Rich,
Not so fast. As I've said before, if you factor in ALL the costs...it isn't the motherlode that many purport. I also never saw a cart that could: eat something at the turn, fix a divot, shags balls at the edge of the range, pull bags, clean itself, buy equipment, play the game, read a green, rake bunkers, provide excercise or a host of other things.
Carts have their place in the game. They AIN"T an essential to a healthy game. Remember, half the reason many newer places need carts is because they are so stretched out or awkwardly routed over ground NOT best suited for that purpose (YEAH, I know..ghosts of Melvyn, forgive me) that walking is IMPRACTICAL! What kind of excess, waste and EXTRA maintenance/cost does that ever-expanding kind of golf REALLY add to running a facility? A BUNCH! Everything, logistically and resource wise, takes more effort. It's simple physics...NO OWNER, let alone the cart companies, will TOUCH that one. The reality is...cartball as the MAJOR form of golf is BAD for: the environment, human beings and the game in general.
Again, since when did the game owe an industry a profit center at the expense of common sense and a healthy planet. There can be NO economic sustainability WITHOUT environmental sustainability! We're in the global mess we are in because of same GREED mentality and STUPIDITY. Look to the marvelous utility of past greatness in course design...emulate that with fresh artistic fair having efficient agronomics...and you have the right balance for a healthy future of the game. Carts are part of the mix, particularly extending the ability of an aging or walking-challenged player to enjoy the game. But they should NEVER be held out as the main way to play. That is a mistake...unless the lure of MONEY is your primary concern.
Cheers,
Kris