[Scott_Burroughs]

Walkability of a course depends on 3 main factors, IMO:

-fitness level
-lack of physical ailment/injury
-attitude

If most or all of these are 'positive', then almost anything is walkable.  There were a bunch of courses listed in this thread that I've walked, a few multiple times, such as Tobacco Road (walked all 6 or 7 times) and TPC-WP (last 10 times).

I'd certainly list Kapalua (Plantation) up there on the list, though it is 'walkable' to a point.  I walked it the 'Mercedes way', my wife drove the cart ('caddied'), while I walked all of it except for from 5 to 6, 8 to green and 9 to 10, as they do in the Mercedes.  If given the choice between only walking and carrying and riding, I'd walk and carry it.

I'd walk Stone Eagle in a heartbeat if the temperature were below 90.

Lederach?  The Black?  Never enterred my mind as tough walks.

[John Moore II]

Scott-I have walked Tobacco Road as well. It depends on temperature really. Walking when its 95 degrees with no breeze is not what I call fun, and I at least TRY to have fun on the golf course. When I played Wakefield, it was a week after the Rex Open and the temperature that day was around 97. Plus, I was playing with two guys that were riding. Nearly every course IS walkable, just not so much sensibly.

[Garland Bayley]

Kalen--I just have to make sure I don't get TOO worn out, my wedding is the next day
I am changing my fitness (lack thereof) regemine now.

There is that to think about as well.

Its up to you ..... Start working the stair stepper and the treadmill on the steepest setting you can adjust it to!!   

Mr. Moore,

Please note that when Kalen posts pictures of cream puff walkable courses, he always forgets and leaves the cart he has hired in at least one of the pictures.

Your green fee and $100 are assured.

[Garland Bayley]

We have a hard to walk course here in the Portland area called Persimmon. I suspect it is similar to Kalen's South Mountain. I am not sure it was built for golf, but rather it was built to ride a cart up steep hills to get great views of the Cascade Mt. peaks. I walked it Monday in 90 degree heat. Black Mesa is a walk in the park by comparison. However, compared to real walking courses, Black Mesa does have some long green to tee walks no matter what Jay mis-remembers.

[Sean_A]

Walkability of a course depends on 3 main factors, IMO:

-fitness level
-lack of physical ailment/injury
-attitude

If most or all of these are 'positive', then almost anything is walkable.  There were a bunch of courses listed in this thread that I've walked, a few multiple times, such as Tobacco Road (walked all 6 or 7 times) and TPC-WP (last 10 times).

I'd certainly list Kapalua (Plantation) up there on the list, though it is 'walkable' to a point.  I walked it the 'Mercedes way', my wife drove the cart ('caddied'), while I walked all of it except for from 5 to 6, 8 to green and 9 to 10, as they do in the Mercedes.  If given the choice between only walking and carrying and riding, I'd walk and carry it.

I'd walk Stone Eagle in a heartbeat if the temperature were below 90.

Lederach?  The Black?  Never enterred my mind as tough walks.

Scott

I have walked The Road many times as well.  The question for me is does the walk hurt the experience cuz I don't think there is any such thing as a non walkable course.  There are plenty of freaks that are prepared to walk anything.  For me, the walk at The Road definitely drags down the experience.  I can't imagine how bored I would be walking around Lederach.  Its not as if looking at dopey houses is a thrill. 

Ciao

[Voytek Wilczak]

Any course in Scotland when the horizontal rain bends the tall grass, the flags, and your resolve.

[Andy Troeger]

However, compared to real walking courses, Black Mesa does have some long green to tee walks no matter what Jay mis-remembers.

Garland,
I will give you that Black Mesa has a couple HARD tee to green walks (11 to 12, 7 to , but I wouldn't consider any of them particularly long. Which ones did you have in mind? The length of tee to green walks isn't remotely what makes the walk difficult, but no its not a classic walk-five-feet-to-the-next-tee design by any means if that's all you meant.

[Garland Bayley]

However, compared to real walking courses, Black Mesa does have some long green to tee walks no matter what Jay mis-remembers.

Garland,
...a classic walk-five-feet-to-the-next-tee ...

That's an exaggeration, but it captures the idea of "real walking courses".

[Andy Troeger]

What would this site be without a little hyperbole 

[Dan_Callahan]

Stonehouse would be a nightmare to walk. The combination of hills and mileage from green to tee would make for a very, very long round.

[Scott_Burroughs]

My criteria above were factors at a personal level....what forms your opinions about walkability in general.  Certainly extreme heat is a health concern, though fitness level (mostly) can determine what is 'too hot' for each person.


This probably doesn't help my case of pleading sanity, but I've walked both Stonehouse and Royal New Kent my one time around each.     And for each, it was my 2nd round of the day.

Sean,

I think Tobacco Road is a 'blast' to walk.  I couldn't fathom taking a cart and missing the walks through the dunes and other features on holes such as #1, #13,#15, #16 to name a few. 

[Ian Andrew]

Sanctuary
Dismal River
Kapalua Plantation
Wolf Creek
Highland Links

Highland Links - I don't agree - I've walked it 4 times now.

I'll admit it's along way by length but works well by grade.

Short sharp climbs up to tees - made for a cart or sherpa - are what seems to get me

[John Moore II]

Scott--Your new home at Olde Liberty is not exactly a walkers course either. How is the re-grow-in going by the way?

[Mike_Cirba]

Zowie, I can't believe I forgot to mention Lederach.  I think it is walkable, but I wouldn't dream of doing so.  Even so, Lederach is a very good course on the same level as Tobacco Road - maybe better.  Get out there and see it!

Ciao

Sean,

I've walked Lederach a number of times...it's really not a bad haul.

I do agree with your laudatory assessment, however. 


Of the courses I've played where I really wouldn't want to have to walk, Sutton Bay stands out to me as the best.

It's walkable, but....

I must admit that the other serious contenders...Royal New Kent and Kapalua..i've yet to play.   Hope to rectify the first omission sometime this year.

[Thomas MacWood]

Sanctuary
Dismal River
Kapalua Plantation
Wolf Creek
Highland Links

Highland Links - I don't agree - I've walked it 4 times now.

I'll admit it's along way by length but works well by grade.

Short sharp climbs up to tees - made for a cart or sherpa - are what seems to get me

I agree with Ian. Cape Breton might be one the best walks in all of golf. My wife, who doesn't even play golf, was mesmerized. The long walks were more adventure than challenge. For years they had no carts and cartpaths...I was very disapointed when they made that change.

[Sean_A]

Well Scott and Mike C, to each is own spose.  I reckon when I am playing golf I want to hit shots rather than walk around houses, roads, through dirty waste areas etc.  The extra walking has to provide something of value and this is very rarely the case for me at The Road and especially Lederach. 

Still, I like both courses very much and I could be persuaded to walk The Road again.  In fact, I have never carted the Road, but I was in pure jealousy land when I saw JakaB with his caddie.  It was like the man found a pot of chocolate.  I am surprised the place doesn't offer a caddie service because I think many resorters would use it. 

However, there is no chance of me walking at Lederach.  One can see the course fine from a cart as its mostly open vistas and I am sure the walk would put me in a surly mood anyway.  Besides, I don't think there is an incentive to walk, the price is the same either way - I think.  When we asked Kelly if it was a walking place he flat out said "no".  That was good enough advice for me.  Shit, getting to the first tee on legs would have pissed me off! 

This business about taking a cart 1 mile to the first tee is just unfathamable to me.  What the hell is going on out there with archies?

Ciao

[Garland Bayley]

... I was in pure jealousy land when I saw JakaB with his caddie. ...

Was he making his wife carry his clubs for him again?
 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Mayacama is walking only and Chambers Bay also walking only  is not an easy walk either.

[Pete_Pittock]

Haworth's Jade Dragon Snow in Yunnan, China 8500 yds, 10,000 elevation
Kidd's Gokarna Forest in Nepal

Garland,
Three others in Oregon - Awbrey Glen, Brasada Ranch, Oregon Club

Chambers Nay - I made it at 63 and seriously out of shape. Not bad because there is a lot of recovery times between climbs

[Scott_Burroughs]

Sean,

Therein lies the difference.  Who cares if the course has houses protruding?  What does that have to do with the decision to walk?  Golf=walking, so what do houses have to do with the decision?

Also, if a course allows walking, I don't care if it's the same price to ride.  I'm just glad they're letting me walk.   Taking a cart would only make the round worse anyways, so why would I want to take it?  I'd pay extra to walk, which brings me to.....courses where the option is walk w/caddies or cart it, taking a caddie is far more expensive than  taking a cart.  Though I couldn't have this option on a home course, I'd go broke.


You don't like walking through the waste areas at TR?  Guess you wouldn't like playing Pine Valley, either.  I can think of several other great courses with lots of waste areas also.

Scott--Your new home at Olde Liberty is not exactly a walkers course either.

You're right, it is not a good walking course, and it's worse for the wife and kids (the sizable ravines required to hit over were also terrible for the wife and kids), so that's why I'm no longer a member there.  I did walk the 5+ rounds I played there.  My new club has an additional 9-hole walking-only family course perfect for them.  The main course isn't a great walking course, but it's not as bad as you might think, since you can cut a few of the walks down by crossing the road instead of taking the tunnels.  A lot more money, though.  It was a big decision.

[Sean_A]

Sean,

Therein lies the difference.  Who cares if the course has houses protruding?  What does that have to do with the decision to walk?  Golf=walking, so what do houses have to do with the decision?

Also, if a course allows walking, I don't care if it's the same price to ride.  I'm just glad they're letting me walk.   Taking a cart would only make the round worse anyways, so why would I want to take it?  I'd pay extra to walk, which brings me to.....courses where the option is walk w/caddies or cart it, taking a caddie is far more expensive than  taking a cart.  Though I couldn't have this option on a home course, I'd go broke.


You don't like walking through the waste areas at TR?  Guess you wouldn't like playing Pine Valley, either.  I can think of several other great courses with lots of waste areas also.

Scott--Your new home at Olde Liberty is not exactly a walkers course either.

You're right, it is not a good walking course, and it's worse for the wife and kids (the sizable ravines required to hit over were also terrible for the wife and kids), so that's why I'm no longer a member there.  I did walk the 5+ rounds I played there.  My new club has an additional 9-hole walking-only family course perfect for them.  The main course isn't a great walking course, but it's not as bad as you might think, since you can cut a few of the walks down by crossing the road instead of taking the tunnels.  A lot more money, though.  It was a big decision.

Scott

I care if houses are protuding on the course because it means a longer walk.  This detracts from the game at hand and from my visual enjoyment.  As I said before, any extra walking away from where my balls goes needs a good explanation.  Housing, roads etc don't contribute to my well being on a course and they therefore vex me.  For instance, I would never, ever be a member of Lederach or The Road because the walk is far less than ideal even though I like both courses and think they are both very good.  They just aren't for weekly consumption as far as I am concerned because of the awkward routings which require unnecessary walking so far as the golf is concerned. 

Who knows, maybe I wouldn't like the walk at Pine Valley.  Maybe I will get the chance to find out. 

Its fine that you don't mind walking walking these types of courses.  In fact, in many ways you are lucky.  I too am lucky - I don't have to play this sort of stuff every week.  It all works out in the end.

Ciao

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