Cart fee double dip

So went to play as a single few weeks ago. Took my sister (visiting) as a non-playing rider with me. The course demanded that I pay an extra $12 for her to ride with me. I was already paying $12 for a cart with MY round. I asked why would I have to pay for the same cart twice, they explained since I have a rider they would have to provide another cart for somebody they had 'planned' to put with me. It was a slow cold day and barely a few players out there. I had asked the starter and he had already said there was nobody teeing off for the next 45 mins.

When I mentioned that the starter said there was nobody that he would pair me up with so I would have a cart by myself anyway, they just shrugged their shoulders and said it was course policy to charge a non-playing rider extra cart fee. I thanked them and went to another course.

No course I have played has charged me extra non-playing rider fee as long as they weren't swamped and had nobody to pair with me (wife rides with me on summer afternoons when she can). Was denied to bring a rider once (very understandably) when they were completely swamped at a different course. No complains there, but this was just bad business practice IMO, especially in slow winter months.

Similar experiences? Opinions?

Paying a cart fee for a non playing rider is pretty common. My wife will ride with me sometimes and we have always paid extra (?)  for her to ride along. I have yet to find a course who does not charge for a non playing rider. I have heard every excuse in they can think up for charging for a rider. The most common one is it's liability issue, should the non playing rider becomes injured, while on the course's property.

Some course we have been to won't even let a rider on their carts unless they have their own  set of clubs, which of course means another green fee. If they don't have their own clubs, the course will gladly rent the customer a set of clubs.To get around that obstacle, she has her own bag with a 9w, an AW, and her trusty putter. Most of the time she never pulls a club to play. she just likes driving the cart.

Most courses are hurting for revenue, and any way they can increase their revenue, they will do it.

When not with my wife, I save my own revenue by walking.

I am relatively new to golf, so I can't speak to the far and wide policies regarding riders, but unfortunately both of my "local" (less than 30 minutes away) courses charge this way as well. They basically argue that you're paying a "riding fee", regardless of how many carts are used and who rides them. If an individual is going to be on a cart, you're charged for a cart, whether it's 1 or 5 people total and whether you're playing golf or not.

One of the two courses has a weekend crew that runs the course and won't charge me extra for a rider because "we ain't doin' that crap here." (That's a quote haha) So I will go there on the weekend when my girlfriend would like to ride along and read or listen to her music and enjoy being outside.

I definitely understand times are tight for courses in most areas and golf course maintenance prices are sky high... but like you basically said, when they're not busy at all and I'm playing alone, I don't see the logic in wanting $10 to $15 extra dollars for a rider. Maybe a nominal fee ($2 to $5) for insurance and record keeping purposes. That would be more agreeable to me.

Thanks for the input guys, I still think little disingenuous and leaves a bad taste. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised if this happens at other courses/areas where this is more of a common practice.

Now, that is a sign of true sellers' market.

That's completely normal up here.  I've never even heard of a course around here that allows non-playing riders.  It's understood that you're paying a 'riders fee' rather than for a cart.  It's a train ticket rather than a rental car.

Completely normal.

FWIW, in my experience, if you're a well known, respected regular at the course, oftentimes the rider fee will be quietly waived if it's not a regular occurrence.

I've only tried it at two places around here.  My daughter likes to take me to play golf on Father's day.  She just rides/drives and reads her book while I play.  One place charges (I don't go there anymore, at least with her) and the other place doesn't charge.

Thanks. Seems to depend on the area. Have taken my wife to several courses in Virginia Beach (Cypress Point  and Virginia Beach National), Chesapeake (Cahoon Plantation, Chesapeake Golf Club), Williamsburg (Williamsburg National and Stonehouse) and Suffolk (Riverfront) and was not asked once to pay until this occurrence at Battlefield in Chesapeake, heck I didn't even know about this practice. Just a friendly rib to the wife every now and then for not playing. Admittedly never in the morning weekend peak hours (but mostly on weekends).

Like I said, note to myself to not be surprised when visiting other areas.

Very normal.  Consider that the cart fee is already halved because they're based on two people riding in the cart.  It would be silly and excessive for them to require you to pay an extra 12 for a ghost so you don't have to pay it.  But if you are bringing somebody to fill that seat, it makes perfect sense.

I played a nice resort in Palm Springs a few months back and brought the wife.  They told me ahead of time that she would be $25 as a non-playing rider, and I was fine with that.  Then they also said, if there was nobody else to fill the foursome, meaning they wouldn't have to pull out another cart, they'd let her ride for free.  Then when we got there they told me the same thing, however, there ended up being a fourth in our group, so we did end up cruising the course in 3 carts, but they never came back out and asked me to pay for her.  I wouldn't have minded, but they were extra cool about it.

but we need to "grow" the game. whether it's normal or not, it's an attempt at robbery. Good for you to go somewhere else. I've played with my dad, who doesn't golf, twice and wasn't charged. Good for The Republic Golf Course in San Antonio, TX. You should go there.

Going to Pebble Beach this spring, they don't charge for a guest to ride either. Sounds like a bunch of two bit golf courses if you ask me.

Really? They charge $500 for you to play but they'll let someone ride along for free?

Many of the courses around here do that.  I think it short sighted as there is some value to having a Mom or Dad take their kid with them while they golf.  How are we going to get new golfers if we don't expose the young to the game?

If, as in this case, the dad isn't willing to pay 12 stinkin' dollars to "expose his kid to the game", then it's not his intention to do so anyway.  All he's trying to do is find a way to babysit the kid while getting in some golf.  Nothing wrong with that, but if getting the kid genuinely interested in golf is important to him, then $12 is irrelevant.....

Totally agree. Although, I will say I'm pretty excited that the new course I joined this year has a deal where kids under 18 are free with a full paying adult all day on weekdays and after noon on weekends.

My son is turning 6 this year and I think it's high time we make the jump from the range to the course for a few holes in the afternoons occasionally! (Of course, it being Orange County, it's still $40 for the twilight rate.)