My playing partners insist on walking when I want take a cart. What should I do?
So everybody else in your group decides to walk, but you want to take a cart. What should you do next? We asked GOLF.com’s resident low-handicappers for some advice, golfer-to-golfer…
1. Go for a stroll!
Dylan Dethier (+3.3 handicap): Depending on your physical limitations, I’d recommend taking a stroll with your buddies! Walking has a ton of benefits. It’s good for your health, good for conversation, keeps the flow of the round going and makes that post-round beer that much more satisfying. There are often halfway solutions, too: Can you walk the front nine and take a cart for the back? Whatever you do, don’t hold it against ‘em. When it comes to golf, to each their own.
2. Follow the group
Luke Kerr-Dineen (2.5 handicap): Personally, I prefer to walk. But I’m a big go-with-the-flow guy on matters like these. It’s not bad etiquette to take a cart when everybody else is walking (or vice versa), but it always just feels a bit awkward. Unless you have a good reason, my advice on walking vs. riding is to follow the lead of everybody else. I’m not a purist either way.
3. Compromise with a push cart
Ashley Mayo (3.1 handicap): There’s no rule that says everyone in a foursome needs to adopt the same mode of transportation! I’d recommend you try walking, it’s a great way to exercise while playing and I firmly believe golf courses were designed specifically with walkers in mind, But if you’d really rather not walk, just grab a cart and ride slowly alongside your walking buddies. Also, before you forego walking altogether, try using a push cart. Or strike a balance and walk the front nine then ride the back nine. There truly are no hard and fast rules!
4. Walking is better
Zephyr Melton (5.5 handicap): I’d recommend getting out and walking! I started walking a majority of my rounds last year, and it’s really enhanced my enjoyment of the game.
5. Do what you want
Josh Sens (6 handicap): I don’t see a big issue here, unless your riding irritates them, or their walking irritates you. In some cases, you might have to be patient, like on holes with long hauls between greens and tees. But in other cases (cart path-only courses, for instance), you might have to take special care not to hold them up. (In my personal experience, walkers are often faster players than riders). Lastly, at the risk of sounding preachy—have you tried walking the course with them? You might like it more than you think.
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