Having participated in the game to varying degrees since early childhood, there are few things I haven’t experienced on the golf course during the past few decades, but I had never used a buggy before. However, that all changed last week.
Golfers in different areas of the world – and those who are accustomed to playing in hotter climates on holiday – will have likely used a buggy (or cart, for our North American readers) to zoom between shots at speed, meaning that you don’t have the strain of walking, carrying your bag around, or lugging a trolley up and down the fairways.
But this was not something I had done. These small vehicles are not a standard part of the golfing culture in my native Scotland (or Britain at large) and they are often solely the preserve of older players or those with disabilities for whom having to walk for 18 holes can understandably be prohibitive. Many clubs will even place age restrictions or other limitations on who is eligible to use them.
(Golf Buggy at La Cala, Spain)
So, it was never really part of my golfing reality.
Playing Golf in a Buggy For The First Time
However, a rewarding visit to the newly rebranded Craigtoun Course on the outskirts of St Andrews changed all of that.
Becoming the eighth venue operated by the Links Trust, this vast and attractive property isn’t the easiest walk with there being several substantial gaps between holes, but it’s a layout that offers an intriguing alternative to the traditional seaside courses that you can tick off within the town itself and this is definitely somewhere you should consider visiting.
Given the lengthy and undulating nature of this design, buggies are readily available for all golfers and they would certainly be recommended for those who may find striding the fairways a physical toll. Having previously walked all 18 holes here on a warm day earlier this summer, I can see why it would be a beneficial option for a considerable number of players.
While I’m traditionally minded and believe that golf should – if possible – be a walked activity, I was nonetheless intrigued to discover just how the rhythm and flow of a round would change when my group was assigned a pair of buggies, with two golfers sharing each of them.
Walking For 18 Holes is a Very Different Experience
I have to say that my thoughts on the importance of walking felt validated after stepping off the 18th green. The experience of playing a round was fundamentally transformed – and not for the better.
While there is an element of undeniable fun to dashing around at speed along fairways and skipping between greens and the next tee (it’s considerably less stressful than driving a car on the roads of North East Fife, let me tell you), the novelty quickly wore off and it didn’t “feel” like a proper round of golf anymore.
You lose those moments of quiet serenity to ponder your next shot, you have less opportunity to fully consume the setting and environment around you, and there is an inherent lost sense of connection with the topography and landscape of the course itself that you can normally build underfoot.
Why Using a Buggy Doesn’t Make You Play Quicker
Strangely, while you are moving between shots at accelerated speed, the overall round doesn’t seem to pass any quicker, especially when a buggy is shared, meaning that there is a lot of darting back and forth, left and right, with the other player spending more time than normal watching their partner hitting shots.
Your relationship with the course itself is fundamentally altered in an unsatisfying fashion.
But it should be recognised that buggies do have an essential place in the sport, they make the game accessible to those who would otherwise struggle to physically walk a full course, and there are certain climates and styles of hilly, expansive layouts that make them necessary, but where and when possible, I was left with the belief that, ultimately, a round of golf is best completed by walking if you can.
I shall return for more, certainly, but next time, I will choose to fully stretch my legs.