Should golfers have the right to walk?
Here's an interesting story posted by the AP:
"A growing number of cities and counties are mandating the use of electric or gas-powered carts, believing they are needed to speed play and therefore allow more golfers on the course.
Officials in Nassau County, on Long Island, came under fire last month when they announced that carts would be required for anyone wishing to play its premier municipal 18-hole course -- Eisenhower Red, a Robert Trent Jones-designed loop that annually hosts a PGA Champions Tour event for golf professionals older than 50." (More)
I know that some courses are designed with only golf carts in mind -- with huge stretches between tees. I like Tiger Woods's idea for his new course in North Carolina -- a walker's only course. What do you think, The Golf Blog community?
26 Comments:
How about requiring golfers to walk on all golf courses and outlawing golf carts? Carts don't speed up play.
I prefer walking and I really dislike having to take a cart. Carts don't speed up play. How many times do I see a pair drive to find a ball, spend 5 minutes looking, then after the first player hits, they drive to the other side to look for the other player's ball. How is that saving time?
I can play in 2 hours or less using a cart by myself. And no, it's not speed golf, it's called being ready to hit the next shot. I can't do that walking because of the time it takes for me to get to the next ball.
I'd like the option to walk or ride, because I enjoy walking, but in the fall, it's nice to be able to get to the course at 5:00pm with nobody on it and get 18 in. The clubhouse guys are usually surprised when I finish up at 7:00pm.
I walk almost most of the time, and I am already irritated that many resort courses require a cart. I think many people play slower in a cart. How many times have you seen this: a pair is on opposite sides of the fairway, and they drive to the first side, one guy hits, then they drive to the other side, and the other guy hits.
Its much faster to simply let the first guy select his club, then the second guy drives to his ball and gets ready to hit. The first guy can be walking over to the cart while the second guy is hitting.
Carts have gotta be optional because some older guys need the cart or they wouldn't even be able to play. But to force golfers to use a cart is absurd, not to mention fascistic. Geez...
Carts and walking. I really enjoy walking sometimes, when the weather's cooler, but when it's hot a cart is the way to go. But if I had to go one way or another...walking. Hell our country is lazy enough...
I hate carts. Way to go, Tiger. I usually walk and carry my bag, even at 59. I can see the argument for some of the older men or women, or players like Casey Martin, using a cart. What gets me is seeing 14 and 15 year olds tooling around in carts from day one. It's absurd. As to playing a round in 2 hours-you must be out before dawn. NO way you can get through a populated course in that time. A friend of mine and I used to do 18 holes walking and carrying in about 2:45 but we played pretty early in the morning.
Supposedly, the British marvel that Americans pay for memberships to health clubs and then ride in golf carts.
"As to playing a round in 2 hours-you must be out before dawn. NO way you can get through a populated course in that time."
Nope. There is most certainly a way. I'm out at 5:00pm and done by 7:00pm. I play at courses where golfers are considerate and let me play through. I'm just lucky, I guess.
"Supposedly, the British marvel that Americans pay for memberships to health clubs and then ride in golf carts."
I could care less what the British think. If I'm pressed for time, I'll ride the cart to get 18 holes in. Otherwise, I'll walk. I also don't need a membership to a health club to stay physically fit.
I know there are plenty of slow players with no brains when it comes to playing golf efficiently without being rushed. I also know there are a lot of stupid Americans that pay for health club memberships and are still out of shape and worse, don't use the membership.
I'm not one of them, and I want to have the option of using the cart at my leisure. I have brains enough to know when I'd like to use one or not and there is NO way I'm going to hold up play.
I agree with anonymous at 7:25pm, it would be fascist to remove the option to either walk or ride.
And if anybody thinks that removing carts as an option for most of the idiots that play slowly is going to speed up play...I've got news for you. It won't happen. People like that will be just as slow or slower.
People have to learn to be ready to hit their shot. How hard is it to see where there ball went to figure out what club their going to need or rule their going to follow if it's in a hazard, out of bounds or in the trees? It's not rocket science.
"How hard is it to see where there ball went to figure out what club their going to need or rule their going to follow if it's in a hazard, out of bounds or in the trees? It's not rocket science."
Ugh, I hate using bad grammar. Replace "their" with they're both times.
Here in Germany carts are rather unusual, almost all resorts offer them, but the majority walks the course. Considerung golf as sport, this is the right way to play in my opinion.
My best time playing 18 holes on foot is 2:45, yes, I was alone on the course but still had a 30 handicap. So I don't think using carts speeds up play when the guys in the cart aren't ready for their next shot.
I can walk round in around 3 hours and i have a 15 handicap. I think the crucial factor is etiquette and consideration for fellow golfers. Wave peolpe through if your ball is not going to be easily found don't wait five minutes then wave. Also leave the beer for the 19th hole, I have seen lots of cases since I moved over to N. America of impaired golfing. Which slows down the speed of the round for everyone. Lastly, why do we all have to play in foreballs ? If you let two and threes go out it speeds up the whole course
My Dad was of the viewpoint that he played golf for exercise and would quit if he had to use a cart -- he played until he was 86 and would be turning over in his grave about this!
I agree with the point that carts can slow down play when the pairs aren't prepared... driving all over looking for their ball, then not having a club ready (or the wrong club) and going back to pull a different one.
I find I take less time with club selection when I'm walking as I arrive at the shot already with a clear idea of what I'm going to do -- I just get there a bit quicker in a cart.
I do know that down here in the South, the cart does make things a lot more comfortable when the weather's in the upper 90's and humid (which is often)... but to force carts is stupid. Let's have some more awareness, courtesy, and allow faster groups to play through.
I'm always looking to see if a faster group is gaining and planning accordingly.
Tom B.
Interesting. In your first post you say you play between 5:00 and 7:00 pm when nobody is there. In the next, you say people are gracious enough to wave you through at the same times. I wave carts through all the time, but not particularly graciously. I can't stand having players run up my ass with their carts. Many of these guys are cherry picking holes and jumping around the course to suit their pleasure, and the cart is there for mobility and a place to put the beer. These guys also try to insert themselves between groups when my team is playing in tournaments(I coach college golf). I usually rationalize it all by thinking that, since these guys wouldn't play without carts, their presence keeps club fees down. I play in Maine and the price of membership is pretty cheap. If we restricted play to walkers only, I don't think I could afford a membership.
It's also ironic that Tiger plays from a cart at his home course.
Mandatory carts and a complimentary quarter-pounder combo at the turn sounds good to me.
Maybe the starter could hand out free cigarettes, too.
"Interesting. In your first post you say you play between 5:00 and 7:00 pm when nobody is there. In the next, you say people are gracious enough to wave you through at the same times."
There aren't many people on the course, and the ones that are there are courteous enough to wave me through. I used the word "nobody" as a figure of speech meaning that there were a lot less people on the course at that time. I thought that was easy enough to figure out, so I didn't bother trying to explain it, given that my comment was long enough already. Guess not, so there's your long explanation.
I'm not one that skips around on holes. I'm simply someone who plays quickly. I don't particularly care for the cherry pickers either.
I wave carts through all the time, but not particularly graciously. I can't stand having players run up my ass with their carts.
If you don't like singles playing faster than you, that's your problem, not theirs. It's still common golf etiquette to either let the faster group play through or let them join you.
I can't stand players that aren't particularly respectful of people that play faster than they do, so it looks like we're even, doesn't it?
Correction: There aren't many people on the courses (plural) that I play around here...someday I'll get communication right. Maybe next time I can explain myself better, too.
Carts sre only quicker when one person is playing. A much better way to speen up play would be to encourage "ready golf" where you hit when ready. We play this on tour when playing practice rounds. You can barely keep up.
A slow-playing dumbass is a slow-playing dumbass, whether he's in a cart or walking.
I'd rather walk if given the opportunity. The only time I elect to ride is when I am chasing the sun after work. I wouldn't be in favor of walkable courses mandating riding over walking.
Someone should conduct a scientific study to discover which option truly is quicker. I think it would depend upon the size of the group and the layout of the course.
Golf Tailor:
More than size or layout (which I think are relevant, and I’d add “terrain” since we have a course cut into the side of a ski slope which is almost unwalkable), skill level, knowledge of the rules and playing style (i.e. "ready golf) are probably more important. I’d wager 4 scratch golfers walking will beat four high handicappers in two carts every time. The only possible glitch in that thesis (back to your “layout” issue) is the course’s distance “green to tee”. Many American courses have long jaunts there and carts would make up a lot of time on walkers. At my home course we have distances of 100-300+ yards between some of our holes (especially on the back nine.
I think, given players of similar skill levels, etc, the differences between groups would be negligible, with the same comments about “green to tee” applying.
get a life all nonsense play for fun not timealpine
I have looked over many of the comments and find the arguments rather interesting. However, it seems that most of the comments refer to "their rights" on a golf course and even some feel they have a right to sue a golf course for either making it mandatory to walk or mandatory to ride a cart. I would think that the argument of a golfers rights "their rights" is really completely out of the question since they neither own the course or in many cases, the course are not public courses (when I refer to course as being public I am refering to those courses that are owned by the city or local municipality - not privately owned course open to public play). All other courses are privately owned and therefore have the intrinsic right to publish any stipulations and rules on the players as they see fit. It is not the players option it is the owner of the course option to determine whether it is walked, walked and cart, or just cart. Once the rule is established - then we as players - if we want to play those courses must abide by those rules.
There should be some courses in this country that are walk only and those courses should require caddies when you play those courses. That eliminates the concern of elderly golfers who want to play those courses. As Tiger would attest, there is no greater feeling than hitting your approach shot on a long par 4 or 5 and the only thing you have to carry to the green is your putter. As Ben Hogan used to say: "The greatest walk in golf is a long walk with a putter." If you have never experienced that then you have missed something.
Does that eliminate courses that could require carts? Absolutely not. However, as a professional caddy I can personally attest that the only thing that has made golf a good walk spoiled is a "golf cart" - and if Mark Twain were alive today I think he would agree with me.
So it is not about my right on the golf course - it is the courses right to dictate its rules and we must play within those boundaries. And the simple fact remains - he best courses in the world stay that way when people walk and play. They are better maintained and they play better. Carts don't speed up play, however they do take away from the greater ambiance of the game that we enjoy playing or watching.
So enjoy the game whereever you are but keep in mind - unless you own the course you don't have a right to dictate the rules - they are what they are - and we must play within them.
Let us also consider the red course hosts the Commerce Bank Championship in June, some golfers might want to experience the course the way the pros do and walk!
The game of golf was meant to be played ON FOOT! The only reason golf courses want you to use a riding cart is not for speed of play; rather, the almighty dollar!!!
I think that walking is a tradition for the game of golf and would hate to see courses that only allow carts as a means of travel. It just completely takes an important element completely out of the game. Its fine if you are a player who is attracted to quick games but there are so many who appreciate a real game of golf and do not want to accept anything less as a substitute.
Not to mention the fact that walking is a great physical activity for the body during a golf game and to have that to be eliminated from the game would be a great shame in my opinion.
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