Footpaths and rights of way

[FuzzyDuck]

I likened the clubhouse to a 1960's social club. I have a mate who plays next door at Sandown Park, they have a trophy that is awarded to the lowest scorer, it's a golf ball embedded in a dog turd. Apparently it was inspired after Sandown played a match at Thames Ditton & Esher.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Every club I've been a member of have had people walking on them in some way. Worst was a links course that ran alongside a beach. People were clueless and regularly walked all over the course. I've seen picnic blankets alongside greens, worst was two women sunbathing in a dip in front of a green. Utterly stupid.

I was happy to leave in the end. Perhaps that comes with the territory with links.

My current course is parkland but whilst we do get walkers and dog walkers they are much more aware of their surroundings and we cohabit very easily.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Take it not high on your list either

You're not wrong.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You're not wrong.

Definitely going in my room 101. Along with Lydd

 

[User2021]

Play at Knole Park, part of a bigger National Trust Park.
the course is in the Park.

weekends and Bank Holidays can be busy, but so far no issues.
Plenty of signs up

 

[backwoodsman]

Am with Homer on this - Wimbledon Common really takes some beating. Common land so people, dogs, horses, bicycles, the lot. Everywhere, every hole.

One year came across someone taking photos of their dog sitting on the green (18th on "the Scottish" side). Four of us standing, waiting to play to the green, a few shouted "hello's" and "excuse me's" got nothing more that a querulous "what??" as if we were from the moon.

 

[selwood90]

A chalk based course I visit when it’s soggy at my own course has a path through the middle, that leads from a crappy estate to a Tesco.

Problems arise. I’ve seen people stop for a chat. Players wait a little, then a shout. If they don’t move they tend to get a ball flying at them.

Tee’d off on a hole with a path running parallel to be greeted by a family having a picnic... On the fairway. Shouted, swore. No movement. Balls fired.
(Course mentioned is in a crime ridden area)

Balls stolen by little runts.

Dog walkers across the course. (Why would you? I’d hate myself if I was walking my dog on a golf course and it was hit, or if I hit a dog).

Is this Bulwell forest by any chance?

 

[CliveW]

There's no "think" about it - like it or not, they can.

Without wanting to sound like a pantomime, but.... "Oh no the can't"

http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/Practical-guide/public/golf-courses

 

[ukg3pxc]

The Old Course at Nefyn is particularly hard work during the school holidays. Love the course too but can't see me wanting to play that nine again

 

[FairwayDodger]

Without wanting to sound like a pantomime, but.... "Oh no the can't"

http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/Practical-guide/public/golf-courses

More restricted than I thought but nothing to stop them coming into the course.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Fortunately, we're on private land, but even then we had to deal with someone the other year who decided he had right of way to walk his dog wherever he liked across the course. Greenkeepers had a word with him, didn't stop him, then flags and rakes started to go missing. The head pro finally caught up with him and had a friendly chat which seemed to resolve the situation, although I have recently noticed a few "friendly" dog parcels left on some of our holes.

I played Stockwood Park in Luton one time, that had loads of people wandering around the course. Kids riding bmx bikes in bunkers, families sitting having picnics around a par three green, it was ridiculous.

The scariest that I've played for public access though, is Nefyn. It's been documented in other threads, but there are a couple of blind shots on the back nine that are just way too scary due to the volume of walkers heading down to the pub at the end of the peninsular. The path crosses the fairway in front of one green, but couldn't see the sot in from the other side of the mound. Even had walkers strolling down the middle of the par three as we were trying to play from the tee. Stunning coastline but wouldn't rush back to play it.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Our par 3 12th hole has woods running behind the green and all the way up the right side of the approach, the woods have a footpath in them running around the hole, nice and convenient for the walkers and safe too. However a couple of years ago a 'walker' (not spelt correctly !) discovered that actually there was a right of way running diagonally through the approach to the green and after a lot of correspondence the club has had to allow walkers to use this. Its not as nice for the walkers and of course is not as safe but we get the odd map carrying 'walker'' who insists on exerting his 'rights', thankfully most people tend to use the more enjoyable route through the woods.

 

[LCW]

Only ever come across this @ Royal Liverpool.

There is a public walkway that runs past the back of the 1st tee then down past the clubhouse. There is also a path that runs directly through the 9th & 10th allowing access from the beach back to the main road. It is funny how people just walk across without thought of flying golf balls from the tee's.

When playing there you just have to keep our wits about you as you want to avoid any insurance claims

 

[Marshy77]

My old course is up on the moors so anyone has rights on the course. I personally never had any problems but I know occassionally there has been.

Around the bottom of the course you'd get horses being walked around the 9th to the 12th which they have a right to do and do stick to the paths/part of the fairway which they have always used. Dogs were frequently on the course with there owners out walking, never had a problem but do know that a few balls have been picked up and ran off with!!

 

[patricks148]

More restricted than I thought but nothing to stop them coming into the course.

Of course not as we don't have trespass laws in Scotland, but many wrongly believe the "outdoor access code" allows them to go where they want when they want. We had an indecent a couple of years ago when a guy with push chair with a toddler and another child in a back pack, cut across the 5th about the spot the ball lands off the tee. up onto the 13th past the tee, when one of our big comps was on and the course was packed. he was told by a fair few, it wasn't a right of way and there was a path that was a couple of hundred yards away. This guy was adamant he could go where he liked as it was "common land" as he put it and could go between to points to get somewhere. he was told he couldn't get out behind the 13th green. he just carried on up the fairway holding up 3 or 4 groups they walked across the 13th green with his pushchair and then got into an argument again with the group on the green. on find he couldn't get out, he walked all the way back down the 13th again to the guys he's rowed with about getting out. We have signs all over about Beware golf balls and ODA signs informing them of their rights and options.. very few take a blind bit of notice.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Of course not as we don't have trespass laws in Scotland, but many wrongly believe the "outdoor access code" allows them to go where they want when they want. We had an indecent a couple of years ago when a guy with push chair with a toddler and another child in a back pack, cut across the 5th about the spot the ball lands off the tee. up onto the 13th past the tee, when one of our big comps was on and the course was packed. he was told by a fair few, it wasn't a right of way and there was a path that was a couple of hundred yards away. This guy was adamant he could go where he liked as it was "common land" as he put it and could go between to points to get somewhere. he was told he couldn't get out behind the 13th green. he just carried on up the fairway holding up 3 or 4 groups they walked across the 13th green with his pushchair and then got into an argument again with the group on the green. on find he couldn't get out, he walked all the way back down the 13th again to the guys he's rowed with about getting out. We have signs all over about Beware golf balls and ODA signs informing them of their rights and options.. very few take a blind bit of notice.

At my old links course we would occasionally get self righteous people like that, they want to make a point. Some golfers would bite and get into an argument. I would just smile, tell them "of course you can walk across the course" but also advise that "you are taking your safety into your own hands. We are amateurs, the ball can veer off and if you are walking on the course then you are far more likely to get hit. Your choice" Keep the voice calm and the smile big. That tended to be more effective than direct confrontation which I think many are actually looking for.

Someone walking with a pushchair on a golf course needs the folly of that pointing out to them. Why risk your child?

 

[Orikoru]

Our course has some public footpaths, it is a public course after all - but I think most if not all of them are around the perimeter, on the out of bounds line pretty much. Even so, some people don't appreciate the dangers. Some people think they're doing the right thing by standing and waiting for you to play, when in fact the bit of path they're waiting on is 200 yards up on the right hand side - the danger zone! They'd be safer standing in the middle of the fairway, haha. With those people you just give them a wave as it's better they just move on.

Playing at Ruislip once (another public course but a more crappy one, in my opinion anyway) and we came to a par 3 and saw a lad and his girlfriend sat on a picnic blanket on the green. We gave them a wave and they moved off though, no drama. They did leave some litter behind though.

Another time I was playing a nine hole course in Northolt, and I saw a couple of kids, one older girl and a younger lad, possibly brother and sister, just walking around with a carrier bag picking up loose balls they found. First off we were screaming for them to bugger off out the way as my mate was playing a shot, and then I kid you not, the lad actually picked up my ball off the fairway and chucked it in his carrier bag with the others! I was yelling for him to put it back, and eventually he picked out a different ball, lobbed it back on the fairway and they ran off. Unbelievable.

 

[jim8flog]

On two occasions my ball has come very close to people walking across Lyme Regis Golf course. I just fail to understand people, who may well have the right of way, who fail to check to see if it is safe before walking across a fairway despite adequate warning signs.

On both occasions I could not see the people because they just appeared from behind trees.

I have played a few and one, Queens Park in Bournemouth, has the reputation for walkers picking up golf balls.

 

[LincolnShep]

I do a lot of walking with my wife, I plan the routes and I actively seek out paths that cross or pass golf courses as I like to have a sneaky peek (don't tell her though!).

I haven't had any incidents with walkers while playing, when I've seen them they've usually been aware of what's going on and understanding of the potential danger. North Shore (near Skegness) and Newquay both have paths running across the course that they've sunk into cuttings to provide the walkers with an element of protection.

 

[r0wly86]

My course is ina puclic park so people can wonder anywhere really, but they generally stick to the patch that go alongside the holes rather than over them. There is one path that crosses three fairways in order to get to the river/tow path.

But Haven't had any problems nearly everyone stops and waits for you to play your shot, have a chat about the golf and even tell me where my ball has ended up if I've strayed a bit off the fairway