Supers - Is walking PROVEN to be better for the grass/course than carts?

[Bradley Anderson]

I worked at a course that did about 5,000 rounds of golf a year. The club owed 4 golf cars that they brought out only for exceptional cases.

Imagine a golf course with zero cart paths. 

Well anyways, I was amazed at much thought you had to put in to managing maintenance traffic to keep from effecting the course.

To this subject I might add that on the true links courses they have those white wire contraptions around greens to control traffic, probably from pull carts. Pull carts can really kill you around greens if you don't control them.

I really don't mind golf cars. IF PEOPLE WOULD JUST FRIGGIN KEEP ALL FRIGGIN FOUR WHEELS ON THE FRIGGIN PATH WHEN THEY PARK!!!!!   

[Scott Stambaugh]

Rob,

Check out this article from a previous USGA Green Section Record.  I think it has what you are looking for.


http://turf.lib.msu.edu/2000s/2004/041111.pdf


Scott

[Rob Rigg]

Thanks Scott - This article is terrific!

[Roger Wolfe]

There is no doubt that carts damage a course more than walkers... I think that is settled. 

However, it is quite a risk to eliminate carts 100% and therefore eliminate 50% of your potential golfer market.  It works at exclusive clubs and resorts and I say "congratulations" if you can pull it off.  However, any argument that says one year of cart revenue is less than one year of cart expense (depreciation, leasing, paths included) doesn't hold any water.

[archie_struthers]

 


The carts definitely cause damage and as stated it's pretty hard to quantify.

It would be great if some superintendents would chime in on a theory as to carts.

For a while I wanted to institute a firm rule that anyone who took a golf cart would agree not to turn the cart  around while driving on grass. The driver could only go forward , no circles , none!
It is amazing how the damage is reduced by this small change in cart policy, if you can implement it.

The turning or twisting of the wheels rips the turf , not just compacts it .  It's particularly malevolent to do circles.  This also causes some impact to speed of play, as players become more cognizant of where they hit it, knowing they don't have the liberty of using the cart like an ATV in searching for the pellet.


It's amazing how the cart damage decreases when this policy is fixed., and to me is a simple policy that can reduce cart wear fairly dramatically!

[Richard Hetzel]

I played Pineneedles 2 years ago, just a few weeks prior to the 2007 Women's Open Championship.....They had not had any carts on the course for a year, only maintenance. We walked the first 10 holes, then my wife wanted a cart. They brought us a cart (BTW, I walked all 18) with the stipulation that it either stayed on the path or on/in the pineneedles, under NO circumstances were they to touch anything else. The course was absolutely pristine! I would hope that the course workers would be knowledgeable about where to drive and where not to drive without creating extra damage to the course, obviously most people driving the golf carts could care less once they have paid for their round..those are the people that should, in fact, be walking and not anywhere near a golf cart! We have a somewhat hilly course here in Cincinnati (Sharon Woods) where I have noticed more people (than one would think considering the topography) actually walk there. Carts (unfortunately) are so ingrained/entrenched that I don't know if you could change that mentality at a public course without losing the income, even if you lose much of it on course damage and the carts themselves.

I met a couple while playing golf in Charleston, SC one winter, they were from England. They were completely amazed that we could even "get a cart just because one asked for it" (they called them buggies) without having some sort of disability or doctor's note for the club. Imagaine that? I wish we ran all or most courses like that.....

[Richard Hetzel]

I played Pineneedles 2 years ago, just a few weeks prior to the 2007 Women's Open Championship.....They had not had any carts on the course for a year, only maintenance. We walked the first 10 holes, then my wife wanted a cart. They brought us a cart (BTW, I walked all 18) with the stipulation that it either stayed on the path or on/in the pineneedles, under NO circumstances were they to touch anything else. The course was absolutely pristine! I would hope that the course workers would be knowledgeable about where to drive and where not to drive without creating extra damage to the course, obviously most people driving the golf carts could care less once they have paid for their round..those are the people that should, in fact, be walking and not anywhere near a golf cart! We have a somewhat hilly course here in Cincinnati (Sharon Woods) where I have noticed more people (than one would think considering the topography) actually walk there. Carts (unfortunately) are so ingrained/entrenched that I don't know if you could change that mentality at a public course without losing the income, even if you lose much of it on course damage and the carts themselves.

I met a couple while playing golf in Charleston, SC one winter, they were from England. They were amazed that we could even "get a cart" (they call them buggies) without having some sort of verified disability or doctor's note for the club to prove you should even be allowed to use one. Imagaine that? I wish we ran all or most golf courses like that.....

[Garland Bayley]

One question Rob. Do they have to constantly keep changing the place where walkers are allowed to enter the fairway like they do for carts?

Really this is so obvious, I don't know why anyone needs proof.

[Rob Rigg]

Garland - People want proof about global warming and people want proof about the negative impact of carts on turf . . .

I think that golfers can stress greens if there are not enough entries and exits, but off the tees there is usually a natural scattering that would prevent walkers from really hurting the turf.

The article that Scott linked also discusses the difference in pressure that carts and walkers place on the turf - I think that would indicate that because walkers step instead of roll, they should not be an issue for damage between tee and fairway.

Of course, if a course was walking only and most people used a push cart, making them walk through a entry to the fairway would probably stress the turf over time. Dispersion seems to be the key to success whether with push carts, while cart paths only or a 90 degree rule is probably optimal for motorized carts.