[Joe Bausch]

Is this still GolfClubAtlas or will it shortly be renamed MucciClubAtlas? 

I thought I would take a crack at a new type of thread, and no, you don't have to give 18 answers. 

Having recently played Rolling Green again reminded how much fun it is to use the walking bridge on number 14.  For the new additions to GCA.com, this is a great uphill par 3 and walkers get to cross the chasm on a neat little bridge:



And then last weekend I was reminded of a much different example where walking is so much more fun than riding:  exiting the par 3 3rd hole at Bulle Rock.  If you ride, which I would guess >95% of the people do there, you can't get your cart anywhere close to the green and you must double back using part of the path coming up to the par 5 2nd and wind around to get to the 4th tee.  But, if you have carried you get this relatively short and oh so neat walk through the woods and across a stream on a little elevated footbridge.  I don't have a close-up picture of the walkway, but here is the Google view to show what I mean:



'P' is where you must park your cart.  The thick black line shows the neat little path taken on to the next tee.

There must be all kinds of other examples as good or even better than these where walking is so much more enjoyable.  I'd love to hear about your faves (and pics too if you have them).

[Tom Huckaby]

Sand Hills GC
Mullen, NE

Walking is a LOT more fun than riding.  When one rides, one misses a lot of the green approaches, having to cart around the sides of sand dunes and come in from the back.  One also misses quite a few cool paths from tee to fairway.  Riding is a necessary evil there given the heat and prevalence of playing a LOT of holes in one day... but walking remains a lot more fun.

TH

[Jeff_Mingay]

Cart riders miss out on the great walk between the 12th green and 13th tees at Highlands Links (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia)... a bit of a trek along beautiful Clyburn Brook. Unfortunately I don't have a photo... but, there may be one in Morrissett's profile of Highlands Links here, at GolfClubAtlas.com. I'll have to check!

EDIT:
I just checked. Ran does make reference to the walk from 12 green to 13 tees, at Highlands Links, here: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/capebreton2.html

Carts take a different path, away from the brook, unfortunately.

[Greg Murphy]

Golf exists partly to satisfy the simple joy that comes from thwacking a ball with a stick. But many golfers are drawn as much to the places and spaces where the thwacking takes place as to the thwacking itself, and this includes the places between holes as noted by Jeff. There is no doubt much of the esthetic pleasure of soaking in a golf course is lost on a cart. The 480 yard path at Highlands Links, for example, on a cart, would be nothing to write home about.

Ian Andrew has written a very good article in his blog about "compression and release" on a golf course. Experiences like "compression and release" have really very little to do with the game of golf but are fundamental to the experience of golf courses and their design, and are significantly diminished experiences when riding a cart.

[Dan Herrmann]

I'll be parochial here.  My home course, French Creek's 3rd hole features a Highlands Links-style walking path along French Creek through some woods.  It's really beautiful, although it's only a 125 yard walk.

But for my money, the best example is the path at Highlands Links that Jeff mentioned.  In fact, that whole course is one of the most beautiful I've ever been on.  Plus, you have the wildlife.  Bald Eagles are a very common sighting.

And this isn't an average course with a view.  It's a great course with great views.  Check out Ian Andrews's blog:  http://thecaddyshack.blogspot.com/2006/08/routing-study-highland-links.html

[SPDB]

A perfect example is the 11th hole at The Creek. The hole features an island biarritz green. It is accessible by one wooden footbridge on the right near the 10th fairway, which adjoins the island green on the front right side. You exit the hole on a different foot bridge on the left rear of the greens which deposits you directly on the 12th tee.

If you are carting it you have to drive down the 10th fairway, get out of your cart, walk across the first bridge mentioned above. You then go back across that bridge back to your cart and drive down the 10th, around the 10th tee before reaching the 12th tee. It is a big backtrack. The bridges provide seamless entrance and egress and promotes the natural walking path (even if it is an island).

You should be able to see the birds-eye aerial BY CLICKING HERE

[Joe Bausch]

A perfect example is the 11th hole at The Creek. The hole features an island biarritz green. It is accessible by one wooden footbridge on the right near the 10th fairway, which adjoins the island green on the front right side. You exit the hole on a different foot bridge on the left rear of the greens which deposits you directly on the 12th tee.

If you are carting it you have to drive down the 10th fairway, get out of your cart, walk across the first bridge mentioned above. You then go back across that bridge back to your cart and drive down the 10th, around the 10th tee before reaching the 12th tee. It is a big backtrack. The bridges provide seamless entrance and egress and promotes the natural walking path (even if it is an island).

You should be able to see the birds-eye aerial BY CLICKING HERE

Wow, now that's what I'm talkin' about!  Thanks SPDB.

[Mike_Cirba]

Let me be totally unbiased here and mention the GREAT walk that is Cobb's Creek.

Let me be even more totally unbiased here and mention the GREAT walk that was Cobb's Creek's original routing!   

[Rich Goodale]

Can anybody think of an example where this is not the case?

[Dan Herrmann]

Richard - I can think of 2 Rees Jones courses within 20 miles of my home that are unwalkable - there are no walking routes at Tattersall or Ledgerock.

[Brian Noser]

 
If you take a cart, I am not even sure if you can. But if you do and do not get out to take the walk from 15 to 16 at CPC there is something wrong. This was the best walk to a tee I have ever had, I am not sure a cart would fit under the trees? any way not sure if this is what you are looking for but this was a sweet little trek!

[Doug Sobieski]

Sand Hills GC
Mullen, NE

Walking is a LOT more fun than riding.  When one rides, one misses a lot of the green approaches, having to cart around the sides of sand dunes and come in from the back.  One also misses quite a few cool paths from tee to fairway.  Riding is a necessary evil there given the heat and prevalence of playing a LOT of holes in one day... but walking remains a lot more fun.

TH

Huck:

Thank you! I am going to print this out and put it on my wall for reference the next time you mention that Sand Hills is THE perfect golf course   

When I was there, in two days and 72 holes we were the only group that walked on the entire golf course. I can't imagine how much most people miss by spending the entire time in a cart. That's like going to the Grand Canyon and looking at it from your car in the parking lot.

Sobe

[Scott_Burroughs]

To me, one of the best walks in golf missed by carting it is Tobacco Road (granted, I've never
taken a cart there), as the carts take the player away from walking down the fairways through
the dunes, etc. on holes such as #1, #13, #16, #18 and through/by the waste areas on many others.


Like the bridge at Rolling Green posted above, there is one at the par 3 14th at Charles River in MA:

[Adam Clayman]

Sadly I've never walked SH, but I don't feel as though I missed anything.

[Tom Yost]

I never get to use those cool bridges because, invariably, I am looking for my ball down in the gully   

Tom

[Tom Huckaby]

Sand Hills GC
Mullen, NE

Walking is a LOT more fun than riding.  When one rides, one misses a lot of the green approaches, having to cart around the sides of sand dunes and come in from the back.  One also misses quite a few cool paths from tee to fairway.  Riding is a necessary evil there given the heat and prevalence of playing a LOT of holes in one day... but walking remains a lot more fun.

TH

Huck:

Thank you! I am going to print this out and put it on my wall for reference the next time you mention that Sand Hills is THE perfect golf course   

When I was there, in two days and 72 holes we were the only group that walked on the entire golf course. I can't imagine how much most people miss by spending the entire time in a cart. That's like going to the Grand Canyon and looking at it from your car in the parking lot.

Sobe

\


Sobe - to me this is among the things that makes Sand Hills perfect - it allows carts!  As I said, riding is not the optimal way to play it, but man one is happy to have them for those 2nd and 3rd rounds, or first ones on REALLY hot days.  But my experience both times there was most people walking, only a few in carts late in the day.  If it has moved to most in carts, none walking as you saw it, then I do weep a tear.

Because yes, those who play it only out of a cart are missing a bit.   Adam - you have missed something.  Sorry, it's true.  Next time out, walk.  You'll see.  It's not huge or anything - the course remains very fun out of a cart - it's just a little bit better when one doesn't have to go around all the large dunes.



TH

[Doug Sobieski]

Sobe - to me this is among the things that makes Sand Hills perfect - it allows carts!  As I said, riding is not the optimal way to play it, but man one is happy to have them for those 2nd and 3rd rounds, or first ones on REALLY hot days.

I won't disagree with you. Dammit!  Not everyone is capable of making that walk, so carts give them the opportunity to experience the greatness.

A good friend of mine feels that the greatest athletic accomplishment he's seen is our caddies carrying double for 36 holes x 2 days in 95* heat (I recall you were there a couple days afterward back in 2005, so you might recall the conditions at that time). It was truly heroic.

Sobe

[Dan Herrmann]

BTW - I think that RG bridge must be at least 1000 feet high!  At least it looks that way to a guy with fear of heights

(honestly, though - it's probably 40 or 50 feet high)

[Scott_Burroughs]

Gotta mention Pebble Beach.   Taking a cart at Pebble is sacrilegious, even for the typical cartballer.  Talk about missing out.

[Mike McGuire]

Foursomes at Muirfield was the best walking experience i have had. On a lot of holes from the green your partner heads to the tee while you and your caddie take a path through the fescue to the fairway to hit the next shot.

[Tom Huckaby]

Foursomes at Muirfield was the best walking experience i have had. On a lot of holes from the green your partner heads to the tee while you and your caddie take a path through the fescue to the fairway to hit the next shot.

Mike - agree with that - but before I have a conniption about the loss of purity in this game... please tell me they do not now have carts there....

TH

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()