Yes… one of my favorite topics is back for its quarterly (or is it bi-monthly?) discussion. Brent Hutto nailed it… it’s about money. Push carts are great and allow you to walk without carrying your bag or paying big bucks for a caddy. I let my 6 year old son push my cart (which is simply wonderful), chip and putt.
I often preach (to anyone who will listen) my “no cart fee” theory. Walk or ride anytime… it’s up to you at no additional charge. The flip side is that you need to take your cart revenue and divide it up among the membership and call it “dues.” We bring in about $150k in cart revenue (at $14 + tax per 18 holes). Divide the 150k by 500 members and it comes to $25 per month per member. Carts become an operating expense instead of a revenue source.
Imagine a world without the following:
1. No walking restrictions ever.
2. Pros freed up to assist members… not chase down cart fees.
3. Walk the front… ride the back if you are feeling bad (with no financial penalty)
4. No twilight cart fee issues.
5. Unlimited push cart usage.
I cannot understand why noone has tried this out. I think the pros I list above far outweigh the cons (heavy cart usage, late cart attendant nights, higher dues for the light user). It’s something to think about!