Why You Should Walk Instead of Ride a Golf Carts
You arrive at the golf course, unload your clubs, and move towards the clubhouse. The anticipation of playing your next round of golf is palpable. When you get there, you prepare yourself to pay. As you are about to make payment, you are hit with a dilemma. Should you walk or use a cart? Here at RunRex, we think you should walk. We have many good reasons why this should be the case.
You will be preserving some of the oldest traditions of the game
Evidence of golf being played in Scotland can be traced as far back as 1457. By 1744, the first rules of golf had already been established. It was not until the 1930’s when golf cart was first introduced. However, it did not catch on. For over two hundred years, the method to play golf was by walking around the course. If you are a true believer in the traditions of golf, you should thus consider walking.
It Improves your health
When you walk, there is no doubt many health benefits to it. In fact, health experts recommend that an ordinary person complete at least 30 minutes of walking five days a week. Walking has been shown to help reduce the risk factors that are associated with many illnesses today. For instance, it has been shown to reduce the risk of heart problems by over 30 percent.
Experts from Harvard recommend that you walk 18 holes at least three times a week. An 18-hole course will usually ensure that you cover about four miles of walking in a day. If you have been looking for an excuse to play golf daily, this is a good one. For those dealing with weight problems, walking an 18-hole course can be quite beneficial. An average golfer walking will burn twice as many calories as a golfer using a golf cart.
For the social benefits
Golf is a social game. It offers you an opportunity to mingle with others. When walking on the course with friends or a relative, you are able to converse with them and strengthen the bonds between you. Besides that, as you walk, you may get an opportunity to meet new friends and grow your network. That can be very difficult to achieve if you are squeezed by people seated in a golf cart. Who knows, you might even find a life partner walking the course.
It can help you make better shots
If you watch the PGA Tour, you will note that those conditioned athletes usually walk around the course. They claim it helps them keep lose as they prepare to take their next shot. However, there is another secret benefit. Walking allows you to assess the lay of the land. You do not just get to rely on what your equipment tells you. While walking, you will get to assess the bunkers, see the land gradient for yourself, and see where the holes are positioned. Being able to collect all this information, combined with the equipment you use, it could help you make some excellent shots.
While riding on a golf cart, you will have a hard time telling the layout. You will only have your equipment to rely on. However, equipment cannot give you that authentic feel that walking gives you about the course.
It is good for peace of mind
When on a golf course, you will be rushing around from one hole to the next. That means you will not have an opportunity to enjoy the landscape. Modern golf courses are designed with aesthetics in mind. They will have well-manicured trees lined up all over the course. In fact, most golf courses will be set out in a location with an awesome view.
Walking around the course will help you take in this magnificent view. This provides you with the claim you need to take that perfect shot. Besides that, when you go back to work, you will be more relaxed and can accomplish more.
It allows you to set your rhythm
Your handicap could improve if you begin walking around the course. When you walk, you are able to set your rhythm. You will have a more consistent pre-shot routine, and you do not have to feel like you are being rushed to the next hole. Walking allows you to analyze your last hole, and thus improves the chances that you will perform better at the next one.
A Golf cart does not save time
For instance, if you are playing a foursome in a normal 18-hole round, riding the golf cart will actually cause you to waste time. Imagine all hassle required to drive to a place where a player can look for their ball in the rough. After they hit their shot, you have to drive to your ball so that you can take your shot.