“Walkability” of the Executive Courses
 

There are a few reasons that I choose to walk when I play golf. Golf is a mental game; walking to my next shot gives me the time to clear my mind from the previous bad shot. Walking is also good exercise. (I use a push cart; I’m not so much of a purist that I want to carry the bag.)
I discovered that on a few courses, a player must cover a bit of distance from one green to the next tee box. (The walk from the #6 green to the #7 tee at Loblolly comes immediately to mind.)
Has anyone created a “walkability” rating for the Executive courses that might be similar to the playability ratings?
The length of the continuous cart path vs. maximum yardage would be a factor. Total elevation change over the path might be another.

Have not seen this information.

Most are very walkable.

If you walk "normal" courses, you should have no problem with executives in TV.

If you come across an executive which you feel is not walkable.......take note.

Some of the news courses are not on Google Maps, but you could review GM for green-to-tee walks.

Too far
 

The walk on Loblolly number 6 isn’t all that doable when there are 10 minutes between tee offs (Magnolia Plaza is closer) and the group behind you knows what they are doing. Most don’t walk it believe. I’m sure the ambassador on duty figures a work around or golfers just walk to number 7 and skip 6? You certainly couldn’t do a mix of walkers and a cart. Grey Fox is kinda like that too.

There are a few courses that have at least one long walking gap between holes - Escambia, Okechobee, Mangrove, Palmetto and Churchill Greens come to mind. Your group will likely have hit before you make it to the next tee.

Yes, that is a long walk from 6 green to7 tee and it is on an MMP. We never walk on an MMP, so we do not play that course.

When the Village of McClure was being built, they had a display at Fenney Rec Center showing a map of the houses and the holes of Loblolly and Longleaf golf courses. It showed a WALKING PATH from 6 green to 7 tee on Loblolly, but THAT WALKING PATH WAS NEVER BUILT!!!

It proved to us that we cannot trust TV to do what they say they will do.

I always walk the executives usually with golfers using carts. Before we tee off I announce that long walks from green to next tee I will take off before everyone has putted out and not to think me rude, just trying to maintain pace of play. I use my apply watch to measure the distance I walk. What’s interesting is it’s always a 2.1 mile walk regardless of course and I play 11 courses. The exception is Sarasota which is 2.2 miles.

Just a thought on the courses with the long distance between a hole, catch a ride with someone in your group in thier cart. This way you don't slow down play (Good Golf) and you still get to clear your mind while golfing and lots of exercise.

I walk Churchill often, and after the long walk from (not sure of the number, I think it's between 5 and 6) even if I'm the only walker in the group, it seems there is always a wait on the tee for the fairway to clear. Maybe not so much during the summer, but nearly always in the months I am in TV, late September though to mid-May.
My point is that generally, the pace of play on the executives is slow enough that you probably won't hold things up by walking, even if there is a long walk in between one or two holes.

‘ walking to my next shot gives me the time to clear my mind from the previous bad shot.”

Yeah. While the rest us wait for you to finish you stroll.

And it’s gone!

Civil discourse was maintained all the way to this post. It’s a miracle these days, really.

Another miracle: No one used the dreaded D-word - Developer.

Gonna go buy me a lottery ticket!!

Starters don’t care about mixed groups. I’ve karted several of the longer executives with walkers. Play time is what it is.

I don’t use a pedometer and I haven’t played many of the Executive courses, but the 2.1 mile average is interesting! Several comments offer actions that would not negatively affect the pace-of-play. I’ll consider implementing some of these on my next round. Playing more often will also decrease the number of poor shots so others aren’t further delayed while I get my mind back on the game.:thumbup:

Nice comment. Really makes you sound like a pleasure to play golf with.

Golf is a Mental Game
 

Now thats funny!!!!!!!!!

Walked them all. Only a few are a hard walk.

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like the further north you go, the more walkable the courses are. Orange Blossom is a great walk.

Do not know of anything but you do have a great idea.

My home course in Nashville was/is a 6+ mile walk with many hills. I walked it almost every day. 2.1 miles seems like it would be pretty easy, other than the fact that its pretty hot here in the summer.

BTW pull carts don't count as walking in my biased view :). Just walk briskly and lug the bag, its usually quicker and forces you to carry less junk. The exercise makes you feel so good once you are used to it.

Probably drive like play golf…..inpatient cussing everyone in you’re road…:boom:

That would certainly focus the mind - and how many clubs does one really need for an Executive?

Since most exec courses have at least one par 4, we carry a full set of clubs.

This spreadsheet includes total path distance, but doesn't account for slope of the course.

Golf Course Database - The Villages 101


I could easily add a "1 to 5" rating for each exec course based on this thread

We showed up for our 6pm tee time at Loblolly several weeks ago and we planned to rent cart due to long distance to get there. Starter says sorry it’s too late to rent and we had to walk. Other couple we were introduced to were riding. We can handle a walk. All was going nice until the lady says do you remember the walk to #7? Whew, what a walk/run we had. Couldn’t even cut any corners to make shorter distance. Finally get to the T box and the couple had already hit four shots off the tee. We all chuckled after we caught our breath and I made note of that course. lol

I walk it all the time and never have a timing issue. If by chance, the group behind me catches up to me while walking (has never happened) I would let them play through.

That is the courteous thing to do, however in TV, letting players "through" is a no-no. I guess the ambassadors get confused as which groups are which...definitely not allowed on the championship course, maybe the executive courses don't mind it. I don't think they allow it.

If you are on the "time-par" your fine. You don't need to do anything. If you've fallen behind the time-par and you are holding up play, you need to pick up the pace until you are caught up on the clock.

Some people insist that if you have a hole open in front of you and you are holding up the group behind you are "behind" but that is not the standard in TV. It's the "time-par" printed on every scorecard that tells you how many minutes since your tee time , per hole, what your time schedule is. Those guys behind you getting impatient can just cool their jets if you are on time as dictated on the card.

if the time-par listed on the card doesn't allow for a brisk walker to keep pace, then that's poor design, not the walker's fault.
Especially if they are going to make you pay a trail fee for using the cart.

And then I'll have to wait to putt while the rest of you take 4 swings in the bunker.

Belmont and Pimlico are not exactly short either.:smiley:

My wife and I always walked, Championship and Exec. If the cart riders could not keep up with us, that was their problem.

It is rare, very rare, that a walker has slowed any group that I played in on an executive golf course. Even some of the PGA champions tour players ride in a golf cart and they are much younger than most of us . A cart allows 80 and 90 year old golfers to still play and also others younger who have a handicap. Life is great. Fore!

This is an excellent resource! Thank you for sharing it. :clap2:

Agree. Slow play is created by looking for balls and insisting on putting the ninth shot into the hole.

Agree with this... Walkers in almost all cases keep the game moving and do not slow play. We have played in many mixed (carts & walkers) groups and it is the players who are not paying attention to play ready golf are the ones that slow play.

Yeah, one time we were playing with a guy who rode in a golf cart. He fell behind a little, so I went to check on him and he had fallen asleep.

I would say most executive courses are walkable, Gray Fox would be one I have played that is not walkable as a few holes are spread apart and not counting the walk to the 1st tee!