Running : Asphalt –vs- Grass

I would ask for permission in advance to run on the course.  There could be a liability thing if something happens.

Golf courses were always fun to run on in meets and in training when I was in H.S. (20 plus years ago).

Have fun!  FORE!! 

here are my 2 cents...

I am all for running and training on different types of surfaces... but at the end of the day keep in mind what you will be racing on.

I live on a golf course, too, but avoid running on it for a couple of reasons.  The most important is that the golf course is not flat and has a lot of uneven areas that I could easily risk turning an ankle on if I land wrong.  I would rather risk my knees on asphalt than an ankle in the grass.  The other is I have found that mosquitoes are worse on the golf course in the evening than on the road.

Looking at your log, and I am by no means a running expert, I would say that it may be more a matter of how much running you are doing having come 'off the couch' than the actual surface your running on.  Back to back 4 milers in the early stages of training can hurt.

Good luck and have fun!

x2 on the permission question.

Training for my first (only) marathon, I was strongly encouraged to run on soft surfaces as much as possible and where possible, away from the sides of the roads (crowned roads put you in an uneven stance at the edge of the roadway).

So, the golf course idea sounds good, but I'd stay in the fairways - more uneven terrain/hazards in the rough and near tees/greens, e.g bunkers.

Watch out for small caliber gun fire...not sure how many Carl Spacklers there might be lurking about...or Mitch Kupsteins "night putting with the daughter of the dean...".

Yes, get some good running shoes. The store I go to in Torrance, CA (Road Runner Sports) does a free computer-assisted gait analysis before they help you pick out the best shoe for you. Maybe there is such a service at a store in your area.

Stay on the grass as much as possible until your legs are used to running. Then vary the running surface. You might want to consider only running every other day to make sure you recover properly.

One more thing. I was in Florida a month ago and tried to run on the grass along the roadside. I found it to be an entirely different kind of grass than what we have here in Southern California; very thick blades, very dense growth, and even when it had been recently cut, it was still very long. Plus it always seemed to be wet. I found it to be an overly spongy and poor running surface. Running on a golf course should be much better.