An interview with BATCADDY Community Member, Jeff Young

Passion by the Numbers.

In this edition of Walk-A-Round, we catch up with walking golf enthusiast, Jeff Young. This BATCADDY Community member embodies passion for the game and walking. His numbers are hard to believe, in fact, when I heard them I thought someone had to have added an extra zero. Well, he not only backed up the rumors, he threw in a couple more as well. BATCADDY Community, meet Jeff!

Hi Jeff, Thank you for taking the time today to share your story. I've heard rumors about you, and I'm looking forward to discovering if it's true!
Sure, No Problem.

So, let's get straight to it. How many rounds of golf do you play per year?
137 rounds.

Wow! That's nearly a round every 2-3 days.
Well, it would if you could play year round, but here it shut down for the winter.

So, you're telling me you're playing a round nearly every day of the golf season?
Yes, about that.

Where do you put in these rounds?
I belong to Rattlesnake Ridge Golf Club.

And how's the course from a walking golf perspective?
It's not terrible but there's some inclines and declines. I use a fit bit so every round of golf I'm getting in about 8 miles if walking.

That's incredible. How many steps does that equate to?
Well, about 21,000 - 22,000 steps.

That's fantastic!
Thank you. I track my walking everyday which I've done for the past three years. So I'm walking about 2,600 miles per year.

That's amazing.
This time of year (winter) I'm still walking, just not while playing golf. I'll get my steps in at the gym or indoors if it's cold and icy outside.

Putting your general passion for walking aside, how would you describe your golf experience walking vs with a cart?
I think it's way different. For one, when walking you're walking directly to your ball. You're able to stay in the moment and you don't lose perspective of the shot. You're focused strictly on your ball.

So, you're able to stay focused on that next shot?
Yes. And I think it's just more enjoyable - Enjoying the outdoors. But, yes - you're thinking about that next shot, especially if it wasn't a good one. Ha!

Do your partners walk as well?
That's an interesting story. I have one partner that I play a lot of golf with. I met him about two years ago. When I met him, he wasn't a heavy set guy but he had a hard time walking. He took a cart everyday, so I walked and he rode the cart. After about 3 months of that, he ordered a BATCADDY, so he now walks, unless it's tremendously hot outside!

That's great! I think that story speaks to the idea that walking golf can be infectious. Many golfer's today don't consider walking, but once they experience it, they really get hooked.
My son and I went out to play a round and another member asked to join us. My son and I were walking and he was riding a cart. After a few holes he said, "in all my years, I've never walked this course. Do you mind if I walk it with you?" So, he parked his cart and walked. At the end of the round he walked up to me, shook my hand and said, "I hadn't walked a round of golf, I really enjoyed it, thank you." I think there's a lot of golfers out there who just haven't experienced it.

Well, it's stories like those that inspire the team at BATCADDY! Thank you for your support and sharing your passion for walking golf.
You're welcome.

There you have it. The rumors were true. 137 rounds per season. 22,000 steps per round. 2,600 miles per year. And might I add, Jeff hits about 700 practice putts per week! That's passion by the numbers.

What are your numbers? Share your numbers with the BATCADDY Community, we would love to hear them!