Recognition for walker friendly golf courses

[Jim Lipstate]

On the way home from my 60th birthday party celebrated at a local steakhouse with family and friends, my wife informed me that she also had taken the liberty of scheduling me a stress test the next week with a friendly cardiologist. The cardiologist asked me what I did for exercise. I told him I was a golfer. His response was that golf is not exercise. Golf is riding around in carts drinking beer and smoking cigars. I responded that I am a walker of the course which amounts to a good 5-6 mile hike three days a week. I passed my stress test.


This got me to thinking about how some courses are downright unfriendly to the walking golfer. A friend is a member of a high end club in Florida featuring 36 holes of golf. I enjoyed playing both of the courses but was disappointed to find out that walking was simply not allowed before 3 pm and then only if you carried your bag. I could not imagine being a member of a club with such a policy for reasons of health and exercise alone.


I wonder if there is any organization that gives recognition to walking friendly courses? I would look favorably upon any course that was so recognized. It would be a great addition to any course website and could be proudly displayed in the pro shop as well as tee time booking sites.


Is anyone aware of the USGA, R&A or other recognized authority interested in certifying courses as friendly to the golfer who prefers to walk. If not, is it time to establish such a designation? I welcome any discussion.

[Steve Lang]

 
Check out  [size=78%]http://thewalkinggolfer.com[/size]
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[David_Tepper]

Jim L. -

This topic gets discussed quite often on this board. Here is a lengthy (and ongoing) thread on the battle to get pushcarts for walkers approved at private clubs:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49662.0.html

DT

[Tom_Doak]

Is anyone aware of the USGA, R&A or other recognized authority interested in certifying courses as friendly to the golfer who prefers to walk. If not, is it time to establish such a designation? I welcome any discussion.

I believe that the USGA has [or had] a program where golfers could declare themselves walking golfers, however they didn't take it to the level of member clubs for fear of arguments.  Many courses are insistent that cart revenue is critical to their survival, even though I am of the opinion that most of the "cart revenue" is really just shuffling money around to make the green fee look lower.


With the internet being what it is, it would be easy for someone to set up a site and get golfer feedback on walking-friendly courses and policies.  I'm not sure how many people would utilize it, though.  I've been told by three or four people that my own Confidential Guide reviews give too much weight to walkability -- but I do believe it's a big component of whether a course is worthwhile.

[David_Tepper]

Article on walking from October, 2014:

http://golf.about.com/cs/golffitness/a/walkinggolf.htm

"I believe that the USGA has [or had] a program where golfers could declare themselves walking golfers, however they didn't take it to the level of member clubs for fear of arguments."

Tom D. -

Yes, the USGA started a "Walking Members" program back in the 1990's. Looks like it fell by the wayside. This web page appears to be inactive.

https://members.usga.org/benefits_of_joining/walking.asp

DT

[Jon Byron]

Playing golf means walking. Riding around in a cart isn't golf, it is cart-ball. And it negatively impacts pace of play, etiquette, course management, architecture enjoyment, etc etc.  That the USGA and PGA of America (and various architects) have promoted carts versus walking is a big part of the collapse of the game.   

[Rob Marshall]

Is anyone aware of the USGA, R&A or other recognized authority interested in certifying courses as friendly to the golfer who prefers to walk. If not, is it time to establish such a designation? I welcome any discussion.

I believe that the USGA has [or had] a program where golfers could declare themselves walking golfers, however they didn't take it to the level of member clubs for fear of arguments.  Many courses are insistent that cart revenue is critical to their survival, even though I am of the opinion that most of the "cart revenue" is really just shuffling money around to make the green fee look lower.


With the internet being what it is, it would be easy for someone to set up a site and get golfer feedback on walking-friendly courses and policies.  I'm not sure how many people would utilize it, though.  I've been told by three or four people that my own Confidential Guide reviews give too much weight to walkability -- but I do believe it's a big component of whether a course is worthwhile.

Great point about making the greens fee look lower. That would apply to resort and public course but what about the southern privates that don't allow walking? I guess it could be said that it makes the dues look lower too...

[Garland Bayley]

Playing golf means walking. Riding around in a cart isn't golf, it is cart-ball. And it negatively impacts pace of play, etiquette, course management, architecture enjoyment, etc etc.  That the USGA and PGA of America (and various architects) have promoted carts versus walking is a big part of the collapse of the game.   

The USGA has explicitly said that riding around in a cart isn't golf, it is cart-ball with their walking golfers program.
They have explicitly said that cart usage by courses is a revenue negative practice in their walking golfers program.
I fail to see how they have promoted carts.
Arnold Palmer promotes carts by using them in his blood thinning commercials. Arnold should be ashamed of himself.

[Wayne_Freedman]

I read the previous thread, but this subject never gets old. It strikes the the heart and essence of a traditional golfing experience.


Wouldn't  it be beneficial to have courses rated numerically for walking in the same way that we now do for course rating and slope?


Meantime, the prospect of a golf course charging a player  for bringing and using his/her trolly feels as egregious as a restaurant
piling on an additional fee for sitting in a chair. They're getting to be as penurious as the airlines.

[Jim Lipstate]

The point of my post was that courses and clubs that are walking friendly should be able to promote themselves as such. A good and positive thing. Most of us would greatly benefit from some fresh air and exercise. I don't think we need to reexplore the financial aspects that drive some clubs and courses to be cart only but instead find a way for those that allow and even encourage the walking golfer to benefit from their decision.

[Wayne_Freedman]

Jim,


Wouldn't a formal rating for walking be beneficial, then? It's what you're talking about, essentially.
So why not quantify it?

[BCowan]

On the way home from my 60th birthday party celebrated at a local steakhouse with family and friends, my wife informed me that she also had taken the liberty of scheduling me a stress test the next week with a friendly cardiologist. The cardiologist asked me what I did for exercise. I told him I was a golfer. His response was that golf is not exercise. Golf is riding around in carts drinking beer and smoking cigars. I responded that I am a walker of the course which amounts to a good 5-6 mile hike three days a week. I passed my stress test.


This got me to thinking about how some courses are downright unfriendly to the walking golfer. A friend is a member of a high end club in Florida featuring 36 holes of golf. I enjoyed playing both of the courses but was disappointed to find out that walking was simply not allowed before 3 pm and then only if you carried your bag. I could not imagine being a member of a club with such a policy for reasons of health and exercise alone.


I wonder if there is any organization that gives recognition to walking friendly courses? I would look favorably upon any course that was so recognized. It would be a great addition to any course website and could be proudly displayed in the pro shop as well as tee time booking sites.


Is anyone aware of the USGA, R&A or other recognized authority interested in certifying courses as friendly to the golfer who prefers to walk. If not, is it time to establish such a designation? I welcome any discussion.

Jim,

As Steve mentioned earlier, the walking golfers society has Walk ability ratings for every course in US and Canada.  Feel free to update any course in Florida listed.  I've called about 15% of all Michigan courses.  Also I'd be happy to send you any society postcards to display in any course in Florida golf shop that allows walking.

Thewalkinggolfer.com  click on walkability link. 

[Jason Thurman]

I don't think thewalkinggolfer.com is succeeding at giving courses the recognition Jim asks about in the original post. It's a niche site that the average golfer doesn't know or care about. I think the majority of us living in the US could name an Audubon Certified facility near us. I doubt many of us know if a course is rated "green" by thewalkinggolfer.com. Recognitions are valuable and marketable - think AAA-approved hotels and auto shops, Consumer Reports Best Buys, and Michelin ratings. A crowdsourced review site is not a recognition.


I would love to see a real recognition for walkable courses, and it doesn't need to come from the USGA or R&A. It could just as soon come from a magazine or even a golf or fitness equipment manufacturer as long as the resulting recognition is easily marketable. Ideally it would have specific criteria courses must meet, such as:


* A threshold percentage of rounds walked vs. played in a cart
* A maximum total green-to-tee transition distance
* Availability of caddies or accommodation of push-carts
* Presence of walking "shortcuts" at difficult transition points
* Offering walking-only times of play

[Tom_Doak]

I don't think thewalkinggolfer.com is succeeding at giving courses the recognition Jim asks about in the original post. It's a niche site that the average golfer doesn't know or care about. I think the majority of us living in the US could name an Audubon Certified facility near us. I doubt many of us know if a course is rated "green" by thewalkinggolfer.com. Recognitions are valuable and marketable - think AAA-approved hotels and auto shops, Consumer Reports Best Buys, and Michelin ratings. A crowdsourced review site is not a recognition.

Since the Walking Golfer Society has already done a lot of the legwork, they should be involved.  I honestly had no idea that they've rated every course in the U.S. and Canada, and I'm one of the 1% who knows about them.  Have they approached the magazines or other major organizations to try and leverage their work and promote it?

[BCowan]

Tom,

  I don't want to speak for Rob, however our walkability ratings aren't all completed.  I think it was an organic grass roots efforts to update them completely through members contacting Rob.  I'm working on completing one state and province at a time.  I personally like that we are more of a word of mouth organization.  I've contacted a few magazines with no response, there more interested in doing articles on smoking up on the golf course.  TWGS will get to where we need to be in time.  I've always found in life that taking a little effort to find worthwhile organizations always made my life richer.

[Jason Thurman]

They haven't rated every course. They have listed a majority of courses, but the majority are not rated (at least in the states near me). Take a look at the Kentucky list, for example. Their list omits many of the state's most notable newer courses, lists other courses under old names that have since been changed, and they've rated less than 10% of the courses on their list:

http://thewalkinggolfer.com/walkability_ratings_ky.html


Ben, what criteria does thewalkinggolfer.com use to rate walkability? Is it just an arbitrary choice the reviewer makes, or do they have parameters?

[BCowan]

Tom,

   I forgot that I've done a few local state magazine and radio interviews.  Rob and I did an interview with Frank Beckman on WJR which was fun. 

Jason,

  There is no criteria other then common sense for a member to rate a course.  When Rob went on a hiatus momentum slowed.  Michigan for example has a ton of courses and I've found calling and asking pros or shop girls has been beneficial.  I've been suprised how honest most of them have come across.  Hopefully someone from Kentucky or who has played the courses will contact the society with their opinions.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Ben,


May I suggest to you and Rob that the rating system be changed from colors to numbers as I'm somewhat color blind and am having difficulty deciphering the ratings. I will be joining since I intend to be walking at Maryvale here in Phoenix.

[BCowan]

Steve,

   I'll mention that to Rob.  Do u live in Arizona or just visiting? Welcome aboard.

[Matthew Petersen]

The colors also don't tell the whole story.


Both of the courses at the Arizona Biltmore are rated as orange "tough to walk." In fact, both courses are cart only, except for members, which is a ridiculous policy, but not uncommon at Arizona resorts. What's really galling about it is that the Adobe course is as easy a walk as there could be--flat ground, all the holes close to one another. The Links course would be more difficult given hills and hole spacing issues (the nines are quite separate as well).


Not sure a number rating can do anymore to clear up the multitude of ways a course might be "tough" to walk (tough to do the walking vs tough to be allowed to) either, though.

[BCowan]

Matthew,

  I'm trying to include trolley allowance on it as well and hope to do some tweaking. If u see a course missmarked, contact the society and they can amend it.  I know a handful where private courses just allow members to walk.  I found some miss marked courses and they have been changed. 

[Garland Bayley]

Jason,


It's time to get your Kentucky ratings in.

[Dave Herrick]

I don't know what I did to obtain it, but years ago I received a yellow bag tag identifying me as USGA Walking Member. The reverse side of the tag has the USGA Walking Member Declaration on it, which reads as follows, "It is my firm belief that walking is an integral part of the game and that no golfer should ever be denied the right to walk. I will never ride in a golf cart for a round of golf unless it is forced upon me or I develop a physical condition which necessitates the use of a cart. Whenever given a choice, I will always walk."

[Carl Johnson]

I don't know what I did to obtain it, but years ago I received a yellow bag tag identifying me as USGA Walking Member. The reverse side of the tag has the USGA Walking Member Declaration on it, which reads as follows, "It is my firm belief that walking is an integral part of the game and that no golfer should ever be denied the right to walk. I will never ride in a golf cart for a round of golf unless it is forced upon me or I develop a physical condition which necessitates the use of a cart. Whenever given a choice, I will always walk."

Although I'm an elderly gentlemen, I walk most rounds, and prefer to walk.  However, I could never become a USGA Walking Member because of the commitment that: "I will never ride in a golf cart for a round of golf unless it is forced upon me or I develop a physical condition which [sic] necessitates the use of a cart."  I may choose to ride, and sometimes do, under the following conditions.  (1) If it is just to darn hot and humid to walk on our hilly mid-south course.  I would rather play riding than punish myself trying to walk under those conditions or just skipping an opportunity to play.  (2) I often will be in a four ball game with three other elderly gentlemen who either because of very advanced age or physical condition could not play at all if they could not ride.  Many of these gentlemen are "flagged," which at our course means they can drive most anywhere without regard to normal cart rules.  When I am in those games I normally ride with the others.  For both practical and social reasons I'm not going to "walk alone."  Still, I personally consider myself a walker and support the walking cause wholeheartedly. 

[David_Tepper]

I don't know what I did to obtain it, but years ago I received a yellow bag tag identifying me as USGA Walking Member. The reverse side of the tag has the USGA Walking Member Declaration on it, which reads as follows, "It is my firm belief that walking is an integral part of the game and that no golfer should ever be denied the right to walk. I will never ride in a golf cart for a round of golf unless it is forced upon me or I develop a physical condition which necessitates the use of a cart. Whenever given a choice, I will always walk."

Dave H. -

The bag tag you received was part of the USGA promotional program from 10-20 years ago to encourage walking (referenced above). The program was abandoned a number of years ago.

DT