Opinion & Analysis
Slow down!
“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
You’d have to live under a rock, or maybe in another country, to not have noticed how in vogue it is to rant about the ills of slow play these days, and how it’s absolutely killing our industry. With feuds between players on the PGA Tour, campaigns like the USGA’s “While We’re Young,” “Play 9,” and this year’s wholesale changes to the game’s centuries-old rules just to combat it, the casual observer could easily get the impression that modern golf has somehow evolved into a proverbial death march. Not so.
The truth is, golf has always been a slow game, and these reactions are nothing more than predictable responses to the perceived time famine of today’s constantly connected, fast-than-ever-paced lifestyles. That, and the fear amongst those in positions of authority that we may actually someday soon stop setting aside the necessary time to play this interminably slow game. But could it be that the pace of the game is perfectly appropriate? And are those trying to get it over with as quickly as possible, possibly missing the entire point? And might the real answer to our current predicament be that we all need to take a collective breath, chill out, and actually SLOW DOWN? Now I’m sure there are those out there who think I’ve gone over to the dark side for even suggesting that slow play isn’t on par with a communicable disease, but walk with me a moment, and I think you might arrive at the end of your next round with a slightly different perspective.
Despite golf’s governing bodies’ best efforts, the average round on a regulation par-72 course still clocks in around four hours, even though we actually only engage in the playing part of the game for a mere 15 to 20 minutes of that time. The rest of that round is in-between time, time spent getting from Point A to Point B over that near five-mile landscape, looking for errant shots, deliberating over the merits of a 7-Iron or a 6-Iron (when most of us should probably hit a 5-hybrid), doing business deals, rekindling dormant friendships, arguing about whether the Democrats or the Republicans are to blame for the mess in Washington, or discussing the health of aging parents whose futures we must now decide upon in one of life’s most tragic role reversals. And in today’s busy life, a round of golf is often one of the few times and places we actually slow down long enough to have these conversations without an intervening digital device of some sort.
Now, the majority of those conversations in this country are had while playing in golf carts. And as a result, a great many of us have all but forgotten what it’s like to walk a round, if we ever even knew. The proliferation of golf carts that began in the 1950’s, and our increasing desire for a faster round of golf, was not only the death knell for caddies, but seemingly for the experience of walking a round of golf in general. But instead of making the game faster, those carts are often only fueling our misperception of how slow the game is. Sure, they get us from that Point A to Point B faster, but that’s created a hurry-up-and-wait type pace that for centuries didn’t exist. And so it should come as no surprise that our game’s caretakers are doing all they can to speed up the rest of the game, even going so far as to change its rules and traditions in desperate hopes of lopping off a few seconds here and there. But have we even considered that it might instead be high time the pace of our busy lifestyles adapts to the game, rather than trying to force the pace of the game adapt to our lifestyles?
The overwhelming preference we have for riding in carts in the U.S. isn’t the case everywhere, though. A decade ago, I spent some time in England and Scotland, playing a few rounds with locals, on courses where it is still far more common to walk, than ride in buggies, as they called them, and it quickly became apparent that walking said as much about how they valued the experience, and their time on the course, as it did their level of physical conditioning. We played in roughly the same amount of time we do here (a little less actually), and when we got to our balls, amazingly, with very few exceptions, the group in front was nowhere to be seen. Is it any wonder they claim not to have near the same issues with slow play over there that we do here?
Now, I definitely don’t want to bad-mouth golf carts altogether, because they allow untold millions to enjoy this great game who would physically be unable to do so otherwise. But at least consider for a moment the physical effects of walking. Golfers who walk nine holes burn an average of 721 calories, while their buggy-bound counterparts weigh in at a mere 411. Walking strengthens the heart, helps the lungs work more efficiently, boosts both the immune and nervous systems, and even helps cognitive function. One study from a Swedish medical university done in 2008 with a sample size of over 300,000 golfers even found the life expectancy of walking golfers to be five years longer than their cart-riding counterparts. So, the sad fact is, if we all slowed down, and walked the course a bit more, we likely wouldn’t be buggy-bound quite so early in our golfing careers. And those careers would certainly last quite a bit longer.
Aside from the physical, walking offers stress-relieving mental and spiritual benefits that might not only improve your score, but how you experience your time playing. With practices like mindfulness and meditation becoming almost as in vogue as ranting about slow play, I’m surprised walking a round of golf isn’t more prescribed, and more practiced, by more gurus everywhere. It provides a much-needed break from that aforementioned fast-paced and stress-filled lifestyle when you slow down, breath deep, and relax, while looking at a familiar course with fresh eyes. It brings your mind, body, and spirit into balance, enlivens your senses, making colors more vibrant and the sounds and smells more alive. You smell the fresh-cut grass, hear the birds more clearly, the rustle of the leaves on the trees, and the crunch of the fallen ones under foot. The babble of the brook, that of your playing partners, and even that of that little voice in your head can sound different while walking, and you remember them all in much greater clarity.
I can recall elements of the courses I walked in England those many years ago, and some of the conversations I had then, in far greater detail than many of the ones I have played much more recently while riding. It reminds me of a passage from the immortal book Golf in the Kingdom, by Michael Murphy, where the Scottish Golf Pro Shivas Irons claimed, “The gemme was meant for walkin’,” upon describing a former club member that it was said for whom the walkin’ sometimes got so good he forgot to even hit his shots, and that a walk around the course was as good for the soul as a day spent in church. Hopefully this is at least some solace to those of us who’ve skipped more than one Sunday service for the lure of the links.
In the end, though, I want you to play golf in whatever way allows you to enjoy the experience most. And if walking’s not possible, or practical, I hope you at least slow down enough to take a hard look at why you’re playing in the first place, and where you’re in such a hurry to get to. Isn’t being on the golf course, after all, one of those well-earned rewards that we all work so hard for? Have the demands of our modern lifestyle become so great that we can’t at least mentally step off the merry-go-round during those times we’ve set aside to do just that? And has the thought of walking, or at least stopping to smell the roses (or fresh cut grass) become so cliché that we merely nod and pay homage to them as the quaint notions of a time long past? I hope not, for as Shivas Irons ultimately said, “If ye’ can enjoy the walkin’, ye can probably enjoy the other times in life when ye’re in between. And that’s most o’ the time’ wouldn’t ye say?”
In the spirit of that, the following is my adaptation of a little poem titled “Slow Dance,” by psychologist David L. Weatherford. I call it “Slow Down.” And for your sake, I hope it doesn’t resonate too loudly.
Do you race through each round, in your cart on the fly? Ask a partner how are you, but not hear their reply?
You better slow down, don’t play so fast. Time is short, this round won’t last.
Ever followed your ball’s erratic flight? Or do you just look away, disgusted at the sight?
When the round is done, do you lie awake in bed, with only bad shots, running through your head?
You’d better slow down, don’t play so fast. Time is short, this round won’t last.
Ever told your child, I’m late for my game, we’ll play tomorrow? And in your haste, not see their sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let your old foursome die? Cause you couldn’t find the time, and now you wonder why?
You’d better slow down, don’t play so fast. Time is short, this round won’t last.
When you try to play fast, just to get somewhere, you’ll miss most of the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry, through your round each day, it’s like an un-opened gift thrown away.
This game is not a race, so do take it slower, and figure out why you’re out there, before the round is over.
And Slow Down… Don’t play so fast… Our time is short… And this round won’t last…
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
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In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.
While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.
Here are some of my key takeaways.
Method Teacher
It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.
Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.
The Cult of Stack and Jilt
The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”
Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.
These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.
Fooled by Randomness
In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.
Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.
Practice
One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”
Sunk Cost
The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.
Cliches
Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.
The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.
This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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Myron Miller
May 14, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Actually two different subjects in this article: Pace of Play and whether to walk or ride. And contrary to Mr. Dowd, they really are totally different topics. Whether to walk or not is a multi-faceted issue with many points that Mr. Dowd totally ignores. I walked for years until age and infirmities caught up with me. And I’ve played all over the country, walking and riding. Besides the physical condition of the walker, is the outdoor conditions which Mr. Dowd totally ignores. I’ve played in Nevada where the starting temperature in the morning was 108 degrees and when we finished in 4 hours was 115 degrees. Most people cannot walk the 7-9 miles up and down hills in that temperature. In fact, once it reaches about 90 something 99% of the walkers have issues walking. Streamsong in Florida has super prices in the summer and yet almost no one plays after about 11am and 1/5 the winter numbers play even early and most of those use a cart. Did he even consider this issue. And there are other issues about carts not mentioned.
But the bigger issue and what he is totally out to lunch on in my opinion is the pace of play issues. When I was younger, an average round was about 3-3.5 hours. Rarely did a round last more then 4.25. Today, an average round is closer to 4.5 hours and often is 5.5 to 6 hours. And he is suggesting (title even implies this), to ‘SLOW DOWN’. That means that the average round now will increase even more, 10% which isn’t much will put the average over 5+ hours with many reaching 7 hours. Adding warmup times and a little time for beer with friends after the round and we’re talking 8-10 hours for the round. That’s not just slow, it’s ridiculous. Try to play 36 or 54 holes at this pace. Often I’ve played 36-54 at resorts such as Bandon Dunes (4 courses) or Whistling straits (4 courses). I can enjoy the different environment on each course and marvel how the architect routed the course thru the landscape. 36 holes is easy to walk (normally) and you still should have time to see everything and talk about a lot of things. Couple of weeks ago, a friend (dedicated walker) and myself played 36 at Streamsong in Florida in little less than 9 hours, including time between rounds. And we actually thought we were a little too slow at times, but had time to marvel at some of the features.
For me personally, 5+ hour rounds are torture chambers because of my serious arthritis that stiffens up when I can’t keep moving. So slowing down would mean I (and many other handicapped people like myself) would have to give up the game which is what all the grow the game programs are trying to avoid. Just what we need someone advocating longer rounds and making the game slower than it is in many parts of the country.
One can easily walk and enjoy the scenery and still play in under 4.5 hours.
Tom54
May 13, 2019 at 4:36 pm
The way a lot of courses have their cart paths set up with having to park so far from the greens and not being able to get too close to them from let’s say 50 yds out, I think that there is still plenty of walking going on when playing. Plus the real bonus is not having to walk so far to some of the next tees. Even though I enjoy the exercise the cart is still the way to go for me. If it gets slow, you’ve got a place to rest. The real treat is of course being outdoors and enjoying the weather and the scenery. What a great game
Brian L
May 13, 2019 at 4:28 pm
I agree with the walking component of the game (and it’s meant to be walked vs being in a cart) but disagree walking is akin to slowing down. I’d actually say most the walkers where I play are much much faster than the cart guys. And in Ireland and Scotland they play in 3.5 hours walking or you get yelled at. I think the issue is cart guys tend to be less frequent golfers who have little awareness or appreciation for the flow of the course.
So please do walk, but don’t take it for a license to play in PGA style 5 hour rounds.
Timbo
May 13, 2019 at 4:10 pm
A big cause for slow play is golf courses setting up 7 – 8 minute tee times instead of at least 10. Then you wait alot, only to hear the marshal start yelling to hurry up.
SG
May 13, 2019 at 10:50 am
I love how people automatically associate “slow down” with slow play. And 31 shanks, yikes. The best investment in golf next to lessons is a good pair of shoes and a friendly foursome.
Thomas A
May 13, 2019 at 9:31 am
I do not golf at courses that don’t allow for walking (unless I’m at my dad’s place in Kississmee). I hate that layout, some holes are 1/4 mile from green to tee. Two weeks ago I walked 18 in 3:15, got rained on for 5 holes, ran into a high school foursome, they invited me to play with them. They were great kids with course edict and having fun. That never would have happened in a cart.
Ronald Montesano
May 13, 2019 at 7:54 am
Sorry you drew the short straw and had to write this article, from this perspective. The game is hemorrhaging participants like a wound to the neck, mainly due to slow play. Golf does need its racecar drivers. The choreography of the walk is critical to effecting a properly-timed round. Citing GITK is nice, except it doesn’t refer to golf courses filled to the brim with folks who play once a week and need to get around. If you live on a remote island off Scotland’s coast, let the gemme be fer walkin slew. If you live in an area of dense golfing population and still wish to play, play quickly. Good lord, I could go on and write a total counter article to all the premises in this one. Here’s a lifted glass to the day when we can walk slowly, play quickly, and anger no one.
Juan
May 13, 2019 at 4:22 am
Slow play is awfull. But it does not mean to run over the course. A comon player with friends in a foursome should play in less the 4 hours.
You dont have to look a putt fron the 4 sides and look from behaind every shot or take 4 swings.
Golf should be a good walk a play as you arrive to the ball.
I
May 13, 2019 at 12:33 am
But nobody is going to tell all the country clubs and the whole industry and all the lazy seniors to get rid of carts and start walking. You’re all too chicken to do it. Not only that, a majority of the golf courses being played on the Tour, including the women’s, are not designed for walking. The gaps between the holes are designed to put grandstands for the fans, and some of the gaps between the 9th and 10th holes are on completely different sides of the property that it takes 30 minutes just to get to the other hole, for any normal person to be able to walk it in less than 5 hours is impossible.
James
May 12, 2019 at 8:24 pm
As I have grown up in played competitive or I have been forced to play golf on foot rather than on a cart. I enjoy my rounds far more walking than in a cart. When I am tired I will only play 9, and extend my time on the course through shortgame practice around the greens on each hole. Although it would be overly critical to make a statement such as: “nobody has time to walk a round of golf”, I still feel that the majority of people I know have time to do so somewhere throughout the week.. it’s just up to the individual whether or not they choose to spend the extra amount of time on the course walking.
Walking a course is an opportunity to be in my own thoughts. It presents me an opportunity to deal with my stresses and the challenges life are giving me at the time. Walking allows me to spend QUALITY time with people I enjoy and even with people I discover to be great playing partners.
Walking also gives me that opportunity to get out and moving. When I cant get to the gym, I still feel great about myself to walking a round. I do believe though that large part to why some may not walk is because of their skill levels and how frustrating the game can be and I can admit that it would be dreadful to walk you around if you don’t have the skills necessary to at least find your ball and play a few holes stretches without taking 3 extra shots from the rough to get to the green.
Everyone has their perspectives. Im just fortunate to have the time that allows me to walk. I appreciate what it has done for me. I am very stubborn and avoid a cart even when offered. Ill use it if im preserving energy before a tournament or just heading out for some shortgame… but thats rare.
I appreciate this article. Fresh air for me and hits home. Walk when you can!
David
May 12, 2019 at 5:32 pm
wow. i haven’t read an article in years that resonated with me so much. i had a chance to discuss my aging parents issues with my regular foursome recently. no amount of professional help could have allowed me the space or time or opportunity to discuss such a topic while feeling supported and comforted in my surroundings. Golf gives u so much that we forget what a wonderful game it is. thankyou for the reminder.
Mike Dowd
May 13, 2019 at 2:49 pm
So glad to hear you agree David, and glad you enjoyed the article. I know carts are the reality of the game today, but I can’t tell you how eye-opening it was to spend time walking a course in a country where it was pretty much the way the game was expected to be played. It was just a different feel altogether, kind of like going back in time, and with so many ancillary benefits to walking I hope we don’t completely abandon the prospect altogether chasing the illusion of a faster round because unless you’ve got the course to yourself, it just isn’t likely to happen. Cheers!
Mick
May 12, 2019 at 4:32 pm
My best rounds ever were walking. Cant do it as much as I would like, getting to old , however, this sport was really made for the player to walk. Sickening now how many young players never walk, and carts are just $$$$ to courses now. Walking a golf course is great fun and allows one to think more about their shots.
Scratchscorer
May 13, 2019 at 9:49 am
Completely agree with everything you said.
Putt Stuff
May 12, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Cart ball is a disgrace! Make Golf Great Again! Ban the “Arthritis Special” except for those that absolutely require it!
The number of golfers who have never walked 9 or 18 holes in their life would astonish most of us. How long has it been since you hoofed it? If I had my way I would never play using a golf car again. The golf car should only be used as the mean to extend our ability to enjoy the game when our bodies begin to fail. We should not be surprised about the rhythm and zen which defines the walking golfer.
The golf car is one of the reasons that the growth of the game has stagnated. Young people are no longer caddies growing up because of the golf cart. Golf professionals transferred the money paid to caddies to themselves through their ownership and subsequent promotion of their golf car fleet.
I grew up as a caddie and know many people from all socioeconomic backgrounds that used that opportunity to both earn and learn from the game. The privilege of playing and socializing with many minority golfers (mostly black men) illuminated the importance of caddying as their primary courtship in a lifelong relationship with the game. The bond created between young and old, rich and poor through a synchronized march and shared challenge is a significant and powerful testament to the game we love.
The author’s views on pace of play are in my opinion very accurate and in line with my experiences. I have played a large number of rounds both domestic and abroad where walking is required and have found Pace of Play is rarely an issue. When walking is the norm groups naturally ebb and flow at walking speeds instead of the hurry up and wait pace of golf carts. I have found it difficult when in a cart to resist other conditioned driving behaviors like the urge to pass or go as fast as possible. Carts make me impatient. For me, walking while playing golf presents a challenge that is the opposite from hurried hectic pace of our everyday rat race. I wish leaders would view the pace of the game as an opportunity instead of a threat. As the world speeds up around us golf has to own its pace as part of its identity, in the parlance of today pace is a feature and not a bug.
Sweep the dew in the morning or chase the sun down in the evening, for any number of holes, please, please, remember to enjoy the walk.
T
May 12, 2019 at 2:33 pm
Thank you for writing this article. It is written directly and elegantly, pointing a finger at the failures of the governing bodies, of the game’s so-called “leaders” who are more concerned with profit than they are quality. The constant conversation of “pace of play” directly correlates with the pace of life dilemma – golf was here long before we were, and believe it or not, it will be here long, long after we are gone. Everybody seems to forget that we need golf, golf doesn’t need us. Leave the game alone.
Mike Dowd
May 13, 2019 at 2:54 pm
You’re very welcome T. Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope in some small way it can at least be a conversation starter. Golf has been around more than 500 years, and I agree, it will endure, whether we leave the flagstick in or not, play in 3 hours or 5, or even spend half that time on our smartphones. And hopefully we’ll each figure out how best to enjoy it, and that time while we’re still here.
FORE!
May 12, 2019 at 1:47 pm
The yous of the world just need to let the mes play through. That’s it. If I want to smell flowers, I’ll go to a funeral. I’m there to hit the ball 95 times and go home hating myself. Not being remotely satirical BTW.
Bill Pickelson
May 12, 2019 at 2:30 pm
Spot on. There’s no problem with people playing slowly, as long as they don’t make everyone else play at their pace.
I used to work at a very famous golf course as a course marshal, and once had a group tell me they had paid their money so had the right to do whatever they wanted.
They had paid their money, but so had every other group behind them who wanted to enjoy their round too.
Don’t be selfish. Stand aside. Let naturally faster groups play through.
Thomas A
May 13, 2019 at 9:28 am
That’s frustrating. Tell them “more people have paid that are waiting on you.”
Tom
May 12, 2019 at 1:30 pm
Beautifully written article. Thank you for your work
Mike Dowd
May 13, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Thank you Tom. So glad you appreciated it, and hope it helps at least provide some perspective. Keep swinging!
Nack Jicklaus
May 12, 2019 at 12:59 pm
I grew up walking my local 9 hole course in the 1990’s. Nowadays, the only course that exists within a 30 minute drive of me does not allow walking. It makes me sad…
Radim Pavlicek
May 13, 2019 at 9:37 am
Move to Europe. Exactly the opposite here.
Acemandrake
May 12, 2019 at 12:55 pm
I do what I can to enable & motivate myself to walk: Carry 6 clubs, play during off-peak hours and allow myself to play as few or as many holes as I want to play that day.
The stress relief from walking is real as you feel more connected to nature.
This is the best way to practice.
Chris Kilmer
May 12, 2019 at 12:30 pm
Couldn’t agree more!
Max
May 12, 2019 at 12:15 pm
I’m a walker 90pct of the time. Mostly carry with some push cart and caddy rounds thrown in. My home course is older and walks quite well. About half the rounds played are walk or pushcart at this course.
I recently played 3 rounds at some newer housing development centric courses. Walking them would have been a real pain and there would have been some between hole traverses that would have added maybe 30min to the round. Modern course economics are probably half of the problem.
I chalk up the other half to modern equipment. The member tees at most courses today have to play over 6200yds because most men can hit it 240yds. Even the 20hdcp guys. Of course the extra 20-30yds also means wilder and harder to find shots. That just adds more time. I would say that for most 10hdcp+, modern drivers have made them score worse.
I grew up playing a course that was 6500 from the tips back in the persimmon and balata days. I played with the occasional tour pro. They shot low scores but nothing obscene. Today, as a 5 index I can shoot around par from 7300yds on an otherwise similar course. I’m 40 years old and can carry driver 300yds+. With my old steel shaft Ping Eye2 wood driver, I would top out at maybe 265yds in high school.
If you want to see rounds pick up the pace without running between shots, have people play from one tee forward and leave their driver in the trunk. It will shorten the walk/drive along with eliminating the 240yd drive that goes 100yd right.