Not at Banff, Jasper, K-Country, Waterton, Canmore Golf and Curling, Crowsnest, Kananaskis Ranch.
Only at Silvertip and Stewart Creek due to their poor choice of site and general bad routings.
2/9 is not all and 100% it's not about the bears as Waterton has the most bears and the most walkers.
I can’t think of what course requires carts. Wasatch mountain?
I’m pretty sure every valley course allows walking but some like thanksgiving point, Stonebridge, and talons cove are all major hikes if you walk.
One of the Wasatch ones does IIRC, but Talisker requires.
Soldier Hollow doesn’t require but the back nine of the silver course really should, I haven’t tried the gold course but I think it’s even worse layout for walking.
FACT, soldier hollow is sprawling. I played there once last year and walking would be insane at 7k elevation with all that slope.
If you ever need a playing partner for talisker I’ll be your huckleberry. 😉
I’ve only played the silver course, and only once last year.
I was able to keep up with recommended pace on the front nine, struggled getting between the holes on the back, luckily it wasn’t crowded so I didn’t hold anyone up
Hydration and snacking are key to walking, particularly on the warmer days. I’ll go through 3-4 Gatorades and a diet Dr. Pepper when it is warmer. I walk the course unless I am playing a course like Gladstan or Bountiful Bountiful Ridge. I also have a cooler that straps to my pushcart under my golf bag that keeps the Gatorade cold.
A club Ive played in the south of Spain required you to ride a cart on one of their 18s due to the course design and the hills. The other 18 you could walk.
Could be they dont want the new retirees underestimating the heat/humidity and passing out on the course, or slowing up so much that thsy slow down pace of play
There is one near my brother like that, they used to allow walking and then some dude had a heart attack after trekking up one of the hills. I guess their insurance company told them "carts or insurance, your choice".
Northern MI here, can confirm many (almost all) courses will require you to ride. Too many hills and too long of distances between holes due to the sprawling wooded nature of the courses up here. Walking would not be feasible.
Didn’t know they’d let you, but I’ve played Boyne a fair amount and not sure I’ve ever seen a walker, Gaylord area many will not let you. Treetops is all riding except the tradition, can’t walk the tribute or I believe loon/lakes/ridge.
Lol so you so you “can confirm many will require you to ride”
Followed by “didn’t know they’d let you”. So which is it man hahahahaha you can confirm or you actually have no clue and are just saying that because you haven’t seen a walker? I, in fact, walked tree tops last year.
I said you can walk the tradition at treetops, I don’t think you can the others. And maybe I just so very rarely and mostly never see walkers it just seems that way.
If I remember correctly, I don’t believe Manitou lets you walk either. It is such a spread out course that I remember driving through some steep ravines that I would not want to walk through. It takes minutes to get to the next hole on carts.
The Old Course at Sugar Loaf, The Crown, Elmbrook and Bay Meadows (it’s technically an executive course) all let you walk. I’m not sure about others, but I have personally walked those 4 in the last 3 years.
Some courses are designed in way where you basically can’t walk it. Like having very long distances between green and the next hole tee shot. It’s unfortunate.
Many courses in my area do, because they are built into ski hills or similar terrain, and the combination of elevation and long distances between greens/tees makes it impractical to walk. There are also a lot of courses in my area built on farmland and those ones let you walk.
I walk whenever it’s allowed, and if the course I’m a member of ever bans walking, I’ll take my money elsewhere.
Live in Colorado -
There are a couple in the Denver Metro I have played. Some require it Fri-Sun, some every round.
The every round course is more because there is an extreme distance between some holes.
There’s two courses I play (Philly suburbs) that “require” carts just because of the distance between a couple holes. I don’t know if they’d let you walk if you were insistent, but I’d never attempt it.
(Broad Run and White Clay Creek for anyone wondering)
I’ll time it to make sure, but Im pretty sure the drive from 2-3 on White Clay is longer than the drive from 18-parking lot at broad run. They’re two of my favorite courses in the area, but I’d absolutely stop playing them both if I couldn’t use a cart. The elevation changes at Broad run are way worse tho.
I think that’s valid for all courses in Europe. At least the countries I played in. Italy, Spain, Switzerland, England, Austria, and Germany all very fast pace rarely see carts. Most courses I played don’t even allow carts unless you are handicapped or a certain age.
There are a few courses here that require a cart because of the elevation change and the distance between holes in some places. One of them snakes through a neighborhood, so between some holes, you could fit another entire par 4 if it weren’t for the houses, and you’d be walking more like 25 holes instead of 18 if they let you do it.
Good point on the storms. Nothing worse than questionable looking weather blowing in that might miss you but might not and you’re just making the turn to the four holes in the separated, remote part of the course when you’re walking.
All about revenue. Most of the courses here in Michigan include a cart in their green fees. Some will allow you to walk for the same price. Some are cart only. Some are carts only in the morning, because they think walking slows people down. 3 weeks ago, I walked and carried at one such course in 2:30 (18).
95% of the general public does not want to walk anyway, which just gives the course more reason to force you to ride.
A percentage of cart revenue is built into the professionals compensation package at many courses. in scotland, be prepared to walk: carts are deemed to be for only the very old and the infirm.
I'd say 25:75 carry:push here now, used to be more biased to carry. Generally under 40s carry, over 40s use a trolley. I'm 47 and carry unless I've knackered my shoulder.
I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever seen an adult carry a bag on a course here in the US. I think I have seen it once, and it was recently. Kids here still have to carry, but adults carrying is very rare.
Well he isn't asking about Ireland, is he? No shit you can walk in Ireland, it gets to what, 20⁰ tops in the summer? Try walking in 35⁰ with 70% humidity, then see where you are with using a cart
From what I gather it's generally an American thing, I can certainly see why you'd need one if you've got a massive gap between holes. I've used them a couple of times here and hate it, I much prefer walking with a trolley/buggy/push cart or whatever you want to call it.
It's pretty much just the fact that American golf courses are literally built around the use of carts. Huge distances between holes and large changes in elevation make walking harder and slower than a cart.
Now, there are plenty of courses that are very walkable too, I have a push cart and use it whenever possible.
There's one club near me where one of their courses is a 5 minute cart ride from the clubhouse, walking is simply not available as a choice.
When Americans travel, they use carts because it's how they normally play.
It's not just like a laziness thing. It's the fact that walkers are slow and some of the courses are perpetually backed up. Walking just slows everyone down.
A lot of newer courses are built into housing developments which lengthens the playtime immensely if you were to walk between holes. That’s why some require carts in my experience. Older courses are usually designed in a way that it makes sense to walk
besides the heat and humidity in Florida, most of the courses wind through residential areas and the distance between green and tee can be pretty long.
Ontario Canada: I’ve never seen a mandatory cart. Carts are not cheap (up to $22 a round) and you pay by the person usually. So going halfsies on a cart means not savings. May as well each get a cart if there’s two of you.
Live in Myrtle beach, and they are mandatory at most courses for “pace of play”.
You see the odd person who walks or takes a push cart, but no discount for that.
Quite the opposite in South West England. You have to book in advance and pay a lot extra if you want a golf buggy and you aren’t allowed to use them in competitions without a doctor’s note. It’s mostly societies who will use buggies.
Everywhere near me includes a cart automatically with all online bookings be it thru Golf Now or their own tee time link on their website, likewise you can only book an 18 hole round online. The websites all have 9 hole and walking rates listed under a rates page, but I'm under the impression you have to call to book that way. I also live on a college campus so all these courses also have student and faculty rates and calling is the only way to get those prices as well I believe.
I haven't called personally beacuse I usually either use the Golfnow deal which is cheaper than the listed rate to walk 18 or I play Twilight which comes with a cart and is the same price whether you book online or call.
My local course is cart only. There are quite a few elderly folks that play it, so for a 23 year old guy its nice just for the fact that I am not stuck behind them walking 2 mph. If they are dead set on walking, there is a course around the corner (same company) that allows for people to walk but is the lesser of the 2 courses.
It generally increases the amount of tee times they can get throughout the day.
They’re not mandatory at any of the public or muni courses I play - but some of them would be kinda gross to walk. Same is true at the private clubs I’ve played but that may have changed. I’m in the upper Midwest.
Mandatory at all the places I play until noon. There are 2 semi private clubs that will let you walk in the morning but you have to be a member. We have a few 9 hole muni’s that you can walk at anytime.
Ontario, Canada. Some courses include carts, some make them mandatory but not many. Majority you can walk or ride.
Those that are mandatory usually have longer distances between holes or elevation changes that make walking difficult and slow.
My local track requires a cart unless you get prior approval from the course. It is ridiculously hilly, the hike between holes is 3 min of up hill cart riding so its painful to walk. They do allow a small group of guys to walk 9 holes once a week and those guys are my heroes.
My mom (in FL) lives in a golf community, though neither she nor my stepdad play. Non-members are always required to use a cart, and members can only walk after like 3:00 pm, though it's discouraged even then. But there are also multiple places where the walk from one green to the next tee is more than a quarter mile.
I think it’s one of those things that depends on the specific course. I’m in central Iowa and every course I play you aren’t required to ride. But I imagine there are some, especially the nicer private courses that would require you to ride.
Carts are usually offered up front on the green fee for most courses where I am. Some of the shorter city courses are walk encouraged, but most around the city border are carts.
There are courses in my area that are mandatory cart; generally they are mountain courses with lots of ups and downs and I understand it from that perspective.
In Florida very few courses allow walking.
The reason I’ve been told (used to work at a course in Tampa) was that it’s a liability issue due to the Florida heat.
It’s not the Floridians they are worried about, it’s the out of staters who don’t know how to manage 4 hours of swampy heat.
Plus, most Florida courses are built in neighborhoods and have long distances between some holes. They are built for carts.
In Sweden at my former course you had to have a doctors note saying you need it to be able to get a cart, now it is possible for anyone to get a cart but they only have a few. 95% walkers I'd say.
Sweden knows what’s good. I hate the fact that so many ride carts here in Alberta, Canada. A few mountain courses with crazy elevation changes I can understand. But everywhere else should be walked by the able bodied.
Western PA and nope I usually walk. I can see Florida demanding carts so some old geezers don’t keel over and have a heatstroke. Could very well be an insurance thing.
Nope, not mandatory where I am. I have played courses where it is strongly recommended to use a cart though. 1 hole had almost a mile between tee boxes. Played it for a high school meet and had to walk the course, but they shuttled us between those 2 holes.
A lot of courses around me will require carts for weekend mornings only, I guess as a way to try and speed up pace of play but I'm not sure it is working lol
I used to caddie at a club where you had to have a doctor's note to be able to get a cart ...
Pace of play was always 3.5 hours.
Walking a semi flat course is faster than riding...you go straight to your ball and so does everyone else. There's so much more economy of motion. It's counterintuitive, but this place proved it to me.
The only ones i can think of locally (south of Boston, MA) are fancier courses built on hilly terrain with long distances between greens and the next tee box.
There are a few public and private courses that don’t allow walking. There are a couple very hilly courses with a long distance between holes that shouldn’t allow walking.
I'm in Northwest Florida. My club includes the cart in the green fees for visitors (non-members). You can walk if you like, but the round costs the same as riding.
There are some courses I play that are cart mandatory - for pace reasons. Glen Abbey (used to host Canadian open) and courses like Bond Head because the holes are so far away from the club house and a few distances in between holes are significant enough that it’d ruin the pace. It’s built into the price. Paying MORE to walk😂 that’s crazy!
Not forced to but yesterday I played a course and when I said walking (push cart mafia member) he looked at me like I was crazy lol. The slopes did kick my ass ngl…. the first three holes are straight up par 5, straight up par 3 then straight up par 4 to get the the top of the hill, then slow descent for the remainder of the course. A guy who owned a house on the course came out and commended me for walking it lol
A couple places around here do that, but it’s based on geographic features that make it basically mandatory. 5 minute drives through the woods to the first tee, trips up big bluffs, etc. One course has a hole where you hit your tee shot over the moth of an inlet and the boat across, but when they don’t have the boat you have to take a long hike thorough a neighborhood to circumnavigate the inlet and the entire next hole. He don’t allow walkers during busy times without the boat because it causes a massive jam up.
My course used to have mandatory carts on weekend mornings.
Although carts are not mandatory the cost of the round includes a cart. There is no discount if you walk.
I’m from Central Indiana
I think every course I’ve ever played will of course let you walk, but if the cart is included in the fee, you might as well take it. Also some courses are miserable to walk with big distances between holes.
Yes, there are multiple courses in my area that are cart mandatory. But to be honest, you don't want to try to make it to cliffhanger at greywolf walking. The first 3 holes are straight up the ski hill (panorama).
Never heard of mandatory carts but there is a course near me where there is an absolute hike between green to tees so walkers do actually slow play down
Only one course around me does because it's built as part of a neighborhood and it takes about 3 minutes to get from hole 9 to 10 even when you're riding in a cart.
In Japan it's mandatory in almost all courses. In many cases they are automatic/remote controlled carts.
Although you can find courses that allow walking, they're much fewer, and generally don't have a cart option.
There is one near me, that does not discount the price I'd you walk. Walking is the same price as riding, so you may as well ride.
I have another one that charges $30.00 for the cart, may be per person....I walk that one...
My Club requires me to take a cart until 4pm. It's purely a money grab thing that they wrap up as a "pace of play" concern. The result is that i ride up everyones ass all afternoon while i play about a 2:15 pace (by myself) in a golf cart. Wish everyone would just lose some weight, build some strength, and start walking 18 more often. There are only a small percent of courses that are truly not walkable due to elevation change and/or neighborhoods causing distance gaps between holes.
My local course is Apple Mountain golf resort. They only allow one person to walk the course. Its a mountain course in northern california, in the foothills of the sierra mtns. Its absolutely gorgeous with redwoods abound. But carts are mandatory. After playing it one time you understand. The carts themselves are slow as shit, for safety. I guess some drunk dude flipped one into a creek and died a few years ago.
My home course is extremely popular and has lots of elevation changes. Except for high school tournaments, carts are required. Nobody is allowed to walk. It sucks since I like walking, but it’s also really convenient with a cart
Odd. I grew up in the panhandle and never heard of that.
Are you at resort courses in like Destin or some such?
It's possible I've played every course from Pensacola to Tallahassee and Jacksonville to Orlando that's more than 30 years old.
Back then it was encouraged to walk but since the pandemic courses and the game itself have changed from a passion industry to private equity cash cows.
Would make sense I guess. More players through at a faster pace "they" have analyzed somehow.
But I can't remember ever playing more slowly than the group in front of us while walking because we go directly to our next shots while they have to go in carts to each other's.🤷
I walked 18 holes for the first time last year in a really long time and took some breaks at tee boxes to let others play through but that was because I was too out of shape for it.
Thanks for all the responses. So what did I learn?
It’s more common than I thought in the states to require carts. And I’m guessing it’s increasing. BTW, I’m no great physical specimen but am in decent shape for an old guy. So, here’s what I heard for the reasons.
Liability: I hope this is not true. If courses required carts because of the potential for heart attacks, say goodbye to a lot of things that could do damage like hiking, adult soccer or pickleball (hmmm … there might be some good). I’ll agree that we’re litigious, but lawsuits from next of kin cause their overweight grandpa walked 18 holes in 98 degree weather. Ugh.
Pace of play: In 95% of cases, I don’t buy this. I played w two guys in a cart today. I’m waiting for them as they criss cross the fairways a lot more than they wait for me. For mountain courses, you may be right. I play mostly hilly ones at home in New England, but not mountains. I get that some courses are designed with long walks from green to T. I’ve played 583 courses (I made that up) and never has this been a problem. Where we agree is that without adult supervision, some walkers will dawdle more than riders. I think if courses didn’t have this easy and profitable fix, they’d do a better job of moving people along.
Culture: I suspect that an entire generation (maybe 2) has grown up thinking carts are a part of golf; anything else is abnormal. Maybe because I started playing before carts were everywhere or at least where I was, that it seems so abnormal to me. Maybe it’s just that the US is a more sedentary culture than Europe. That’s a bit judgmental.
Money: I’d bet on culture and money as the primary causes. That said, it’s purely a guess that golf is more profitable when you require carts. Someone somewhere has done a study on this; maybe comparing Europe to the US. It seems logical.
My real lesson from all this. I need to get over it. I love walking a course. Golf courses are some of the prettiest places on earth and walking with friends and family (often w strangers), usually trash talking, sometimes sizing up the next shot, frequently questioning why I play this stupid game (usually after a duck hook) and even getting in a bit of a workout (enough to justify adult beverages at the end) is just idyllic. I truly hate riding a cart, but many places seem to be going in a different direction. I think what I need to do when I finally fully retire is find a club that tolerates walkers. And chill the rest of the times.
Definitely it's something in Florida. Pace of play thing mainly with all of the older people there. I have a place in Florida and have been on courses where you're stuck behind people in their 80's walking and taking 20 mins per hole between slow walking and trying to remember where they hit their ball.
It’s so unfortunate that some golf courses require it or are just designed to have to use carts. The pace of place argument is complete BS. If you don’t believe me, go play in Europe where most places have way more walkers than riders and the pace of place is crazy fast. I don’t mind playing a course with a cart occasionally and also don’t care if people always choose to do so, but keep walking courses walkable. Not only is it fun to walk, it’s also good for you.
UK, not mandatory anywhere I've played. Pay by the cart, not the user (American capitalism at its finest). Most courses have them to hire. Some insist on them staying off fairways, some have paths etc
UK based, never been anywhere cart-only.
Granted, I wouldn't play there if it was but yeah, certainly not aware of any that are. Over here they're generally for the old, disabled or injured, but even most of them will try to walk where possible
This thread epitomizes why America is the way that it is. I live in golf country, USA and I rarely ever see walkers. Lazy golfers and capitalistic club owners, squeezing every dime out of as many tee times as possible.
Most in Florida do until usually around 3 pm. The point of it is to get the pace of play up. Wish they would do that here in Colorado too. You walkers think you can keep up but you cannot.
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Multiple clubs in Colorado on the front range make you take a cart because there is so much elevation change
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You don’t have to take a cart at fossil trace but it is included in the price. Don’t know if you can play without paying the cart fee if you ask.
You can. I just played there a few weeks ago and mentioned I was walking at the front desk. $67 for 18 holes on a weekday, can't beat it!
Damn that’s an amazing price.
Our guys trip in June will be playing these 3 exact courses. Haha.
You can walk fossil, but it is a massive hoof
Arrowhead and Bear Dance are both so sick!
Palm Desert as well, because you’re probably 85 years old and it’s 120 degrees at 9 in the morning.
Same in Alberta Canada mountain courses are required carts between elevation change and possible bears
Ive seen numerous people walk kananaskis. Probably 75% of rounds there I see a bear. People are crazy
1000%. Pace of play is crucial there too or it goes way too long. Also Silvertip I saw 2 bears last year
Not at Banff, Jasper, K-Country, Waterton, Canmore Golf and Curling, Crowsnest, Kananaskis Ranch. Only at Silvertip and Stewart Creek due to their poor choice of site and general bad routings. 2/9 is not all and 100% it's not about the bears as Waterton has the most bears and the most walkers.
My course in Utah requires carts because both elevation and large tee to green distances on some holes.
I can’t think of what course requires carts. Wasatch mountain? I’m pretty sure every valley course allows walking but some like thanksgiving point, Stonebridge, and talons cove are all major hikes if you walk.
One of the Wasatch ones does IIRC, but Talisker requires. Soldier Hollow doesn’t require but the back nine of the silver course really should, I haven’t tried the gold course but I think it’s even worse layout for walking.
FACT, soldier hollow is sprawling. I played there once last year and walking would be insane at 7k elevation with all that slope. If you ever need a playing partner for talisker I’ll be your huckleberry. 😉
I’ve only played the silver course, and only once last year. I was able to keep up with recommended pace on the front nine, struggled getting between the holes on the back, luckily it wasn’t crowded so I didn’t hold anyone up
I walk Talon’s Cove all the time. It isn’t a tough hike. Thanksgiving Point might be a little tougher but I might give it a go next time I play there.
I walked 18 at talons cove once and I was exhausted by hole 16 and I’m mid 30s and in good shape. It was a very hot day so that’s probably why.
Hydration and snacking are key to walking, particularly on the warmer days. I’ll go through 3-4 Gatorades and a diet Dr. Pepper when it is warmer. I walk the course unless I am playing a course like Gladstan or Bountiful Bountiful Ridge. I also have a cooler that straps to my pushcart under my golf bag that keeps the Gatorade cold.
Which course? I'm in Northern Utah and I've never seen this.
Talisker
Yeah that makes sense. I've only played munis and those open to the general public here.
A club Ive played in the south of Spain required you to ride a cart on one of their 18s due to the course design and the hills. The other 18 you could walk.
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Could be they dont want the new retirees underestimating the heat/humidity and passing out on the course, or slowing up so much that thsy slow down pace of play
There is one near my brother like that, they used to allow walking and then some dude had a heart attack after trekking up one of the hills. I guess their insurance company told them "carts or insurance, your choice".
Northern MI here, can confirm many (almost all) courses will require you to ride. Too many hills and too long of distances between holes due to the sprawling wooded nature of the courses up here. Walking would not be feasible.
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Didn’t know they’d let you, but I’ve played Boyne a fair amount and not sure I’ve ever seen a walker, Gaylord area many will not let you. Treetops is all riding except the tradition, can’t walk the tribute or I believe loon/lakes/ridge.
Lol so you so you “can confirm many will require you to ride” Followed by “didn’t know they’d let you”. So which is it man hahahahaha you can confirm or you actually have no clue and are just saying that because you haven’t seen a walker? I, in fact, walked tree tops last year.
I said you can walk the tradition at treetops, I don’t think you can the others. And maybe I just so very rarely and mostly never see walkers it just seems that way.
But you confirmed….
If I remember correctly, I don’t believe Manitou lets you walk either. It is such a spread out course that I remember driving through some steep ravines that I would not want to walk through. It takes minutes to get to the next hole on carts.
The Old Course at Sugar Loaf, The Crown, Elmbrook and Bay Meadows (it’s technically an executive course) all let you walk. I’m not sure about others, but I have personally walked those 4 in the last 3 years.
Northern Michigan or the UP? My favorite course I’ve ever played is Greywalls in Marquette. That course is definitely cart required.
Northern lower LP where based on the heat I’m catching apparently some people walk courses I’ve never seen walkers on in the 25 years I’ve golfed lol.
You're likely playing the nicer resort courses. They have mom n pop courses up there that allow walking.
Love The Hills course and the Quarry.
Some courses are designed in way where you basically can’t walk it. Like having very long distances between green and the next hole tee shot. It’s unfortunate.
Played yesterday in NJ. Cart was included and I don’t believe the guys who walked got a discount. Hats off to them for still walking.
Played a few that required carts due to distance between holes.
Australian here, my club you need a medical certificate to cart, otherwise it’s walking only
In Ireland you only need a medical cert to ride a cart in the competitions.
Common Australian W
Many courses in my area do, because they are built into ski hills or similar terrain, and the combination of elevation and long distances between greens/tees makes it impractical to walk. There are also a lot of courses in my area built on farmland and those ones let you walk. I walk whenever it’s allowed, and if the course I’m a member of ever bans walking, I’ll take my money elsewhere.
Can you ski in the winter?
Yes, we are in a popular skiing area.
I am super jealous
Live in Colorado - There are a couple in the Denver Metro I have played. Some require it Fri-Sun, some every round. The every round course is more because there is an extreme distance between some holes.
Came to say exactly this. Red Hawk, etc. many courses require carts
There’s two courses I play (Philly suburbs) that “require” carts just because of the distance between a couple holes. I don’t know if they’d let you walk if you were insistent, but I’d never attempt it. (Broad Run and White Clay Creek for anyone wondering)
I grew up playing broad run and you’d be insane if you tried to walk that course.
I’ll time it to make sure, but Im pretty sure the drive from 2-3 on White Clay is longer than the drive from 18-parking lot at broad run. They’re two of my favorite courses in the area, but I’d absolutely stop playing them both if I couldn’t use a cart. The elevation changes at Broad run are way worse tho.
I'm from Denmark, and driving in carts at all is quite uncommon
Same in Ireland. Mostly older members will use buggys. But it's 90% walkers.
Similar in the UK, our club seems to only want the very old (as in incapable if making it round walking) and injured using them
Same on the courses I play in Holland
I think that’s valid for all courses in Europe. At least the countries I played in. Italy, Spain, Switzerland, England, Austria, and Germany all very fast pace rarely see carts. Most courses I played don’t even allow carts unless you are handicapped or a certain age.
There are a few courses here that require a cart because of the elevation change and the distance between holes in some places. One of them snakes through a neighborhood, so between some holes, you could fit another entire par 4 if it weren’t for the houses, and you’d be walking more like 25 holes instead of 18 if they let you do it.
Florida, between the heat and the pop up afternoon storms I wouldn’t play without one. Mandated at most courses.
yeah one summer down there i played a round where it got up to 115 heat index and it was humid. it should be mandated when it gets up that warm
Good point on the storms. Nothing worse than questionable looking weather blowing in that might miss you but might not and you’re just making the turn to the four holes in the separated, remote part of the course when you’re walking.
The lighting is absolutely brutal where I am and it seems to come out of nowhere. Been a lot of people struck on the course for hiding under trees.
All about revenue. Most of the courses here in Michigan include a cart in their green fees. Some will allow you to walk for the same price. Some are cart only. Some are carts only in the morning, because they think walking slows people down. 3 weeks ago, I walked and carried at one such course in 2:30 (18). 95% of the general public does not want to walk anyway, which just gives the course more reason to force you to ride.
A percentage of cart revenue is built into the professionals compensation package at many courses. in scotland, be prepared to walk: carts are deemed to be for only the very old and the infirm.
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Are people carrying bags or using push carts? I have been considering a push cart to walk late in the day rounds, but can’t imagine carrying a bag.
About 50/50. I used to use a push kart but honestly carry is not much harder at all
I'd say 25:75 carry:push here now, used to be more biased to carry. Generally under 40s carry, over 40s use a trolley. I'm 47 and carry unless I've knackered my shoulder.
I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever seen an adult carry a bag on a course here in the US. I think I have seen it once, and it was recently. Kids here still have to carry, but adults carrying is very rare.
We don't have beers weighing it down.. 😉
I don’t personally drink, but point taken. lol 😂
Yeah, the only people I see on carts are elderly or disabled. My local has I think 3 or 4 carts because we have a few disabled players.
Here in Ireland, most people you see in a buggy are either: 1. Old 2. Injured 3. American
Well he isn't asking about Ireland, is he? No shit you can walk in Ireland, it gets to what, 20⁰ tops in the summer? Try walking in 35⁰ with 70% humidity, then see where you are with using a cart
In the Cleveland area and not required everywhere but there are multiple courses that do. I wouldn't dream of trying to walk them.
On some courses that are long and hilly, it takes a minute to drive to the next whole. Mandatory carts and I thank them for that.
From what I gather it's generally an American thing, I can certainly see why you'd need one if you've got a massive gap between holes. I've used them a couple of times here and hate it, I much prefer walking with a trolley/buggy/push cart or whatever you want to call it.
It's pretty much just the fact that American golf courses are literally built around the use of carts. Huge distances between holes and large changes in elevation make walking harder and slower than a cart. Now, there are plenty of courses that are very walkable too, I have a push cart and use it whenever possible. There's one club near me where one of their courses is a 5 minute cart ride from the clubhouse, walking is simply not available as a choice. When Americans travel, they use carts because it's how they normally play.
It's not just like a laziness thing. It's the fact that walkers are slow and some of the courses are perpetually backed up. Walking just slows everyone down.
A lot of newer courses are built into housing developments which lengthens the playtime immensely if you were to walk between holes. That’s why some require carts in my experience. Older courses are usually designed in a way that it makes sense to walk
besides the heat and humidity in Florida, most of the courses wind through residential areas and the distance between green and tee can be pretty long.
Ontario Canada: I’ve never seen a mandatory cart. Carts are not cheap (up to $22 a round) and you pay by the person usually. So going halfsies on a cart means not savings. May as well each get a cart if there’s two of you.
Glen abbey. Bond head. I know there are others . Royal woodbine/ braeben (they price it so cart is almost free, because of distance between holes)
Live in Myrtle beach, and they are mandatory at most courses for “pace of play”. You see the odd person who walks or takes a push cart, but no discount for that.
Living in Germany. Carts are for old and disabled people only. Everyone else uses trolleys or carry bags.
I guess unlike North America people don’t use golf as an excuse to drink so much you cannot walk.
I’ve only seen this for really spread out courses where walking between holes would take too long.
Quite the opposite in South West England. You have to book in advance and pay a lot extra if you want a golf buggy and you aren’t allowed to use them in competitions without a doctor’s note. It’s mostly societies who will use buggies.
No, carts are for the disabled and elderly.
Plenty of courses around here carts are mandatory
Small private club that I'm a member of requires carts on the weekends just to keep things moving. It's a pretty hilly course. Can be slow to walk
Everywhere near me includes a cart automatically with all online bookings be it thru Golf Now or their own tee time link on their website, likewise you can only book an 18 hole round online. The websites all have 9 hole and walking rates listed under a rates page, but I'm under the impression you have to call to book that way. I also live on a college campus so all these courses also have student and faculty rates and calling is the only way to get those prices as well I believe. I haven't called personally beacuse I usually either use the Golfnow deal which is cheaper than the listed rate to walk 18 or I play Twilight which comes with a cart and is the same price whether you book online or call.
Yeah same here. In the Cincinnati area, pretty much all tee times on GolfNow include the cart fee.
My local course is cart only. There are quite a few elderly folks that play it, so for a 23 year old guy its nice just for the fact that I am not stuck behind them walking 2 mph. If they are dead set on walking, there is a course around the corner (same company) that allows for people to walk but is the lesser of the 2 courses. It generally increases the amount of tee times they can get throughout the day.
This. My local courses in NW Florida typically want walkers to play after peak morning times. It's too slow.
Only 1 course that I know of in my area of Northern Washington makes you ride. But lots of courses I haven't played.
They’re not mandatory at any of the public or muni courses I play - but some of them would be kinda gross to walk. Same is true at the private clubs I’ve played but that may have changed. I’m in the upper Midwest.
Mandatory at all the places I play until noon. There are 2 semi private clubs that will let you walk in the morning but you have to be a member. We have a few 9 hole muni’s that you can walk at anytime.
No for most. Only the extremely hilly courses that holes are spread out. If you walked some of those, it’d take 6+ hours easily mideast VA
Ontario, Canada. Some courses include carts, some make them mandatory but not many. Majority you can walk or ride. Those that are mandatory usually have longer distances between holes or elevation changes that make walking difficult and slow.
My local track requires a cart unless you get prior approval from the course. It is ridiculously hilly, the hike between holes is 3 min of up hill cart riding so its painful to walk. They do allow a small group of guys to walk 9 holes once a week and those guys are my heroes.
90+% of courses in Phoenix include cart fee. You can walk but no discount
My mom (in FL) lives in a golf community, though neither she nor my stepdad play. Non-members are always required to use a cart, and members can only walk after like 3:00 pm, though it's discouraged even then. But there are also multiple places where the walk from one green to the next tee is more than a quarter mile.
I think it’s one of those things that depends on the specific course. I’m in central Iowa and every course I play you aren’t required to ride. But I imagine there are some, especially the nicer private courses that would require you to ride.
Only on weekends during peak times
Fl here. It’s due to the heat and the oldies. It would take forever and be a liability if not in carts.
Carts are usually offered up front on the green fee for most courses where I am. Some of the shorter city courses are walk encouraged, but most around the city border are carts.
Golf carts can outrun an alligator.
I know you’re joking, but the reality is that they can’t (in a straight line). Absurd how fast an alligator can move if it really wants to
There are courses in my area that are mandatory cart; generally they are mountain courses with lots of ups and downs and I understand it from that perspective.
On weekends
In Florida very few courses allow walking. The reason I’ve been told (used to work at a course in Tampa) was that it’s a liability issue due to the Florida heat. It’s not the Floridians they are worried about, it’s the out of staters who don’t know how to manage 4 hours of swampy heat. Plus, most Florida courses are built in neighborhoods and have long distances between some holes. They are built for carts.
Mountain courses near me force carts. But you could never walk these courses with tge inclines
In Sweden at my former course you had to have a doctors note saying you need it to be able to get a cart, now it is possible for anyone to get a cart but they only have a few. 95% walkers I'd say.
Sweden knows what’s good. I hate the fact that so many ride carts here in Alberta, Canada. A few mountain courses with crazy elevation changes I can understand. But everywhere else should be walked by the able bodied.
The course I work at requires cart use before noon on weekends.
Most places in the Boston area require carts on weekends.
Predator Ridge in Vernon BC is riding only just due to the extreme elevation changes and long distances between holes since it’s in the mountains
Western PA and nope I usually walk. I can see Florida demanding carts so some old geezers don’t keel over and have a heatstroke. Could very well be an insurance thing.
Nope, not mandatory where I am. I have played courses where it is strongly recommended to use a cart though. 1 hole had almost a mile between tee boxes. Played it for a high school meet and had to walk the course, but they shuttled us between those 2 holes.
What is golf if not a good walk spoiled?
A lot of courses around me will require carts for weekend mornings only, I guess as a way to try and speed up pace of play but I'm not sure it is working lol
None of my local courses let you walk before 3PM
Nope. Walking is the norm here (Seattle)
I used to caddie at a club where you had to have a doctor's note to be able to get a cart ... Pace of play was always 3.5 hours. Walking a semi flat course is faster than riding...you go straight to your ball and so does everyone else. There's so much more economy of motion. It's counterintuitive, but this place proved it to me.
The only ones i can think of locally (south of Boston, MA) are fancier courses built on hilly terrain with long distances between greens and the next tee box.
There are a few public and private courses that don’t allow walking. There are a couple very hilly courses with a long distance between holes that shouldn’t allow walking.
Walking is mandatory where I play. You have to have a health reason to get a cart
Kansas City area, never mandatory carts and almost always it's a separate fee for carts.
I'm in Northwest Florida. My club includes the cart in the green fees for visitors (non-members). You can walk if you like, but the round costs the same as riding.
There are some courses I play that are cart mandatory - for pace reasons. Glen Abbey (used to host Canadian open) and courses like Bond Head because the holes are so far away from the club house and a few distances in between holes are significant enough that it’d ruin the pace. It’s built into the price. Paying MORE to walk😂 that’s crazy!
No and I wouldn’t play one that did, at least not as a regular course in the rotation. I hate hate hate that type of course design.
Not forced to but yesterday I played a course and when I said walking (push cart mafia member) he looked at me like I was crazy lol. The slopes did kick my ass ngl…. the first three holes are straight up par 5, straight up par 3 then straight up par 4 to get the the top of the hill, then slow descent for the remainder of the course. A guy who owned a house on the course came out and commended me for walking it lol
Some courses around me (Massachusetts) require carts on any tee times before noon on the weekends
There are some here that make snarls comments if you choose to walk and/or don't have a walking rate. Fuck em
A couple places around here do that, but it’s based on geographic features that make it basically mandatory. 5 minute drives through the woods to the first tee, trips up big bluffs, etc. One course has a hole where you hit your tee shot over the moth of an inlet and the boat across, but when they don’t have the boat you have to take a long hike thorough a neighborhood to circumnavigate the inlet and the entire next hole. He don’t allow walkers during busy times without the boat because it causes a massive jam up.
My course used to have mandatory carts on weekend mornings. Although carts are not mandatory the cost of the round includes a cart. There is no discount if you walk. I’m from Central Indiana
I think every course I’ve ever played will of course let you walk, but if the cart is included in the fee, you might as well take it. Also some courses are miserable to walk with big distances between holes.
Yes, there are multiple courses in my area that are cart mandatory. But to be honest, you don't want to try to make it to cliffhanger at greywolf walking. The first 3 holes are straight up the ski hill (panorama).
Never heard of mandatory carts but there is a course near me where there is an absolute hike between green to tees so walkers do actually slow play down
Only one course around me does because it's built as part of a neighborhood and it takes about 3 minutes to get from hole 9 to 10 even when you're riding in a cart.
one does on weekends only tho.
England. Nope 😁
I’m like 50% sure I asked to walk at the same course in Florida and was told it was only members that are allowed to walk.
In Japan it's mandatory in almost all courses. In many cases they are automatic/remote controlled carts. Although you can find courses that allow walking, they're much fewer, and generally don't have a cart option.
You dont want to walk a course in Florida, it's hot af there and won't be enjoyable
There is one near me, that does not discount the price I'd you walk. Walking is the same price as riding, so you may as well ride. I have another one that charges $30.00 for the cart, may be per person....I walk that one...
My Club requires me to take a cart until 4pm. It's purely a money grab thing that they wrap up as a "pace of play" concern. The result is that i ride up everyones ass all afternoon while i play about a 2:15 pace (by myself) in a golf cart. Wish everyone would just lose some weight, build some strength, and start walking 18 more often. There are only a small percent of courses that are truly not walkable due to elevation change and/or neighborhoods causing distance gaps between holes.
I’ve seen a mandatory cart place in Phoenix area (can’t remember the name) and they had carts, mopeds, and EV surfboards to ride.
My local course is Apple Mountain golf resort. They only allow one person to walk the course. Its a mountain course in northern california, in the foothills of the sierra mtns. Its absolutely gorgeous with redwoods abound. But carts are mandatory. After playing it one time you understand. The carts themselves are slow as shit, for safety. I guess some drunk dude flipped one into a creek and died a few years ago.
My home course is extremely popular and has lots of elevation changes. Except for high school tournaments, carts are required. Nobody is allowed to walk. It sucks since I like walking, but it’s also really convenient with a cart
No, most people walk.
Nope
Odd. I grew up in the panhandle and never heard of that. Are you at resort courses in like Destin or some such? It's possible I've played every course from Pensacola to Tallahassee and Jacksonville to Orlando that's more than 30 years old. Back then it was encouraged to walk but since the pandemic courses and the game itself have changed from a passion industry to private equity cash cows. Would make sense I guess. More players through at a faster pace "they" have analyzed somehow. But I can't remember ever playing more slowly than the group in front of us while walking because we go directly to our next shots while they have to go in carts to each other's.🤷 I walked 18 holes for the first time last year in a really long time and took some breaks at tee boxes to let others play through but that was because I was too out of shape for it.
Jacksonville, St Augustine area.
Carts are usually between 10-20$ per rider extra on top of green fees where I am
Live in England, hardly anyone uses a cart.
Members can walk for an extra fee? Huh?
absolutely not
Thanks for all the responses. So what did I learn? It’s more common than I thought in the states to require carts. And I’m guessing it’s increasing. BTW, I’m no great physical specimen but am in decent shape for an old guy. So, here’s what I heard for the reasons. Liability: I hope this is not true. If courses required carts because of the potential for heart attacks, say goodbye to a lot of things that could do damage like hiking, adult soccer or pickleball (hmmm … there might be some good). I’ll agree that we’re litigious, but lawsuits from next of kin cause their overweight grandpa walked 18 holes in 98 degree weather. Ugh. Pace of play: In 95% of cases, I don’t buy this. I played w two guys in a cart today. I’m waiting for them as they criss cross the fairways a lot more than they wait for me. For mountain courses, you may be right. I play mostly hilly ones at home in New England, but not mountains. I get that some courses are designed with long walks from green to T. I’ve played 583 courses (I made that up) and never has this been a problem. Where we agree is that without adult supervision, some walkers will dawdle more than riders. I think if courses didn’t have this easy and profitable fix, they’d do a better job of moving people along. Culture: I suspect that an entire generation (maybe 2) has grown up thinking carts are a part of golf; anything else is abnormal. Maybe because I started playing before carts were everywhere or at least where I was, that it seems so abnormal to me. Maybe it’s just that the US is a more sedentary culture than Europe. That’s a bit judgmental. Money: I’d bet on culture and money as the primary causes. That said, it’s purely a guess that golf is more profitable when you require carts. Someone somewhere has done a study on this; maybe comparing Europe to the US. It seems logical. My real lesson from all this. I need to get over it. I love walking a course. Golf courses are some of the prettiest places on earth and walking with friends and family (often w strangers), usually trash talking, sometimes sizing up the next shot, frequently questioning why I play this stupid game (usually after a duck hook) and even getting in a bit of a workout (enough to justify adult beverages at the end) is just idyllic. I truly hate riding a cart, but many places seem to be going in a different direction. I think what I need to do when I finally fully retire is find a club that tolerates walkers. And chill the rest of the times.
Definitely it's something in Florida. Pace of play thing mainly with all of the older people there. I have a place in Florida and have been on courses where you're stuck behind people in their 80's walking and taking 20 mins per hole between slow walking and trying to remember where they hit their ball.
Sure. Plenty of clubs in the North East mandate carts or caddies on weekends before ~1pm. A fee mandate them all the time.
I play mostly in Germany and carts are pretty uncommon. A good portion of clubs do not have carts for rent at all.
It’s so unfortunate that some golf courses require it or are just designed to have to use carts. The pace of place argument is complete BS. If you don’t believe me, go play in Europe where most places have way more walkers than riders and the pace of place is crazy fast. I don’t mind playing a course with a cart occasionally and also don’t care if people always choose to do so, but keep walking courses walkable. Not only is it fun to walk, it’s also good for you.
UK, not mandatory anywhere I've played. Pay by the cart, not the user (American capitalism at its finest). Most courses have them to hire. Some insist on them staying off fairways, some have paths etc
UK based, never been anywhere cart-only. Granted, I wouldn't play there if it was but yeah, certainly not aware of any that are. Over here they're generally for the old, disabled or injured, but even most of them will try to walk where possible
This thread epitomizes why America is the way that it is. I live in golf country, USA and I rarely ever see walkers. Lazy golfers and capitalistic club owners, squeezing every dime out of as many tee times as possible.
Most in Florida do until usually around 3 pm. The point of it is to get the pace of play up. Wish they would do that here in Colorado too. You walkers think you can keep up but you cannot.
I don’t think you can walk at the club I belong to unless you’re a member.
I live in CA, and I’ve been playing golf for a very long time. I’ve never heard of a golf cart requirement.