Golf is a walking game.
That’s why I was glad to see that the Champions (Senior) Tour has decided to abandon its policy of allowing players to use electric carts and instead force them to walk.
But several players on the Champions Tour apparently feel that the Tour has gone too far and are preparing to sue for the right to ride. The PGA Tour has been down this road before—in the Casey Martin case, where the Court ruled that Martin should be allowed to ride.
The Champions Tour President, Rick Geoge, says it’s about the image of the Tour. Gary Player, Tom Watson and Hale Irwin back his position. But to me, it’s a much bigger issue than image. It’s a question about the very nature of the game itself. Is golf simply a ball hitting exhibition, or is it an athletic event, where endurance and strength are a part of the game?