62 replies to this topic

[the4hornes]

What is the proper etiquette when using a push cart around tee boxes, traps, and greens? I know you shouldn't take a cart on tee boxes and greens, but how close is too close? Is it OK to take the cart between greenside traps and the green? I'm all for saving a few steps when using a push cart, but I don't want to use it improperly.

[Beatupfender]

Courses usually have signs that tell carts (pull, push and motorized) where to turn before the green. I see most people with pull and push carts walk right up to the green, but leave the cart in the rough/longer grass. Why don't you ask the club what their policy is on the subject?

[BrianL99]

the4hornes, on 09 August 2012 - 08:43 PM, said:

What is the proper etiquette when using a push cart around tee boxes, traps, and greens? I know you shouldn't take a cart on tee boxes and greens, but how close is too close? Is it OK to take the cart between greenside traps and the green? I'm all for saving a few steps when using a push cart, but I don't want to use it improperly.

It goes anywhere you go, except on the green and bunkers.  Although, I guess you could take it into a bunker, but it will expand your raking requirements

[RJRJRJ]

I take mine on the tee box sometimes.  I never knew that might be an issue.

[Rockminer]

IMO, no greens and no tee boxes ( although tee boxes don't bother me as much as greens. I sometimes take it on the tee box ). Anywhere else is fair game, even close to the edge of the green. I try to stay away from the edge of the green unless i really have to go there. I beleive that the cart signs are for motorized carts. Footprints are more damaging than push/pull carts. ( less weight and better distributed on a cart ). Now if it is wet and soggy, you should try and stay as far away from sensitive places as possible.

Edited by Rockminer, 09 August 2012 - 08:55 PM.

[HAWKEYE77]

Never on greens, never on tee boxes.

[rustyputterguy]

Not on the greens is a no brainer, but I'm curious to hear more opinions about tee boxes.
I'll normally skirt the outside of the tee box, but the course I play the most has a tee or two where the tee is 30-40 yards wide and most people cut across it (par 3 with multiple tees). As long as you're not pushing the cart between the tee markers I guess I don't see the problem with it.

[HAWKEYE77]

Tee boxes require a lot in terms of maintenance of the turf and grass, so any unnecessary traffic which may damage the grass, compact the soil, damage tomorrow's or the day after's tee placement (not just today's tee markers) should be avoided. No brainer. Most courses expressly prohibit push or pull carts on tee boxes, the others probably assume one would not think it was okay to traipse across them.

[Socrates]

While there is the common etiquette about not too close to greens, not on greens and not on tee boxes, I don't get too wound up about it.  If everyone is walking in the group, it is easier to follow these conventions.  However, when I walk and am paired with people in autocrats, I will take more liberties to keep up.  Other countries (Australia for example), let people go almost anywhere with their pushcarts.  Rule of thumb is to do no harm.

When you think of it, there are maintenance crews all over the tees and greens with all sorts of machines (cutting, tractors, sprayers, etc...) doing far more damage than one could ever do with a push cart.  The downside is that there might be sustained damage over the long haul and too many people using the same path might create a worn area (i.e. direct route between green and bunker) that will be problematic.

[johl]

australia is the same. no tee boxes and no greens. not sure where you played where you can take the cart onto the green but at every course i have played it is not the case. i don't think i have seen any signs i just think its a given that you just don't do it

[Augster]

I take mine on the tee box all the time.

I'm sure that 45 pounds distributed over 3 wheels is hurting the box WAY more than the divot I'm about to take.

Each time I take a step I'm applying 250 pounds over a 1 foot area.  And I do it repeatedly.

Maybe I should roll myself across the tee box, then stand up to hit my shot, then roll myself back to the rough.  Just a thought.

Perhaps rolling your cart onto the tee box is bad etiquette, to some for some strange reason, but I'm certainly not buying that it hurts the box more than simply walking on the tee box.

[HAWKEYE77]

We have to walk on the tee boxes, so that's a given unrelated to the issue of unnecessary traffic.

There's an article suggesting some places in Australia support the practice of pulling carts across the greens to toughen them up.

[360_CS]

At our club they say you can take them on the green, I have no idea why.

We played a course in Aussie once and they had a blue line about 5m around the green and you couldn't bring your push cart within that line because they said it can damage teh greens. All clubs are different just best to ask.

[FLOGMR]

There is a course around here (No names to protect the innocent?) that won't even allow you to put your carry bag down on a tee box....I am sure they would go ballistic if you rolled a 3 wheeler over that sacred ground

[markf1]

I played at a course last year where I was shouted at from another fairway, by a 5 ball, to "get that trolley (uk) off there". The trolley was in the rough between the bunker and the fringe. Guy came over to explain that the club rule was not between the bunkers and the green. I explained that at no time did I go near even the fringe, but to no avail. No mention of this rule on the card, in the pro shop or on the club website.

I guess it makes sense when it's bunker then fringe but I couldn't see the logic when there was rough there.

Edited by markf1, 10 August 2012 - 04:33 AM.

[avrag]

markf1, on 10 August 2012 - 03:24 AM, said:

I played at a course last year where I was shouted at from another fairway, by a 5 ball, to "get that trolley (uk) off there". The trolley was in the rough between the bunker and the fringe. Guy came over to explain that the club rule was not between the bunkers and the green. I explained that at no time did I go near even the fringe but to no avail. No mention of this rule on the card, in the pro shop or on the club website.

I guess it makes sense when it's bunker then fringe but I couldn't see the logic when there was rough there.

The idea behind it is to keep the "greenside complex" in the condition it is meant to be. Everybody uses push and pull carts where I live and the rules are pretty clear to everybody:
Stay off the greens, stay off the tee boxes, do not talke them onto the fringe or into bunkers and also do not take them to the areas between the greenside bunkers and the green, no matter if its rough or cut like the fairway or like the fringe. One reason, as mentioned, is the idea to keep the playing conditions for the short game consistent for everybody, the other reason is that the grass on the edges of the bunkers (between the bunker and the green) is already really exposed. The ground is usually raised, so it dries out faster and gets easily compressed. At my club, the marshalls are under strict orders to remind the players to not take their push carts to the areas between greenside bunkers and the green.

Edited by avrag, 10 August 2012 - 04:32 AM.

[markf1]

Thanks avrag. On any course, if the bunker is very close to the green I don't go between even if there looks to be room as I don't want to risk running a wheel over the green or disturbing the top of the bunker. This one was far enough away to have yards of rough making it unneccesary (in my opinion) to take a route around it.

Edit: I just try to use common sense and also react to different conditions (e.g. soggy ground) but I don't have a problem if a course has rules set up how you describe above if that is how they want to do it. My issue on this day was more the way these guys went about it and the fact that this rule was not displayed anywhere at the club.

Edited by markf1, 10 August 2012 - 05:21 AM.

[poizster]

I take mine on tee boxes all the time, have never heard a peep from anyone. If I was playing a course with some immaculate tee boxes I would think twice about it. For the people who say don't take them on tee boxes what about carry bags? Have you ever watched college golf? They leave their bags on tee boxes all the time. What about caddies and staff bags? Do they throw their player the club from off the tee box?

[OldGolfer87]

I have a motorized cart and where i go with it is dependent on stuff like what direction is the next tee box and the proximity of it and where my ball has stopped at , on some holes it gets stopped on the apron then maybe right next to the green near the fringe then maybe the next one on the path ,to me it's all about the easiest way to proceed to the next tee box as for the tee boxes there are a few to run the cart on but mostly it's just as easy to leave it on the path vs. being on the tee because they are right next to each other ,but where i play the most at the staff does not care if you go on the tee box or not

[BrianL99]

The weight distribution of a typical 3 wheeled cart, is significantly better than a normal person, standing or walking.  

Barring some particularly unusual condition, any club that prohibits a push cart from anywhere other than greens and bunkers, needs a more knowledgable Superintendent, in my opinion.

& to the poster who mentioned "stand bags on the tee".   I've played some of the most exclusive courses in the world and I'm a Member of 3 private clubs.   Last weekend I played a dumpy 9 hole Muni, with some guys who work for me.   I set my bag down on the first tee and hit my tee shot ... & then listened to the "shop attendant" tell me I wasn't supposed to have my bag on the Tee ... first time I've ever heard of such a thing!   If he hadn't been so polite, I would have laughed in his face.   As it was, I'm still listening to the other guys who were in the group, tease me about it.  

The farther down the food chain you go, the more likely you are to deal with ill-informed people.

[KYMAR]

BrianL99, on 10 August 2012 - 05:18 AM, said:

The weight distribution of a typical 3 wheeled cart, is significantly better than a normal person, standing or walking.  

Barring some particularly unusual condition, any club that prohibits a push cart from anywhere other than greens and bunkers, needs a more knowledgable Superintendent, in my opinion.

& to the poster who mentioned "stand bags on the tee".   I've played some of the most exclusive courses in the world and I'm a Member of 3 private clubs.   Last weekend I played a dumpy 9 hole Muni, with some guys who work for me.   I set my bag down on the first tee and hit my tee shot ... & then listened to the "shop attendant" tell me I wasn't supposed to have my bag on the Tee ... first time I've ever heard of such a thing!   If he hadn't been so polite, I would have laughed in his face.   As it was, I'm still listening to the other guys who were in the group, tease me about it.  

The farther down the food chain you go, the more likely you are to deal with ill-informed people.

Well shoot, we's sorry ya'll had such a time of it when you was slummin it down the food chain with thems reglar folk. Ya'll shoulda given him some schoolin so's he didn't keep on in that ill informed way of his.

[atlanta golfer]

For me, the big question is between bunkers and greens.  Before I had a push cart I saw some people doing that at our club from a distance and it didn't look right to me.  Then after I got a push cart, I realized that on some holes, not doing this would require quite a walk around things.  So I'm still on the fence about this one but try to avoid when possible.

[BrianL99]

KYMAR, on 10 August 2012 - 05:48 AM, said:

Well shoot, we's sorry ya'll had such a time of it when you was slummin it down the food chain with thems reglar folk. Ya'll shoulda given him some schoolin so's he didn't keep on in that ill informed way of his.

I didn't have to, his Pro gave him some schoolin'

[Newby]

avrag, on 10 August 2012 - 04:31 AM, said:

markf1, on 10 August 2012 - 03:24 AM, said:

I played at a course last year where I was shouted at from another fairway, by a 5 ball, to "get that trolley (uk) off there". The trolley was in the rough between the bunker and the fringe. Guy came over to explain that the club rule was not between the bunkers and the green. I explained that at no time did I go near even the fringe but to no avail. No mention of this rule on the card, in the pro shop or on the club website. I guess it makes sense when it's bunker then fringe but I couldn't see the logic when there was rough there.

The idea behind it is to keep the "greenside complex" in the condition it is meant to be. Everybody uses push and pull carts where I live and the rules are pretty clear to everybody: Stay off the greens, stay off the tee boxes, do not talke them onto the fringe or into bunkers and also do not take them to the areas between the greenside bunkers and the green, no matter if its rough or cut like the fairway or like the fringe. One reason, as mentioned, is the idea to keep the playing conditions for the short game consistent for everybody, the other reason is that the grass on the edges of the bunkers (between the bunker and the green) is already really exposed. The ground is usually raised, so it dries out faster and gets easily compressed. At my club, the marshalls are under strict orders to remind the players to not take their push carts to the areas between greenside bunkers and the green.

This is the normal convention (often robustly enforced) on most of the better quality courses in the UK.
Many have a white marker line 20 or more yards before the green directing all wheels away from the front approach area and well outside the greenside bunkers. This is to keep a consistent high quality sward for those delicate chips or off fringe putts.  
Heads will roll for taking a trolley/cart between bunker and green.

[markf1]

Newby, on 10 August 2012 - 06:28 AM, said:

.  
Heads will roll for taking a trolley/cart between bunker and green.

Apparently so!

[BrianL99]

Newby, on 10 August 2012 - 06:28 AM, said:

avrag, on 10 August 2012 - 04:31 AM, said:

markf1, on 10 August 2012 - 03:24 AM, said:

I played at a course last year where I was shouted at from another fairway, by a 5 ball, to "get that trolley (uk) off there". The trolley was in the rough between the bunker and the fringe. Guy came over to explain that the club rule was not between the bunkers and the green. I explained that at no time did I go near even the fringe but to no avail. No mention of this rule on the card, in the pro shop or on the club website. I guess it makes sense when it's bunker then fringe but I couldn't see the logic when there was rough there.

The idea behind it is to keep the "greenside complex" in the condition it is meant to be. Everybody uses push and pull carts where I live and the rules are pretty clear to everybody: Stay off the greens, stay off the tee boxes, do not talke them onto the fringe or into bunkers and also do not take them to the areas between the greenside bunkers and the green, no matter if its rough or cut like the fairway or like the fringe. One reason, as mentioned, is the idea to keep the playing conditions for the short game consistent for everybody, the other reason is that the grass on the edges of the bunkers (between the bunker and the green) is already really exposed. The ground is usually raised, so it dries out faster and gets easily compressed. At my club, the marshalls are under strict orders to remind the players to not take their push carts to the areas between greenside bunkers and the green.

This is the normal convention (often robustly enforced) on most of the better quality courses in the UK.
Many have a white marker line 20 or more yards before the green directing all wheels away from the front approach area and well outside the greenside bunkers. This is to keep a consistent high quality sward for those delicate chips or off fringe putts.  
Heads will roll for taking a trolley/cart between bunker and green.

I don't recall seeing that when playing in Ireland.  I'm guessing that it relates to particularly sandy or loose soils, in dune areas? Or is there some other condition that's peculiar to GB courses?

[markf1]

While I realise what happens on the pro tours isn't always the best example - I saw heavy staff bags laid on the fringe and sat upright in the greenside rough during yesterday's PGA Championship first round.

[oneunderbogey]

Doesn't Bandon allow you to use push you cart anywhere you please?  Including greens?  They can go anywhere without doing any damage its max 50 lbs well distributed.  I'd say keep them off greens and tee boxes just because you don't want to upset anyone, but in reality they can go anywhere.  Oh id keep them out of bunkers too just because that would be more work then its worth.

[BrianL99]

oneunderbogey, on 10 August 2012 - 07:22 AM, said:

They can go anywhere without doing any damage its max 50 lbs well distributed.  I

50 lbs? How many balls are you carrying?   Or do left-handed clubs weight more?  

Edited by BrianL99, 10 August 2012 - 07:26 AM.

[oneunderbogey]

BrianL99, on 10 August 2012 - 07:24 AM, said:

oneunderbogey, on 10 August 2012 - 07:22 AM, said:

They can go anywhere without doing any damage its max 50 lbs well distributed.  I

50 lbs? How many balls are you carrying?   Or do left-handed clubs weight more?  

I said max, my bag is wayyyyyyy ligher then that, but some people are crazy