The walking golfer is bad for the course?

[Bill Seitz]

The club to which I belonged in CA provided seed mix tubes for walkers. They conveniently clip to a bag and barely seem to add weight. Here is a photo that looks just like  the ones we used (found by google search for seed mix tube). 

http://www.eagleonegolf.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=654

This looks exactly like what they give the caddies at Ballyneal.  I also like Andrew's suggestion that a walker occasionally ought to pick up a replacement bottle and just fill divots on the next hole or so.  This is a lot like repairing ball marks that you may not have created.  It's something I'll have to remind myself to do from now on. 

[Tim McManus]

I for one fall firmly into the replace your divot when you walk category. I am not a fan of pull carts, have never (and will never) use one. I refuse to carry a bag of sand with me because (a) it's heavy; (b) I replace my divots. As far as I'm concerned, replacing my divot and fixing my balls marks (and others I see on the green) is perfectly acceptable.

One HUGE area where I guarantee you walking golfers are much better for the course than cart riders is in fixing ball marks. When you ride in a cart you generally park behind the green and walk onto the putting surface. Most golfers do not spin their shots into greens. As a result, they walk to their ball and never see their pitch mark because it is closer to the front of the green. If you walk, you walk right past your ball mark because you walk onto the green and see it on your way up. I'm convinced carts are the main reason so many ball marks go unfixed. People simply do not see their pitch marks because they walk from behind the green.

Well said

[Carl Nichols]

Brett,

It was my intention to communicate that I was going to champion the Aussie model.  I think it would be perfect and solve all my issues with walkers.

1.  Filling divots

2.  Clicking clubs

3.  ?

[John Kavanaugh]

Brett,

It was my intention to communicate that I was going to champion the Aussie model.  I think it would be perfect and solve all my issues with walkers.

1.  Filling divots

2.  Clicking clubs

3.  ?

Very good.  The third is petty but I hate when they hitch rides at holes away from the clubhouse to skip out on a fee. I think everyone should pay the same and then be allowed to play however most makes them happy.

[Ivan Morris]

David Cronheim has said it best of all!

[Garland Bayley]

The walking golfer is bad for the course, because the course misses out on the revenue they could have if they didn't include the cart fee in their green fee, thereby guaranteeing that walker won't show up.
AKA, if Barney thinks I'm going to subsidize his damaging the course with his cart, then he has another think coming.

[Greg Clark]

Down here in North Texas, there really isn't an option to replace your divots.  Bermuda divots more or less explode instead of having a nice pelt to put back.  So you have to sand the divot.

John,

I walk with a Clicgear push cart, with an accessory that lets you clip on a sand bottle.  Here is a pic:
http://www.clicgear.com/accessories-sand-bottle.html

[Colin Macqueen]

The walking golfer and push-buggy chap are not bad for Indooroopilly Golf Course!

Brett,
As I intimated in another thread regarding divot fixing my club has a rigid policy of carrying the sand-bucket hanging of your push-buggy, being carried or placed in the motorised cart. This fact and the guilt factor mean the vast majority of divots are filled.  Our fairways are Greenlees Park couch and the consensus is that there is no advantage in replacing the divot per se but "chipping " the edges in and a soupçon of sand does the trick.

Good to see, JK, that you are doing a bit of proselytizing in this regard!

Cheers Colin