Marriott encourages walking?

[Bill Boonn]

"Marriott Corp.'s golf division announced recently that it will try to encourage people to park their carts at about a dozen of its golf resorts and walk the courses instead, in the name of better health and fitness. The Bethesda-based hospitality giant plans to accomplish this by making available a fleet of modern pushcarts for anyone inclined to wheel a golf bag around the course instead of riding the cart paths."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051703422.html

I wonder which dozen?

[Bill Boonn]

Answering my own question:

The first resorts to embrace the Walk for Health program are Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Palm Desert, Calif.; JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, Ariz.; JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson, Ariz.; Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Fla.; Marriott’s Grande Vista Resort, Orlando, Fla.; Grande Pines Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Naples, Fla.; Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort, Oak Brook, Ill. and The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Tucson, Ariz.

http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/katharine.dyson/2010/05/16/marriott-and-bag-boy-getting-pushy-promoting-walking-for-health

[Michael Huber]

Question:

How many of these courses are walkable?

How many people would want to walk these courses on a summer day?  They all seem to be in rather toasty locations.

I admire the idea though.

[Bill_McBride]

The Florida courses are all very walkable but summer is indeed a problem.  Not to mention the "no see um's" at Marco Island!   

I played Dove Mountain in February; it would be a very long hike but could be done.   There was no suggestion by the staff that we hoof it.

[Melvyn Morrow]

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Melvyn

[Jason Connor]

This is great.  One of my neighbors is a pro at one of these locations, I'll have to ask him about it and see how actively they're encouraging walking.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Re: Dove Mountain

Bill,

I did ask one of the assistant pros about walking and he indicated that forecaddies would be mandatory in the future for those taking carts. He didn't say anything about walking even with traditional caddies. So, it looks like Marriott has changed their mind. Yes, it would be a difficult walk there but doable.

[Brent Hutto]

I did ask one of the assistant pros about walking and he indicated that forecaddies would be mandatory in the future for those taking carts.

So do I understand you right? The plan is you are not allowed to walk but they will make you hire a servant to walk ahead of you?

I guess that's the American version of 19th-century British snobbery.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Brent,

I was stunned when I heard that but just walked away.

I think this place had delusions of grandeur as any place with the Ritz brand would. The realities of the marketplace are taking hold now.

[Tom Yost]

Longbow Golf Club, a daily fee course in Mesa AZ, has recently added a fleet of "Ricksha" push carts as an alternative to the usual riding cart.   Haven't seen too many using them.  The course is very walkable.

It is a positive step.

[Bill Boonn]

Although I generally prefer to carry my own bag, using pull/push carts -- whether it's a Ricksha or Bag-Boy -- can certainly broaden the appeal of walking.  It's unfortunate that pull carts are banned at so many courses...

[Matthew Petersen]

I was at Camelback yesterday afternoon, which has just recently reopened from overseeding. As a result, they are playing as a cart path only facility. Despite that, I had to bring up the idea of walking and was looked at strangely when I declined the cart.

The course is very walkable (Padre, anyway, it looks like the Indian bend would be a much longer hike, though still walkable). The problem in Arizona is always going to be that there are 4-5 months out of the year when walking is not entirely reasonable for anyone. But yesterday's temps were only in the low 90s and I suspect those who were walking to and from their carts all day walked just as much as I did.