“Trail Fee” for Walking

[Jim_Coleman]

   Ever hear of charging members a “trail fee” for walking and carrying one’s bag? 

[Tim Martin]

Without getting into specific costs or clubs that have such a policy-YES.

[Jim_Coleman]

Ugh!

[Ben Hollerbach]

More common than I'd desire, and always one of the first questions I ask when talking with a potential club. The last thing I want is to be a member of a club that discourages walking.

[John Kavanaugh]

The bar doesn’t discourage drinking when they charge for a drink. Soon we will be back to two in a cart and the real knashing of teeth will begin. I’d happily pay a “trail fee” on top of a regular cart fee to ride alone.

[John Kavanaugh]

In other words: Don’t be afraid to pay to get exactly what you want.

[Tom_Doak]

A "trail fee" is just an admission that the course is lying about what the green fee is.

[Peter Sayegh]

   Ever hear of charging members a “trail fee” for walking and carrying one’s bag?

Yes.
Jim, have you ever asked a public course why the walking fee is the same as the riding fee?

[Niall C]

What if you're riding a bike ?


Niall

[Kyle Harris]

   Ever hear of charging members a “trail fee” for walking and carrying one’s bag?

Yes.
Jim, have you ever asked a public course why the walking fee is the same as the riding fee?

All. The. Time.


Every. Time.

[Kalen Braley]

The bar doesn’t discourage drinking when they charge for a drink. Soon we will be back to two in a cart and the real knashing of teeth will begin. I’d happily pay a “trail fee” on top of a regular cart fee to ride alone.

John,


I audibly gasped when reading this as it seems to fly in the face of your highly successful "Buddy-Up" movement.  Unless this is really about buddies remaining buddies and not becoming something else by riding in the same cart too much!   

[Jim_Coleman]

   Some public courses charge green fees that include carts; take one if you wish.  Clubs charge for carts or push carts; rent one if you’d like.  Paying your club to walk is essentially paying a green fee, which your dues should cover IMHO.

[Tommy Williamsen]

   Some public courses charge green fees that include carts, take one if you wish.  Clubs charge for carts or push carts, rent one if you like.  Paying your club to walk is essentially paying a green fee, which your dues should cover IMHO.

There is no way I'd belong to a club that nickels and dimes you like that. Do they charge for tees and peanuts as well?

[Kyle Harris]

   Some public courses charge green fees that include carts; take one if you wish.  Clubs charge for carts or push carts; rent one if you’d like.  Paying your club to walk is essentially paying a green fee, which your dues should cover IMHO.

Have you ever belonged to a club that made you happy for longer than 5 minutes?

[Dave Givnish]

Talking Stick in Scottsdale changed to a 3-tier pricing model for their loyalty card in 2021. Base price is for a shared cart. Walking is $10 less. Solo cart is $10 more. They have a good size fleet of push carts too. And it works - between 1/4 and 1/3 of the players walk. Well done!

[mike_malone]

Omg we agree

[John McCarthy]

Tell me what to pay.  I'll either pay it or not. 


If there is an expectation to take a caddy, fine.  Don't surprise me.  I always enjoy my caddy rounds. I mostly carry my clubs, if there is a discount for walking, ok.  I have paid the same to carry my clubs as riding dozens to hundreds of times.


Our game's pricing bounces around a lot.  One course everyone here knows about went from no downstroke for a long time to a 25k downstroke last year.  You want it, you pay for it.

[Mike_Trenham]

We have times during the day in season that it’s required to have a cart or a caddie.  If the course is closed to cart traffic due to weather and a caddie is not available a trail fee applies. 


It very rare with 12 hours notice that our caddiemaster can’t have a caddie available.

[Marty Bonnar]

Occasionally, just occasionally, it’s good to be Scottish.
Love,
F.

[Kevin_Reilly]

At least (in my experience), "trail fees" haven't hit California so far.

[Sean_A]

   Ever hear of charging members a “trail fee” for walking and carrying one’s bag?

It's like charging for air. No chance I would join a club that doesn't let me push or carry. To charge me is taking the piss.

Ciao

[Daryl David]

At least (in my experience), "trail fees" haven't hit California so far.

I think the term “ trail fee” is being used a bit out of context. Trail fees were introduced at residential golf club developments for those residents that choose to own their own cart and are therefore not renting from the club. It’s common for those clubs to charge a trail fee annually. Usually something less that the club would charge for unlimited cart rental. An example I know of works like this. Members can rent a cart for $25 a round or $1200 a year for unlimited use. If they own their own cart, the trail fee is $500 a year.


A trail fee for walking would likely just be what the club would get if you rented a cart. It’s crazy stupid, but I guess I get it. Especially if dues are based on assuming a certain amount of cart revenue. I once belonged to a club that included unlimited cart usage built into the dues. Still a “trail fee”, just hidden in the dues.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Yes, a trail fee for walking is what I think this thread is about.


I can understand the rationale for a club charging something annually for the use of a member-owned cart on club cart paths.

[Jim_Coleman]

   If you don’t like the term “trail fee,” feel free to call it a green fee, or a walking fee, or a surcharge. Or whatever you feel best captures the spirit.

[jeffwarne]

We have times during the day in season that it’s required to have a cart or a caddie.  If the course is closed to cart traffic due to weather and a caddie is not available a trail fee applies. 


It very rare with 12 hours notice that our caddiemaster can’t have a caddie available.

I could understand having a fee go to the club for providing a caddie(caddie management costs-and there are real costs)
but I really can't understand a fee for caddie mismanagement.(if I can't provide you a caddie you pay extra?)