"Walking or riding?" It's the age-old question in nearly every pro shop in America. I love walking a golf course and will do so even when I an eye roll from the starter or the "If you change your mind at the turn, you can grab a cart."
For me, walking a course allows me to take more pictures. Hopping in a cart and heading to a golf ball limits those moments to look around and snap a few photos en route to my ball. I also like the exercise. There's also a nice social aspect to walking. In a cart, you spend a ton of time with one person, but walking allows people to wind and weave through the round and chat as they walk to their ball.
There have been times when I've been forced to ride a cart, and that's fine.
I also don't begrudge anyone who does like to ride.
Some courses are hard walks for a variety of reasons. Concord CC has tons of tough climbs, especially on the front nine. Other courses, like Pine Hills, are hard walks because the trips between greens and tees are incredibly long (I don't think I've ever walked Pine Hills).
This list isn't about hard walks for the hardos like me who enjoy hoofing it no matter what.
These are 18-hole courses that are the easiest walks:
Acushnet River Valley - Acushnet, Mass. - Full Review Coming
Bass River - Yarmouth, Mass. - Full Review
Brookmeadow CC - Canton, Mass. - Full Review
Green Harbor CC - Marshfield, Mass. - Full Review
Lakeville CC - Lakeville, Mass. - Full Review
Merrimack Valley - Methuen, Mass. - Full Review
Mt. Hood - Melrose, Mass. - Full Review
Norwood CC - Norwood, Mass. - Full Review
Ridder Farm GC - East Bridgewater, Mass. - Full Review
Sandy Burr CC - Wayland, Mass. - Full Review
Swansea CC - Swansea, Mass. - Full Review coming
Wayland CC - Wayland, Mass. - Full Review
Wachusett CC - West Boylston, Mass. - Full Review
West Bridgewater CC - West Bridgewater, Mass. - Full Review
Hi Sean,
It’s so hard to think of courses with certain features. There are just too damn many. This week visiting my daughter’s family in Bridgewater I had planned to play Old Scotland Links but Mother Nature had its way and it didn’t happen. While there I realized that Rochester Golf Club in MA fit the bill for some of the categories you were looking for. Par 69, mostly level so great for walking, under $40 for walking including weekends, mostly small greens but fast and quirky, no frills clubhouse but friendly staff, and the course is very nice. You need to put RGC on your radar. It’s just north of Wareham so may be doable on one o…