Short answer: if you're healthy, want to burn more calories, and you're playing a walkable South Florida course on a cooler morning, walk. If you want speed, shade, cold drinks within arm's reach, and less wear on your legs in the Palm Beach County heat, ride. At Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club in Greenacres, both are on the table — the right call comes down to weather, your body, and what you want out of the round.
Let's break it down the way you'd actually decide it in the parking lot.
What's the quick answer for a Greenacres public course?
Walk if the weather's mild, you're playing early, and you want the workout and focus benefits. Ride if it's hot, humid, you're squeezing in a round after work, or your group wants to keep pace with carts behind them. Palm Beach National is an 18-hole championship course designed by Joe Lee with TifEagle greens — plenty walkable, but South Florida weather often tips the scale toward a cart.
How does walking actually stack up on calories and focus?
Walking with a push cart burns meaningfully more calories per hour than riding in a motorized cart, according to research on the topic. Walking also tends to support mental focus during a round, as more time on foot between shots can help players stay engaged.
Small sample, but the pattern is clear: walking is a workout, and the extra oxygen between shots seems to help you think.
Translation for you: if your fitness tracker is the real reason you play golf, walk. If you want to shoot your best score on a day you're already tired, the data isn't as one-sided as you'd think — but ride if your legs are shot.
How does riding a cart change your round?
Carts move you faster between shots, keep your cooler close, and save your legs for the swing. On a South Florida afternoon in July or August, that's not laziness — that's survival. Riding also makes it easier to keep up with the group behind you, which matters on a busy public course where pace of play is tracked.
The tradeoff: less time on your feet, fewer calories burned, and sometimes a disconnected feel from the course when you're zipping cart-path-only after a storm.
Walking vs riding: head-to-head
| Factor | Walking | Riding a cart |
|---|---|---|
| — | ||
| — | ||
| — | ||
| Heat and humidity tolerance | Harder in South FL summer | Easier, more shade/airflow |
| Pace of play | Fine solo or in a 2-ball; can lag in a 4-ball | Usually faster between shots |
| Cost | Lower (green fee only; small pull-cart rental if needed) | Higher (cart fee added) |
What does Greenacres weather do to the decision?
Greenacres is inland Palm Beach County — humid, hot from roughly May through October, and prone to afternoon thunderstorms during the summer rainy season. That's the single biggest factor most locals forget to weigh. An early-morning tee time in February? Walkable in shorts and a windbreaker. A midday tee time in August with a dangerous heat index? Take the cart, pack electrolytes, and watch the radar.
During snowbird season — roughly December through April — mornings are gorgeous and walking is genuinely enjoyable. Twilight rounds in the shoulder months are another sweet spot for walkers.
Does walking fit the Palm Beach National vibe?
Yes. Palm Beach National describes itself as a course with no strict dress codes, no hushed tones, and no pressure to be perfect. Translation: if you want to throw a bag over your shoulder and play nine after work, nobody's going to raise an eyebrow. We're open from 6 AM to 11 PM, with hours that may vary based on daily sunrise, so you've got a wide window to pick the cooler part of the day for a walking round.
Our Inrange-powered driving range lets you track distances and challenge friends before the round — a decent warm-up matters more when you're walking 18 and don't want your back barking by the turn.
What should you ask before you book?
Rates, cart policies, and walking rules shift by day, season, and time slot at every public course. Before you lock in a tee time at Palm Beach National, call ahead and ask about:
- Whether walking is permitted for your specific tee time and course conditions that day
- The current walking rate vs. the cart-inclusive rate for your date
- Whether the quoted price is per player or per cart, and whether it assumes two riders
- Any seasonal, weekday/weekend, or twilight pricing differences
- Push-cart rental availability if you don't own one
- Whether the Players Club membership program would save you money if you play often
What do players actually say about the experience?
"For $23 you can’t complain about anything. Pace of play was fast. This is a short game skills course, almost if not all of the greens are 15 yards in diameter with sand traps hugging the green. Staff is friendly." — 5★ · N, Jun 2025
Fast pace of play, short-game-heavy layout, friendly staff — that's the kind of round where either walking or riding works, because you're not chasing a lost cause down a long par 4.
Frequently asked questions
Is Palm Beach National walkable?
Yes. Palm Beach National is an 18-hole championship course designed by Joe Lee with TifEagle greens, and walking is a reasonable option for players comfortable covering 18 holes on foot. South Florida heat and humidity are the main factor to plan around — early morning or twilight tee times in the cooler months are the most comfortable windows for walking the course.
Does walking really burn more calories than riding?
Yes. Walking with a push cart burns meaningfully more calories per hour than riding. Research on the topic consistently shows walkers burn significantly more calories over nine holes with a push cart compared to riding. Walking 18 holes is a legitimate workout, not a stroll.
Does walking help you play better?
The data leans yes, modestly. The theory: more time between shots to think, more oxygen moving, and a steadier rhythm. The caveat: if walking exhausts you, your back-nine swing will suffer.
When is it too hot to walk a round in Greenacres?
Rule of thumb for inland Palm Beach County: if the heat index is pushing 95°F or higher — common from June through September afternoons — ride. Walking a full round in those conditions risks heat exhaustion even for fit players. Early morning tee times, twilight rounds, and the November-through-April window are the safest walking slots for Greenacres golfers.
Can I bring my own push cart to Palm Beach National?
Policies on personal push carts vary by course and by day based on conditions, so call Palm Beach National at (561) 965-3381 before you show up to confirm. Most public courses in South Florida allow personal push carts, but after heavy rain some restrict them to protect turf. Confirming ahead avoids a surprise at the pro shop.
What are Palm Beach National's hours?
Palm Beach National is open Monday through Sunday from 6 AM to 11 PM, with hours that may vary based on daily sunrise. The on-site Smashers bar and grill is open every day, so you can grab breakfast before an early walking round or a cold drink after you ride in the afternoon.
Bottom line
Walking is the healthier, cheaper, more focused way to play a round when the weather cooperates and your body's up for it. Riding is the smart call in South Florida heat, on busy days, or when you want to stretch your round into a relaxed social outing. Either way, Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club in Greenacres is set up to make it easy — short-game-friendly layout, Joe Lee design, TifEagle greens, Inrange driving range, and Smashers open from sunup to 11 PM. Golfers in Greenacres who want to book a tee time or ask about walking vs. cart options for a specific date can reach Palm Beach National Golf & Country Club at (561) 965-3381 or https://www.palmbeachnational.com/.
