Longest and Hardest Walk

[James Brown]

The recent thread about elevation changes prompts a question.  What’s the longest walk and the hardest walk in golf?


I am going to nominate Potomac Shores in Woodbridge,  VA as the longest walk.   Must be close to 9 miles.


Hardest walk would be some of the mountain courses at elevation.  Cordillera in Vail co es to mind. 

[Wade Whitehead]

Erin Hills
WW

[Matt MacIver]

Erin Hills is a good one - real windy when I was there. 


Bethpage Black — great routing so the distance was bad (though you do cross a road or two) but it was hilly, and HARD.  Uphill walk on #18 was brutal after that day. 

[Mark Pritchett]

For all the talk about Erin Hills, i did not find the walk to be bad at all.  To me it is easier stroll than Crystal Downs. 

[A.G._Crockett]

Back to the tee in a tournament.

[Tim Fitz]

For all the talk about Erin Hills, i did not find the walk to be bad at all.  To me it is easier stroll than Crystal Downs.

I know it can’t be true but it seemed to me like every green to tee walk at Erin Hills was uphill.

[PCCraig]

Erin Hills is a brutal walk, especially in the summer heat.

[Dan Gallaway]

Chambers Bay.  I did the 72 holes at Bandon back in April, but I haven't been able to do more than 27 at Chambers.  I often think about it, but every time I get to the green on 18, I realize I've got nothing left in the tank.  Three big hill climbs at 4, 7, and 12/13.  What you don't realize is the elevation gain on 8/9tee and 18...until you catch your breath.

[Ben Hollerbach]

Erin Hills is a brutal walk, especially in the summer heat.

I was recently playing golf with my extended family any my 5 year old niece came along to play with us from 100 yards an it.  She got very tired after a few holes and stated "I'm tired, this golf course is too sunny". 
No adult would every call a golf course "sunny".  But from her perspective, she was used to being on a heavily tree lined parkland course.  This course was only spotted with a few trees.  And it was true, this course was inherently more "sunny" than her course at home.
It got me thinking, golf courses with trees are easier to walk in most weather; as they provide shade, potential rain cover, and at times wind protection.  A walk through a forest is going to be more pleasurable than a walk though a field (with the presence of an ocean changing this).  This is probably part of the reason people feel Erin Hills is such a hard walk.

[JESII]

Royal New Kent


Since it's a museum piece in my view, I don't hold it against the course/designer at all...but it must be almost another full golf course worth of walks between holes...

[Mark Pritchett]

I guess a caught EH on a good day.  I played last month on day 5 of a 5 day trip and it was my eighth course played.  Sunny and warm, but not too humid.  I just did not feel the walk was bad, I had a caddie so that definitely helped out.  Other than the transition where you take shuttle (like Bandon Trails) I found the walk enjoyable.

[Tom_Doak]

There are some courses that are pretty much impossible for the average guy to walk, but if they weren't designed to be walked at all, I don't see the point of naming them here.


Erin Hills and Chambers Bay are both walking only, and in neither case did it seem like they planned for it.

[Thomas Dai]

Whoops, wrong thread!
Atb

[Phil McDade]

For all the talk about Erin Hills, i did not find the walk to be bad at all.  To me it is easier stroll than Crystal Downs.

I know it can’t be true but it seemed to me like every green to tee walk at Erin Hills was uphill.

This is true in many respects, esp. if playing from the back tees. There are a lot of transitions from greens to tees of the next hole that are uphill -- 2 to 3, 3 to 4, 4 to 5 esp. if playing the back tees. 14 to 15 is a big walk uphill if playing the back tees. It's a course with a lot of up-and-down walking -- not sure of the total elevation change, but I'd agree with Tom D. that the course esp. from the back tees (which, let's face it, lots of folks want to play, as the course promotes itself as one that hosted the big guns for the U.S. Open) is not well-suited to be walking only.

[Mark Pritchett]

Good points Phil.  I did not play the back tees, so that helped ease my walk as well.

[Tom_Doak]

Do many people really play the back tees st Erin Hills?  There must be more masochists out there than I thought.

[Phil McDade]

Do many people really play the back tees st Erin Hills?  There must be more masochists out there than I thought.

They don't exactly discourage it; from the website:


The course was designed to accommodate the [/size]2017 U.S. Open[/color][/size], in terms of both the challenge to the players and the logistics of the spectators. This mix of traditional and modern elements as well as a championship test will leave many golfers with the feeling that they’ve never played anywhere like Erin Hills.[/color]
[/size][/color]
This unfortunately is one direction I think the game is moving toward -- courses built specifically for hosting majors in today's loosely regulated, bombs-away environment, then turning those courses over to Joe Public who thinks he should be able to measure himself against Brooks Koepka. Happens a lot over there.

[Bill Crane]

Yale is tricky, back is tough no so front, but doable.


Cherry Valley in NJ - tough walk.


The hardest course I ever walked......................  Morgan Hill in Easton Pa.


You can see it from Rte #78.


Odd thing is, while this course probably should not have been built, there are a few really good and interesting holes.   A few unusual greens for a modern course.


Some crazy up and downhill walk holes, to save room for homes.

[John Sabino]

I agree with Bill on Yale, one of the most difficult, last time I played I was so tired after walking the front that I switched to a cart on the back


Highland Links in Nova Scotia a very difficult walk in Canada


Nauro in Japan is also super difficult, so much so that they have put in outdoor escalators to help you ascend some hills

[MCirba]

Country Club of the Poconos.


12 wooded, hilly, rugged miles from the 1st tee to 18th green.

[Cal Seifert]

Little Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan.  It's an impossible walk. Even a struggle for their gas powered carts.

[Tim Martin]

I agree with Bill on Yale, one of the most difficult, last time I played I was so tired after walking the front that I switched to a cart on the back


Highland Links in Nova Scotia a very difficult walk in Canada


Nauro in Japan is also super difficult, so much so that they have put in outdoor escalators to help you ascend some hills

John-The inward nine at Yale offers little respite as well with 10,12,17 and 18 all especially tough with uphill climbs required.

[Garland Bayley]

Chambers Bay.  I did the 72 holes at Bandon back in April, but I haven't been able to do more than 27 at Chambers.  I often think about it, but every time I get to the green on 18, I realize I've got nothing left in the tank.  Three big hill climbs at 4, 7, and 12/13.  What you don't realize is the elevation gain on 8/9tee and 18...until you catch your breath.

This old codger  couldn't do 72 holes anywhere, but I have done 36 at Chambers Bay.

Toughest walk I have done is Oregon Golf Club. It being 100 degrees that day may play some part in my conclusion. However, how many clubs park carts for you to take green to tee, an then return when going the other way?. And, how many courses have long flights of stairs to transition tee to fairway?

[James Brown]

One short course that is a tough walk:  Presidio

One really long, hard course that is not a hard walk:  Kiawah Island Ocean

[MLevesque]

I agree with Bill on Yale, one of the most difficult, last time I played I was so tired after walking the front that I switched to a cart on the back


John-The inward nine at Yale offers little respite as well with 10,12,17 and 18 all especially tough with uphill climbs required.

Another vote here for Yale.  As John Sabino highlights, many, many players will walk the front and cart the back nine.  Raynor's goal of giving the Yale undergrads a physical workout while playing this course  was fully achieved.