When playing with partners, walking a course is often faster than riding in a golf cart.
Really - although it seems counterintuitive.
One of the reasons golf carts were introduced in the first place was to allow more players onto a course at the same time. And carts do that by speeding the time it takes a group on the No. 1 tee to reach its first shots of the day. That shortens the gap between tee times.
But over the course of 18 holes, a foursome sharing two carts wastes a huge amount of time driving from one rider's ball to the other rider's ball (see Golf Etiquette for more comments on this).
Walkers, on the other hand, each walk directly to their own ball. A secondary effect of walking directly to your own ball is a reduction in the amount of time you spend chatting with your playing partner in a cart before actually hitting the next shot. A walker can use the time spent trodding to his or her ball to think about their next shot and to think about club selection.
Walking a course gets you closer to the golf course. That's not some weepy get-close-to-nature sentiment. It's a way to learn more about the courses you play, to gain an appreciation for the nuances of a golf course that just aren't visible from a golf cart.
And then there's the scientific study that shows golfers who walk (or at least those golfers who took part in this particular study) score better than those who ride.
Nobody is suggesting that carts be banned or that longtime riders should give up the practice completely. There are certainly good reasons to use a golf cart from time to time.
But the next time you step on the first tee, try to just keep stepping - all around the golf course. You'll be doing a favor for yourself, your course and your game.
