I’m gonna be 66 in a few weeks, for whatever that’s worth.
I understand golf course operators’ profit motive - especially Muni courses that are always under pressure to produce revenue (or get sold off to developers).
Just seems to me that riding is anti-thetical to getting into / staying in shape. Again, imo.
I’ve read and heard many other golfers say they feel they play better when walking a round.
It’s amazing how many of the younger golfers are riding golf carts instead of walking.
Those are probably the same kind who’ll pay to get on a treadmill . Staring at a small monitor with scenery, while they “exercise”.
Ha, our City had threatened to take back the 3 municipal golf courses( plus a 9 hole executive ), for higher and better use ? Like proposed homeless camp ?
Unbelievable !
What courses should do is purchase motorized remote control golf bag carts. Cheaper than full cart leasing. Id take one! Just like walking with a caddy! I have a “sunset” bag and will carry if I’m doing a late evening 9. Usually, I use my TEK 3 wheeler. I think the remote bag cart is a pretty novel and profitable idea. Less insurance than a motorized cart!
I’d really love to get one of those remote controlled carts. I got to try one a few times and it’s so much easier to just walk without having to push or pull your cart up hills. I’d rent that over a cart any day, but I know a lot of players would still want to ride.
My wife knows that I want an electric cart which will follows or lead the golfer with a control clipped to his /her belt. Some of the high end ones will be over 6 grands.
Probably not going to happen unless the technology drop the price point.
The industry has the know-how like 2 decades ago. Just too expensive for the average guys. I think the cheapest ones starting at about 3-4 grands. Those supposed to go up in an angle of 15 degrees without help. Water proof dual motors and powered by lithium battery.
Yes, I would rent one from my local golf courses if it’s available. Personal one will be too expensive to purchase and to keep.
This. And I have a bad problem with losing balls when I go after them in a cart, vs. walking.
I also feel like I see the course better from walking. Not that my scores would reflect it.
Though I’m really curious how well I’d do lately. I haven’t played in a few months, and practiced rarely this last month & a half due to work. Four free hours at a go, just aren’t happening.
Though weirdly, the last practice session i squeezed in a week or so ago, I was killing my irons. Like 5-7 mph ball speed ahead of previous best. Weird.
Like MJT (above) I’ll ride when it’s hot/humid, otherwise it’s pull cart. Walking ~5 miles with a 30lb’ish bag a few times a week serves my purposes. Yes, I absolutely play better and faster when walking. By the time I get to my ball, I have a feel for all I need. A quick glance at lie, glance at Garmin watch to confirm distance, then - bang - trigger pulled.
Your time away from golf gave your body a chance to rest and heal. Not surprised that you’d gained a few MPH swing speed, at the same time as a trade off, your timing and tempo could be a little off from not golfing for awhile.
Walking not only exercise your legs, also your hip and lower back.
A lot of us will have sore fingers and hands if we golf everyday. Hence Ben Hogan mentioned in his book of “Power Golf” to exercise hands and fingers. Which is often neglected by the golfer !
I actually lost 20 mph. I had developed so many bad moves adjusting without looking I was a wreck. I literally had to rebuild my swing. I am using pretty specifically Kyle Berkshire training regimens and philosophy. Look I’m not gonna get 230mph ball speed. But I went from 118-120 to 140-145 and I know there’s more. How much, remains to be seen. But eating right, getting fit, speed training like an animal. Letting the body rest. My goal was to hit a golf ball 250. I have surpassed that goal. What I know, is while I’m still relatively young, 63, I can get more.
Edit to the post! Big Day tomorrow…3 hour session with Trakman. I’m going with one of my partners. I have been putting in some work…Only lost 4# since Jan 4th so alot more to go. I have been doing the exercises and measuring swing speeds with driver only since 12/10. My speeds are up! from 93-95mph to 99-103mph now…tomorrow a golf ball gets in the way. Report card tomorrow nite!
I called up an elderly couple yesterday to check on their well being. One being over 80 and one near the 80. They’re doing very well for their age, besides the regular health maintenance, they confirmed they’re seeing a specialist for supplements.
Very surprised to learn that their fish oil intake is 4000 mg per day. That’s a very high dose. Obviously somehow it prevented the typical arthritis flare up with the older folks.
I questioned the high dosage use, but they assured me it is being monitored and monthly tested.
This confirmed the use of fish oil in high dose in my own case without seeing a specialist.
I’d say try it out for a month before you do your annual test . This way you could monitor for any ill regularity.
So the session with trakman was interesting. I use the PRGR to measure my swing speed at home. We used it along with the trakman. Here’s some strange things my partner who’s SS is significantly lower than mine was spot on between the 2. Ballspeed, SF, SS was ll within a couple clicks. For me, the numbers were way off. Trakman had me 97-98 avg. With highest SS at 104. My PRGR never measured more than 93. My Ball speed on Trakman was avg 144-148 with a high of 153. The PRGR never registered higher than 138. My AoA and Launch Angles was really bad. So there’s what I need to work on Distances obviously we’re bad. I never hit further than 258. Width, width, width. Is my new mantra and I have to trust that…so that minor addition to the practice swing and real swing is definitely a comfort thing. Width, proper turn, there’s the secret. I will get at least 2 more sessions in February. I really gotta lose weight! BTW am sore as the Dickens!
Odd, that the PRGR would be that far off on ball speed. (The swing speed, OTOH, doesn’t surprise me at all.) I don’t have a PRGR, but I did think it was supposed to be pretty close on the ball speed. Smash sounds like it could be a skosh higher. 1.5 x 104 is 156, but your numbers still sound good.
Something to do with where the portable monitor is placed, relative to the ball? I’ve not tinkered with placement of the unit vs the ball, but it is something I should probably mess around with, and try to be more consistent about. Plus, should the relative position change depending on the club?
Definitely work on the increased AoA. (The empty ball sleeve box in front of the tee drill, is decent for determining if you’re hitting up with driver or not.) I think such launch angle changes might help even more than a few more MPH of club speed from a bigger arc. But why not get both, right?
TY I’ll try that empty ball sleeve!
We can only stretch an old rubber band so far before it’s limit. No matter what a senior dose to improve ; we could not turn back the clock.
Be careful of not tp try too hard on trying. One thing a senior does not want is injury.
delaying the process is the best that an aging golfer could ask for. Change in diet is a long range journey before we’ll see any results ( months /years), Exercise is a mid range goal setting ( several months).
Medication/ supplements will see change with results in days or weeks.
No one has discovered the fountain of youth, yet.
Not looking for fountain of youth. I look at it this way…if the ladies can pump it out consistently 250-260 @ 93-96mph SS, I should be able to also, that is plain and simple executing proper mechanics. I’m now generating consistent swing speeds higher than the LPGA averages. My partner is still floundering around 82-85. I’m looking for my potential for my age. Last year there were 2 hits I heard…me hitting the ball and the ball hitting the ground 
… I no longer am in that category! Although, I will get lucky and push that magical 300 number on a rare occasion… I want to be in that 245-260 number distance wise consistently. Then I can play 420 yd par 4’s without having to tee it up twice…LOL. I can hit Dr, 6,7,8iron in! That is huge. I can reach a 500 yd par 5 in 2 with 2 perfect strikes. 97-98 mph SS is pretty good considering last Feb…I was max top speed of 87 and season end last year I was 93-96. Like I said…I think I can attain more losing weight, getting more fit, building flexibility…It’s all intertwined…if you follow me.
Of course, and I agree and “follows”.
It’s as simple as comparing running a piece of machinery to human body. Since most of us like data and numbers these days and trusting the source of the data generated by tech equipment.
So here we go, if we run a piece of aged equipment to the limit often; with or without the proper maintenance, it’s still likely to cause additional issue prematurely .
If we’re not using that as an example, and for some reason we had found the fountain of youth; just look at the facts that there are more incidents of injury ( some were career bending injury ) these days than it used to be. With the younger, competing professional golfers.
Why is that ? Because we have pushed the envelop of human physical ability to the edge.
Golf swing is quite different now, even from a few decades ago. Injury is unavoidable if we imply the " correct " technics to stretch it to our physical limit
You talked about LPGA, yes, lots of the male golfers I know trying to compare their “distance” with the ladies. However, there are also many young ladies on the LPGA had injury which prohibit them to perform at the top level.
I don’t have to mention names, there are plenty who are in their 30’s, could no longer compete. A few top LPGA golfers quit after they had amass enough reward from endorsement and price money. Smart ones did retire early before more serious injury would occur, to prevent them from a normal life after their retirement.
The recreational golfers should not, in any case, cause their own injury by chasing the golfer’s dream. Most of us , will not even compete in the regional section, anywhere.
Bragging right and $2 Nassau, enjoy the walk on the golf course, relax away from the daily grind. Have fun !
I would not even put a young person through the grinder if they have little chance of turning professional. Plus there are plenty of professionals not getting a piece of the glory , reward.
You’re welcome. I forget how far in front of the tee to place it—so why not experiment, right?—a driver head length seems about right, but it will definitely let you know if you’re hitting down or up on the driver. And a crushed ball sleeve box is less aggravating to chase than a head cover.
On the “hearing it hit”: Yeah, with driver that’s no bueno, but I love hearing a well-struck iron shot hit. Comes down with a meaty Thud! and stops like the ball wanted to set up roots and raise a family there… Occassionally with a zihhhh! sound if it’s a short iron/wedge, like a yo-yo.
Totally agree with you. We need to be real careful about what ‘dream’ we are chasing and what the long term cost is to our health. Do I want to have a few years driving the ball 280-300, yeah! Do I want that at the cost of not being able to pick my grand children up or get in and out of a car or take the dog for nice long walks? Of course not.
Exercise, diet and training for one specific thing is a dangerous road to take. Its very easy to overstress the muscles, connective tissue and joints and cause damage that stops us doing what we are actually training for. I have seen ‘golf swing’ exercise videos that should come with a health warning. Some compound resistance training (deadlifts are excellent as the link the entire posterior chain BUT with good form and light to moderate weight) plenty of stretching and adequate rest along with some cardiovascular work (who doesn’t want a healthy heart right?) would be far more beneficial.
Golf is part of life, it isn’t all of it…well not quite all.
Overall fitness is for me. Not for golf…but that is going to be a general benefit. Becoming a bit more flexible, getting the waistline under 40" is a doctors mandate for me. Using 10lb weights for repetition training for shoulders, arms and squats is not crazy…I’m not hitting the weightroom looking to bench press 300lbs again. Those days are long gone. My swing speeds have increased honing in on proper mechanics. WIDTH and TURN, TURN and WIDTH… That’s where speed comes from… Anyone can generate speed if you don’t break down. I caused myself more damage improperly making swing adjustments. My college football weight was 6’, 215#, Measured BF of 11%. I’m now 6’, 265#, Measured BF 33%. Doc mandated me to get to 250# by Sept. If I can go a little lower 
That’s not hurting me. I don’t know if I’ll ever see 215 again, but to strive to get the waistline to 38, to lose 15# in 6 months not just because doc says it’s a good thing, but because I know it’s a good thing, AND to know more flexibility will not only help me personally, but will 100% translate to a better, fitter me on the Links…that’s not harmful! I am fortunate…I take 0 meds. No BP pills, No Chol Pills, no Blue pills, no nothing except Ibuprophen before I play…I’d like to keep it that way. You body is a wonderful machine, if you can keep it that way. So a bit more oatmeal and fresh fruit and salads with beans is a good thing!