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…
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
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.