We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Push Carts at Private Courses

Canadan said:
Everything is about making money. We've got a conference center attached that does very well.

That said, if you can get let's say 20-30 guys to pay a yearly fee who would normally just carry, that's value added straight away... And the wear and tear is fully on us to deal with rather than the club. Plus, that's 30 more guys who can have sand available while walking the course to support good maintenance.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the club doesn't want to lose its cart revenue and is trying to charge a fee for push carts to incentivize people to take riding carts. It's cutting off their nose to spite their face.

Plus some clubs feel like their members are going to get upset if their annual/monthly dues go up, so they nickel-and-dime them in other ways by increasing cart fees and other fees like this to make up the difference.
 
golfinnut said:
TO hell with that! If I have to pay the same as a riding cart just to push mine around? I'm riding no question.
Click to expand...

You would be riding anyway :alien:

Would carrying a Sunday bag be an option? I know it's not ideal but you could get your walking 9 in with a lighter bag to deal with.
 
The club I am a member at just started allowing push carts this year. It is a private club. Here are the details and requirements:

1. $200 annual trail fee for each member to use a push cart.
2. Electric or motorized push carts prohibited.
3. Pro shop offers rental push carts for $12 per round.
4. Can only be used when walking is permitted (in our club's case 1PM and later).
5. Push carts must be in good shape and a modern brand/design.
6. Push carts must be kept 10 yards from any green and 5 yards from any tee box or hazard.
7. Club will not store push carts for any members.
8. Push carts will be prohibited from use during tournament play or league play.

I was one of the members that really pushed my club to do this. Because of my back issues I really don't want to walk and carry my bag for more than a hole or 2. However, during the week if I want to go play a few holes I would have to either carry my bag (not really a choice for me) or pay the cart fee ($21 for nine holes, or $29 for 18 holes) even if I only wanted to play just a few holes. This way now I can use my push cart and go play a few holes or even a complete round of 18.

I'm ok with paying the $200 trail fee, and now I will walk sometimes even with playing 18 on the weekends. In what I have "saved" in golf cart fees has already paid the $200 trail fee for me for the year.

The club is Spring Mill Country Club in Ivyland PA.

https://springmillcountryclub.com/
 
I would consider two points, although i do not know how persuasive they would be:

(1) The club could recoup some of its money by allowing members to store their push carts on property in the same location that the club's push carts are now and generate clean net revenue, as opposed to now, when they have to purchase and replace their own push carts. If the gap is too large, they can institute an annual trail fee.

(2) Having the $11 fee for push carts effectively discourages the use of push carts and promotes cart riding or walking. Encouraging push carts, in that scenario, would be a net benefit to the course. My guess is that less people driving a motorized cart is better for the environment, creates a greener foot print, keeps carts off of fairways (especially on wet days) and promotes the overall health of the course.

The issue with the latter point is that courses usually realize the most gross revenue from motorized cart rentals than anything else.
 
My club has a written rule that outside push carts are not allowed. I think I have maybe seen one or two people use their own.
 
Dan message sent with deets
 
My club is private and allows outside push carts. Riverside Country Club in Provo Utah.
 
The last private club I belonged to did not allow push carts at all. You could carry. Other than that. Pay for a cart. The pro got the cart money and I would Wonder if yours gets the money from the pushers? So could be a reason ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Absolutely not on push carts at my club.
No private club should allow personal push carts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
No limitations on push carts at my club, many members have the remote controlled electric ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BigDill said:
I would consider two points, although i do not know how persuasive they would be:

(1) The club could recoup some of its money by allowing members to store their push carts on property in the same location that the club's push carts are now and generate clean net revenue, as opposed to now, when they have to purchase and replace their own push carts. If the gap is too large, they can institute an annual trail fee.

(2) Having the $11 fee for push carts effectively discourages the use of push carts and promotes cart riding or walking. Encouraging push carts, in that scenario, would be a net benefit to the course. My guess is that less people driving a motorized cart is better for the environment, creates a greener foot print, keeps carts off of fairways (especially on wet days) and promotes the overall health of the course.

The issue with the latter point is that courses usually realize the most gross revenue from motorized cart rentals than anything else.
Click to expand...

The only issue with that is a push cart puts as much pressure per inch as a motorized cart


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Would they allow pull carts?
 
I'm not a member at any of them, but the more prestigious private clubs around here allow you to use your own push cart.
 
That seems absolutely stupid! The only reason I can see for it is to make more money.
 
Happy to see they are open to discussing things like this.

If it's a revenue play then I for one am on board for paying a trail fee of say $125-$150. Based on the fact they don't have a "ton" of these available at the course I have a hard time believing it would be a truly revenue based policy.

If it's a uniformity play then like mentioned let's get a listing together of "acceptable" push carts that are allowed and allow folks to use those accordingly during the time for frames riding carts aren't required.

Gonna make some calls around this week to some private clubs I have talked to before to see how they handle push carts.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #67
mikedean441 said:
Happy to see they are open to discussing things like this.

If it's a revenue play then I for one am on board for paying a trail fee of say $125-$150. Based on the fact they don't have a "ton" of these available at the course I have a hard time believing it would be a truly revenue based policy.

If it's a uniformity play then like mentioned let's get a listing together of "acceptable" push carts that are allowed and allow folks to use those accordingly during the time for frames riding carts aren't required.

Gonna make some calls around this week to some private clubs I have talked to before to see how they handle push carts.
Click to expand...

for clarity sake, their 'fleet' is currently 30 I believe.
 
Canadan said:
I have a question for the community I was hoping would help me better understand the Private course mentality around push carts. Ours is against us taking our own push carts out there, and while they allow the use of them, it must be one of the course owned push carts (for 11 dollars a round).

For those of you who belong to a Private club, could you let me know what club it is, and what their rules on push carts are? Hoping to build a case for my GM.
Click to expand...
I play at English Turn in New Orleans. You can use one of their Clic gears or your own. $10 either way per round.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #70
ArmyGolf said:
I'm not a member at any of them, but the more prestigious private clubs around here allow you to use your own push cart.
Click to expand...

can you reference a couple of them for me to add to my list?
 
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #71
donny475 said:
The last private club I belonged to did not allow push carts at all. You could carry. Other than that. Pay for a cart. The pro got the cart money and I would Wonder if yours gets the money from the pushers? So could be a reason ?
Click to expand...

They do not. It's all for the course.
 
Like I said earlier, my club doesn't allow members to use their own push/pull cart. But the majority of members that I have seen use one, I highly doubt that they own their own anyways.

However, the club does allow members to pay for their own electric style personal cart to stay at the club. I do not know what they charge for it, but I was told it's a small monthly fee for the electric ones to stay at the club. Hell, it might actually just be the daily cost times number of days in the month. I've never seen someone take it off property, so as far as I know the handful of members with these carts all pay extra to have and use these carts at the club.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top