Mulch Cart Paths

[Pete Garvey]

Has anyone seen a mulch cart path?  Does it look good?  What happens when it rains?  Does it eventually rot?  Pine or hardwood?  All this seems like a disaster to me!

I'm not fond of cart paths and would rather not see them at all but let's be honest, in some areas, cart paths are needed to help get the carts through low, wet areas.  

Everyone's input please!

[M. Shea Sweeney]

Pete-

They are much better than I thought--I noticed that they can be a problem if you lay the mulch for a path going up hill.

They look alot better than most cart paths and ultimatley work ok.

[Mike McGuire]

They tried it at a private club in Wisconsin - Hidden Glen (P.B. Dye 2000).  It does look OK, and balls don't turn into superballs when they land on it, but it was too much maintenance so they took out the mulch and put in asphalt. Not a lot of rounds played on it either. I would not do it if it was my call. The super wanted just turf.

[Darren deMaille]

Mulch paths are good for certain areas only, costly to maintain, and bad in certain climates.  The average golfer is an idiot and should be hand held around the course.  Unfortunatly paths and ropes should be used at most places.  Mulch paths wear quickly providing way too much gray area.  

[Trey Kemp]

I have seen them used at several places and they do okay if there is not a lot of traffic.  I think a better alternative is decomosed granite.  It also looks natural and appears to have less maintenance than mulch.