Running on golf course cart paths after hours/winter

Run-of-the-mill public municipal course = no issues

Private or famous public courses = probable resistance

I run after hours on the private course my parents live on. Haven't had any problems. YMMV of course

First time- "this is private property. Please leave the premises."

I made the mistake of doing it a second time for some strides.

Second time- takes my picture with his cell phone. Records the entire incident. "The police have been notified." I wasn't arrested, but the police did definitely come. Thankfully, the course didn't press any charges.

I run on golf courses all the time in the summer, but am terrified when I see others so I usually run away and hide if I make eye contact with a golfer. I try to play it safe in these situations--hide in bushes/woods before to avoid being caught or just run to the next hole over if possible

I'll run on the cart paths in the summer but not until after about 7 when most of the golfers are off the course. Nobody has said anything to me yet.....

golfcourserunner wrote:

I run on golf courses all the time in the summer, but am terrified when I see others so I usually run away and hide if I make eye contact with a golfer. I try to play it safe in these situations--hide in bushes/woods before to avoid being caught or just run to the next hole over if possible

That is funny. So you run on the course in the daytime, and just avoid the gol-phers?

As kids, we used to wander around a nearby golf course, and once I took a ball that a gol-pher had hit near to us. He got mad so I didn't do that anymore, but we still went on the golf course quite a bit.

Why just run on the knee and ligament wrecking cement paths with all that soft, plush green grass beckoning? It is our obligation and duty as runners to traverse golf courses early in the morning and at dusk. The running gods will handle the uptight upper-class.

There is a window, as the sun is coming up and only the maintenance crew is on the course; stick to that. On any course playing when golfers have the course is uncool. Up north, when courses close for the winter, it can be a nice option.

Don't run while golfers are playing and it's probably cool and you'll be left along. Run while golfers are playing and you can and should be run off. It depends on the course, but unless it's a highly exclusive club or you're bringing 15 friends along, you should be ok running in off-hours.

PS - I live on a private mid-tier golf course

My local "public" course actually has a hiking/jogging trail around the perimeter of the course with tree cover. Nice compromise if you ask me. Keeps the runners our of the golfers way and provides and nice place to get a workout in away from the roads.

One other rule: Stay off the greens! If they anybody sees you running on the greens, they will and should come running after you.

1) Ask. Some courses will allow you to run on their green days and/or before or after their operation hours if you come across as knowledgeable about course etiquette (keeping off greens, etc.), have any relations as part of the course/club, etc.

2) Look for green days on local course schedules, message boards, etc. and run near dusk when green crews are all done and the course is vacant*

2) As mentioned, hit a course at first light. Greens crews will more than likely not bother you*

* Follow general rules of a club - at least wear a shirt, keep the colors of gear in mellow tones, wear shoes, only run the perimeters (i.e. don't go down fairways and over greens); act like you belong there and you have a much better chance of not being bothered.

A much younger and ignorant me was traveling through the Monterey/Carmel, CA area and ran onto the Pebble Beach course in the early hours on a weekday. The course was closed because they were setting up for a pro tournament (huge grandstands being erected, tents, etc.). I was on one of the inner fairway when I saw a guy tee off, clearly a professional. I ran by him and his caddie and nodded. He nodded back. A few minutes later the marshal came screaming up on me in a cart. I said good morning. He said to me very politely, as if for my own safety, that the course was closed, but there were a few players out and about here and there, so to please keep an eye out. He asked me to please put my shirt back on. I apologized and immediately unrolled my shirt and put it on, and he thanked me and was off. I can only imagine he thought that anyone that had the audacity to run on Pebble Beach had to somehow be associated with the tournament, or the son of a trustee, etc. and their high level of decorum did not allow them to question my presence. That, or he figured someone that absolutely clueless should be left alone and hopefully he'd Darwin off one of the steep cliffs into the Pacific.

I'm not sure if it's common or not. In high school and college, I worked grounds for a small, private golf course. We never had any runners, but I know for sure the owners would've been pretty upset with someone running on the course, no matter the season or time of day.