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Cart Path Only

PentaKev

PentaKev

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Eugene, Oregon
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So I just joined a new club here in Seoul (Sung Nam GC) and they have an interesting rule: cart path only (CPO) at all times. I've never played a course where this was the case, but I must say that the fairways are downright perfect. The pace of play isn't very fast (I've only played on the weekends and all five rounds I've played were around 4:30+ hours but under 5, teeing off between 10am and 11:15am) each time, and ordinarily I wouldn't see the point in riding when it's CPO, but the hills on the back nine are pretty onerous. I carried my bag one time (and about died), used one of their battery-powered pushcarts another (it sucked), and rode the other three times. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I can't say the awesome conditions are a result of CPO, but you never know.
 
Interesting. While obviously I have played in conditions that warrant that, there are very few places that have this in place over here full time. One that comes to mind is PGA National Champion Course. While the resort has many golf courses on site, the Champion Course, where the PGA Tour event is held, does not allow carts on the fairways. You must remain on the cart path, but can drive in the rough when necessary.
 
Pebble Beach enforces this policy as well, which is understandable. It almost became a nuisance for me as my playing partners somehow always seemed to be behind me. I walked the course for the experience and would only take a cart should my wife be accompanying me for a round.
 
Harbour Town told me they were cart path only all the time when I played there
 
I do like it to preserve the fairways. Although I know most people dives carts with respect for the course, you do have your clowns out there that act like they never have been out of the house. Randy (Dawg Daddy) can teach people playing on CPO courses the proper number of clubs to take to your ball...lol
 
I am planning a round at TPC Harding Park during one of my next client visits and their website says the same thing. Cart path only which I did find a bit interesting
 
Doesn't suprise me at all that some courses use this policy all the time. Especially the courses that the tour plays on. I'm sure the courses fairways are much nicer than anything I've ever seen/or played on around me that does allow carts on the fairways.
 
I believe that Mount Mitchell CC in NC is CPO all of the time. We have one hole on our course that is CPO because of a natural spring in part of the fairway and it stays in great shape all year where as the Bermuda in the other fairways start to show some wear and tear by the end of the summer.
 
Personally I'd rather walk than do cart path only it just makes it easier and more fun than slicing a ball then having a cart path on the left hand side.

Bethpage Black has a no cart rule.
 
I don't think I've ever played a course that was CPO but I've seen a lot with the 90 degree rule all the time.

A little off topic, but I always wonder about those few holes on some course where they keep you well away from the green with the carts, little flags, signs or rope, sometimes over 100 yards, for no noticeable reason.
 
PentaKev said:
So I just joined a new club here in Seoul (Sung Nam GC) and they have an interesting rule: cart path only (CPO) at all times. I've never played a course where this was the case, but I must say that the fairways are downright perfect. The pace of play isn't very fast (I've only played on the weekends and all five rounds I've played were around 4:30+ hours but under 5, teeing off between 10am and 11:15am) each time, and ordinarily I wouldn't see the point in riding when it's CPO, but the hills on the back nine are pretty onerous. I carried my bag one time (and about died), used one of their battery-powered pushcarts another (it sucked), and rode the other three times. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I can't say the awesome conditions are a result of CPO, but you never know.
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Unless conditions are quite wet, the only thing cart path only accomplishes is to slow down the pace and make a rider have to walk almost as much as if he was walking instead of riding. I will play a course when such a rule is necessary temporarily due to weather, but I won't play a course which makes it a standard rule. The course may look prettier without the tire marks on the fairway grass, but it doesn't affect playability unless the course allows a lot of jerks to use the carts abusively.

I've played a lot of courses where cart path only isn't even an option because they only have paths near tees and greens, if that. It doesn't seem to have any significant effect on how the course plays. Most experienced cart users know enough to avoid obvious wet spots, and a course with a responsible maintenance crew will even stake or rope off any soggy area that may be in play or in the normal line of travel.

I realize that carts can make a mess of things if they are used irresponsibly, but that is really up to the course to manage the situation, to explain to players up front what is expected of them. Even then it's not guaranteed that they will use good sense. Players at my home course are usually instructed to keep out of the native grass. The starter will tell them, it's printed on the tag for the cart key and on a sheet in the cart itself, yet at least 2 or 3 times a year I have to tell someone I'm playing with to keep the carts out of the native rough. However, that is are the same kind of player who would set his bag on the green or push his cart across the green if he was walking. He is either terminally ignorant, or he just doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself.

There are a lot of us riders who are responsible and observant of where we drive, but we get a bad rap right along with the jerks.
 
I always seem to grab the wrong club from the cart. Though the only CPO course near me does have gps built into all the carts.

Some courses look beautiful with special cart path rules and others are loaded with dandelions and crabgrass and miss the point.
 
grathan said:
I always seem to grab the wrong club from the cart. Though the only CPO course near me does have gps built into all the carts.

Some courses look beautiful with special cart path rules and others are loaded with dandelions and crabgrass and miss the point.
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First, you take more than one club with you. I usually take 3 - the one I hope to need, and one on each side of it. Second, on cart GPS is pretty much worthless when you are parked 50 yards away on the opposite side of the hole from where your ball lies.
 
PentaKev said:
So I just joined a new club here in Seoul (Sung Nam GC) and they have an interesting rule: cart path only (CPO) at all times. I've never played a course where this was the case, but I must say that the fairways are downright perfect. The pace of play isn't very fast (I've only played on the weekends and all five rounds I've played were around 4:30+ hours but under 5, teeing off between 10am and 11:15am) each time, and ordinarily I wouldn't see the point in riding when it's CPO, but the hills on the back nine are pretty onerous. I carried my bag one time (and about died), used one of their battery-powered pushcarts another (it sucked), and rode the other three times. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? I can't say the awesome conditions are a result of CPO, but you never know.
Click to expand...

My course only does CPO after a heavy rainfall, and I love it because they allow people to walk before 2pm (which is usually the must-use-cart threshold on weekends).

Never heard of it done all day every day. Kind of defeats the purpose, no?
 
JB said:
...PGA Tour event is held, does not allow carts on the fairways. You must remain on the cart path, but can drive in the rough when necessary.
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Interesting, I play a course in central NJ, where carts are allowed on the fairway, but you MUST stay out of the rough! I've had rangers stop and tell me to get the cart onto the fairway and off the rough.
 
GenErr said:
Interesting, I play a course in central NJ, where carts are allowed on the fairway, but you MUST stay out of the rough! I've had rangers stop and tell me to get the cart onto the fairway and off the rough.
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My course asks to do the same, but I would imagine it has a lot to do with what the carts do when they ride over the thick rough in this region.
 
I have played several courses that employ that rule, but only when the conditions require. When I played Pebble that rule was in effect as well.
Other than when course conditions require it, I think it's a ridiculous rule on most public courses. It really slows play down, especially when the cart paths are on the left side of the holes and 80 percent of the golfers slice the ball right.
 
GenErr said:
Interesting, I play a course in central NJ, where carts are allowed on the fairway, but you MUST stay out of the rough! I've had rangers stop and tell me to get the cart onto the fairway and off the rough.
Click to expand...

Yep, a cart is far more likely to damage the rough than it is to hurt the fairway.
 
Drumdog said:
I have played several courses that employ that rule, but only when the conditions require. When I played Pebble that rule was in effect as well.
Other than when course conditions require it, I think it's a ridiculous rule on most public courses. It really slows play down, especially when the cart paths are on the left side of the holes and 80 percent of the golfers slice the ball right.
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Guilty.


Tapatalkin it in on my iPhone 4S
 
There are a few courses here in Vermont that will use CPO rule when wet...otherwise it's typically 90deg rule.
 
TexasHacker34 said:
I am planning a round at TPC Harding Park during one of my next client visits and their website says the same thing. Cart path only which I did find a bit interesting
Click to expand...

When I played there last year, it was cart path only. I just grabbed my range finder and a couple clubs for each shot.
 
JB said:
Interesting. While obviously I have played in conditions that warrant that, there are very few places that have this in place over here full time. One that comes to mind is PGA National Champion Course. While the resort has many golf courses on site, the Champion Course, where the PGA Tour event is held, does not allow carts on the fairways. You must remain on the cart path, but can drive in the rough when necessary.
Click to expand...

Same around here. Only time we see it is if is super wet. I'm pretty sure I would not want to play some place day in day our with that rule in place.
 
I have no problem with the rule on a really nice course. I've never played on one (until PGA National in September) but in order to keep conditions ideal when they want, I'm ok with accommodating. Properly plan and just have fun!
 
I don't buy that it's one at nice courses, if a course requires cpo all the time, that is a poorly designed course.

I will accept it when you have a ton of rain, but a course that needs it frequently was either poorly designed or built on a piece of property that probably shouldn't have a course.
 
I have seen it a few times on ours that host PGA events and others after big rain storms
 
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