Every Golf Course Is Walkable

[Eric Smith]

Mike,

Like I said, I'm looking forward to walking the golf course this season and finding out for myself how difficult it really is ( or isn't). My offer still stands for June.

[Ronald Montesano]

Andy T.,

I'm still trying to figure out that 10-13 stretch at Ironbridge...do the holes double back on each other?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Ronald

The Spirit willing alas not the flesh, tell me about it

Unable to walk on the wild side unless you have your bridge to bear your weight (of Problems), hence your Iron Bridge??

[Andy Troeger]

Andy T.,

I'm still trying to figure out that 10-13 stretch at Ironbridge...do the holes double back on each other?

I didn't notice it before, but it appears that they have the #11 sign on the wrong side of the entire group of holes--that's probably causing the confusion. #10 plays as if you were going "down" on the diagram. You then would have #11 as a little par three to the "right" of #10, playing basically toward what is #12 tee. You go way uphill in the cart to get to the next tee, and #12's tee shot plays in the same direction as #10, down on the diagram, but then doglegs at about 90 degrees to the right and you play over a ravine on the second shot. The green is at the very bottom of the diagram. You go back uphill again to #13 tee, then play a really long but really downhill par five going "up" the diagram. The first part of the fairway is parallel to #10 going in the opposite direction, then you have to cross another ravine to get to the rest of the fairway and the green. It measures 600 yards but I think I hit a good drive and a 4-iron on the green and made a birdie. I actually enjoyed all four holes and the course in general, but its a logistical nightmare.

[JNC Lyon]

Eric,

Obviously, Dismal CAN be walked, but it was never DESIGNED to be walked.

Your last photo makes my point. Only the truly hard core are going to walk a course where you have to go mountain climbing. I enjoyed playing Dismal, but I would never consider walking it... and, I'm not a pussy went it comes to walking.

I'm not sure that Dismal wasn't designed to be walked.  All of the tees and greens are close together, and, in many cases, the cart paths provide tortuous routes to get from one place to the next, whereas walking provides a straight and easy path.  The climbs to 17 and 18 (when the tee is up top) are the only difficult green-to-tee treks, but they can be made pretty easily.  There are couple mid-hole walks that are tricky (2 and 6 in particular), but nothing that isn't doable.  Now that I'm a Dismal member, I'm going to lobby even harder for walking paths to the fairway (c'mon C.J., I know it can be done! ).  Regardless, Dismal is not the ideal walking course, but it can be walked.  Plus, the second course (I forget the architect), looks to be very walkable.

[Bill_McBride]

Eric,

Obviously, Dismal CAN be walked, but it was never DESIGNED to be walked.

Your last photo makes my point. Only the truly hard core are going to walk a course where you have to go mountain climbing. I enjoyed playing Dismal, but I would never consider walking it... and, I'm not a pussy went it comes to walking.

Is that two players with their Sherpas?   

[Garland Bayley]

"My favorite part was the hike from the catcher's mitt 12th green (right across the street from the Black Cat fireworks store) up to the 15th tee.  With the clubs on my back, I felt like I was on a hike in New Hampshire.  It was an experience that I'd never had before on a golf course, but it was great.  If we had decided to ride that day, on a course many would proclaim "unwalkable," we would have been robbed of a rich golfing experience."

Is that a typo? Why are you walking from 12 green to 15 tee? Which part of those walks through neighborhoods did you golf? I didn't know New Hampshire was so over populated.

[JNC Lyon]

"My favorite part was the hike from the catcher's mitt 12th green (right across the street from the Black Cat fireworks store) up to the 15th tee.  With the clubs on my back, I felt like I was on a hike in New Hampshire.  It was an experience that I'd never had before on a golf course, but it was great.  If we had decided to ride that day, on a course many would proclaim "unwalkable," we would have been robbed of a rich golfing experience."

Is that a typo? Why are you walking from 12 green to 15 tee? Which part of those walks through neighborhoods did you golf? I didn't know New Hampshire was so over populated.

Garland,

The 12th green at Morgan Hill is at the low point of the property.  13 and 14 play almost continuously uphill, and the 15th tee is set well above the 14th green.  Thus, you are walking constantly uphill from the 12th green through to the 15th tee.  When I wrote, "I felt like I was on a hike in New Hampshire", I wasn't referring to my surrounds.  Rather, I meant that felt winded, was sweating, but still felt refreshed and some sense of accomplishment.  Physically, I felt I had just completed a short mountain hike.  It wasn't overly grueling, and the architecture is so good at Morgan Hill that, combined with a tough climb, I really felt I was on an adventure (despite the suburban surrounds).