly with certain grasses. 

 

I've been living in Western PA for 7 years, since I moved here I've noticed that people generally just go straight down the fairway.   In NJ/NY and where I traveled they emphasized 90 degree and the ranger would occasionally say something if he saw you not following that.  Plenty of people didn't do it, but it seems like it's pretty standard here.