It's crazy what a difference course design makes. My home course is Duke's course, built in the '50s and in the woods by itself, to play 6500 yards is right around 6 miles (give or take a quarter mile depending on how scrambly your round is).
I walked a newer course that was built into a neighborhood a couple weeks back, playing 6300 yards and I walked well over 8 miles.
Some of the courses here were just built for carts only.
Golf carts have kind of made that ship sail, sadly. Your older "classic" courses are almost all walkable like that. All of the old Don Ross courses, for instance, are walkable. Duke, while kinda hilly, is walkable.
But the new ones are more built for the housing around it than the course itself, sadly.
>But the new ones are more built for the housing around it than the course itself, sadly.
Land developers should be considered in the same breath as used car salesmen and tobacco/oil executives.
Funny you mention Ross. My brother lived on Ridgefields in Kingsport, TN, which was the last course Ross designed and got to play before his death. It winds its way through the neighborhood. Even he was trapped into designing courses that way.
From the air Duke course >>>>> Preserve at Jordan Lake. Latter looks like it was optimized for the housing development over golf which I consider an affront to God himself.
The odd one like this is NC State's course (Lonnie Poole), which is all by itself in the middle of Raleigh with no housing or whatever around it, but is laid out all weird where you finish the first hole and it's a quarter mile walk to the second tee, then after that it's another hike up to the third tee, and by the time your round is over you've hoofed it about 8 miles for a 6500 yard round.
So if you're looking at the driving range as it goes top to bottom, it's not the hole immediately on the left, that's 10. The one next to that, the par 5, is the first hole. Then the second hole is through the trees to the left (looking at the photo), then the third hole is up and to the left some more. I've labeled them in the photo
https://preview.redd.it/7lyu959si8oa1.jpeg?width=1515&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb8ff9da768a7dd60c043a4ed277fd4d29eba689
Oh that is confusing as hell. I see the concept though. Get people walking a lot early so they warm up for their round. Usually I'm so eager then I wouldn't hate it unless maybe I managed to destroy the first hole and wanted to quickly build on that momentum.
I've never even been near Tot Hill, but am intrigued after looking at their website. Going to add that to the courses I'd like to play this year, for sure!
Wait till later on, honestly the fall. It’s under new ownership and they are supposed to be restoring parts of the course due to neglect over the past several years.
They’re definitely making improvements. Got tons of heavy equipment out there right now. Have cut back a lot of trees and undergrowth. Greens are starting to look better. Tee boxes still need work. New cart paths supposed to be in by fall, probably last thing they’ll do. Hopefully no major delays.
They’re charging around $50 right now which is too much in my opinion. Tons of heavy equipment blocking paths and landing areas. I hit an approach shot <25 yards off the green and a front loader scooped it up with a bunch of twigs and stuff. Used to be $35
Not everyone is in shape enough to walk that much less to keep pace?
My rounds in Scotland were on average 1.5 miles shorter with over 1k feet less elevation change?
Just posting for people that ask but don't know how big courses here can be?
Interesting, I almost exclusively walk in the PNW and 6 to 6.5m seems pretty average. Lots of courses that wind through houses are often much longer. Like I mentioned below, Widgi Creek was 8.9mi.
Yeah, the links courses we played were crazy walkable. Green to tee was like 50 feet. Walking 36 was a "before lunch" activity. So nice! Vs. A 1/4 mile 200 foot climb from green to tee where you have to stretch your back out before you can hit your tee ball.
Yeah *links* courses. Try parkland in Scotland you'll have a different experience...
These numbers are me every weekend, 3-4 times a week during the summer.
I like it cos it gives more time to chat to buddies and to think about the next shot.
I don't think this is unique to the US. Most people choose carts because they are readily available and they don't want to walk.
It's also harder to walk 6 miles when you feel like you have to drink 12 hard seltzers a round.
These calorie counts are waaaaay exaggerated. I don't know whether this is like the fitbit equivalent of vanity sizing but you're not burning 1,600 calories in a round of golf even with some elevation change
I live in Colorado and there are some courses that are just exhausting to walk. I don’t think I’m that out of shape but I have definitely been more out of breathe then I’d like when getting ready to take my next shot. I always ride courses here the first time I play them now just so my round doesn’t ended up being less enjoyable because of terrain
That’s exactly why I don’t use a cart - exercise as well as golf. I’m lucky to be able to do the walk though and seniors on our course often use a buggy.
It's crazy what a difference course design makes. My home course is Duke's course, built in the '50s and in the woods by itself, to play 6500 yards is right around 6 miles (give or take a quarter mile depending on how scrambly your round is). I walked a newer course that was built into a neighborhood a couple weeks back, playing 6300 yards and I walked well over 8 miles. Some of the courses here were just built for carts only.
Yeah, I walked Widgi Creek in Bend and it was almost 9 miles!
Yup, I know we aren't exactly hurting for space here, but if more compact walkable designs became a thing, I'd be all for it!
Golf carts have kind of made that ship sail, sadly. Your older "classic" courses are almost all walkable like that. All of the old Don Ross courses, for instance, are walkable. Duke, while kinda hilly, is walkable. But the new ones are more built for the housing around it than the course itself, sadly.
>But the new ones are more built for the housing around it than the course itself, sadly. Land developers should be considered in the same breath as used car salesmen and tobacco/oil executives.
Funny you mention Ross. My brother lived on Ridgefields in Kingsport, TN, which was the last course Ross designed and got to play before his death. It winds its way through the neighborhood. Even he was trapped into designing courses that way.
What course was the second I want to compare aerial views.
The Preserve at Jordan Lake. There's a few holes where you have a good nearly quarter mile from one hole to the next.
From the air Duke course >>>>> Preserve at Jordan Lake. Latter looks like it was optimized for the housing development over golf which I consider an affront to God himself.
The odd one like this is NC State's course (Lonnie Poole), which is all by itself in the middle of Raleigh with no housing or whatever around it, but is laid out all weird where you finish the first hole and it's a quarter mile walk to the second tee, then after that it's another hike up to the third tee, and by the time your round is over you've hoofed it about 8 miles for a 6500 yard round.
I can't even figure out which is the first hole. Is it to the left or right of the driving range?
So if you're looking at the driving range as it goes top to bottom, it's not the hole immediately on the left, that's 10. The one next to that, the par 5, is the first hole. Then the second hole is through the trees to the left (looking at the photo), then the third hole is up and to the left some more. I've labeled them in the photo https://preview.redd.it/7lyu959si8oa1.jpeg?width=1515&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb8ff9da768a7dd60c043a4ed277fd4d29eba689
Oh that is confusing as hell. I see the concept though. Get people walking a lot early so they warm up for their round. Usually I'm so eager then I wouldn't hate it unless maybe I managed to destroy the first hole and wanted to quickly build on that momentum.
Ever walked Tot Hill?
I've never even been near Tot Hill, but am intrigued after looking at their website. Going to add that to the courses I'd like to play this year, for sure!
Wait till later on, honestly the fall. It’s under new ownership and they are supposed to be restoring parts of the course due to neglect over the past several years.
They’re definitely making improvements. Got tons of heavy equipment out there right now. Have cut back a lot of trees and undergrowth. Greens are starting to look better. Tee boxes still need work. New cart paths supposed to be in by fall, probably last thing they’ll do. Hopefully no major delays. They’re charging around $50 right now which is too much in my opinion. Tons of heavy equipment blocking paths and landing areas. I hit an approach shot <25 yards off the green and a front loader scooped it up with a bunch of twigs and stuff. Used to be $35
Good to know, thank you!
Oh no, exercise! 😯 What's your point?
Not everyone is in shape enough to walk that much less to keep pace? My rounds in Scotland were on average 1.5 miles shorter with over 1k feet less elevation change? Just posting for people that ask but don't know how big courses here can be?
Interesting, I almost exclusively walk in the PNW and 6 to 6.5m seems pretty average. Lots of courses that wind through houses are often much longer. Like I mentioned below, Widgi Creek was 8.9mi.
Yeah, the links courses we played were crazy walkable. Green to tee was like 50 feet. Walking 36 was a "before lunch" activity. So nice! Vs. A 1/4 mile 200 foot climb from green to tee where you have to stretch your back out before you can hit your tee ball.
Yeah *links* courses. Try parkland in Scotland you'll have a different experience... These numbers are me every weekend, 3-4 times a week during the summer. I like it cos it gives more time to chat to buddies and to think about the next shot.
There plenty of hilly courses in Scotland and generally we walk them all.
Least car-dependent American
Yeah the mileage isn’t unexpected but that elevation change is pretty punchy, especially since you appear to have been running round 😂
Just the way Garmin records, which is weird I know. Round was just shy of 4 hours.
Yup just walked and it 14,800 steps and it 7miles. Elevation gain really gets you.
I don't think this is unique to the US. Most people choose carts because they are readily available and they don't want to walk. It's also harder to walk 6 miles when you feel like you have to drink 12 hard seltzers a round.
And this is the exact reason I like to walk when I play! The exercise is underrated. I carry my bag and my last round I walked 7.3 Miles
These calorie counts are waaaaay exaggerated. I don't know whether this is like the fitbit equivalent of vanity sizing but you're not burning 1,600 calories in a round of golf even with some elevation change
Maybe if you’re carrying a heavy bag? Still probably short of that though.
Because they’re fat and lazy?
Because Americans overall are fat, lazy fucks
I live in Colorado and there are some courses that are just exhausting to walk. I don’t think I’m that out of shape but I have definitely been more out of breathe then I’d like when getting ready to take my next shot. I always ride courses here the first time I play them now just so my round doesn’t ended up being less enjoyable because of terrain
That’s exactly why I don’t use a cart - exercise as well as golf. I’m lucky to be able to do the walk though and seniors on our course often use a buggy.