Does Your Course Charge Extra to Ride Solo?

[Double Mocha Man]

6 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I’m not sure about your neck of the woods, but courses are struggling to stay afloat here especially in these times. 

Predatory cart fees won't help things.

[Zippo]

There's no upcharge for a single rider at Grandview. Probably what's hurting them the most is the border closure. Do you mind naming the course you're finding that has the upcharge?

[CarlSpackler]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

Not around here. WW surpassed its alcohol orders for all of 2019 a few weeks ago. And we were without golf all of April.

Not here. This was happening before COVID. 

Just now, Double Mocha Man said:

Predatory cart fees won't help things.

Sure it will. It’s extra revenue that covers cost. That’s like saying a $1 per hour raise doesn’t help. 

[Double Mocha Man]

2 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

Not here. This was happening before COVID. 

Sure it will. It’s extra revenue that covers cost. That’s like saying a $1 per hour raise doesn’t help. 

I'm in marketing and advertising.  A course with that predatory attitude cannot count on extra cart fees as extra revenue.  At some point people will just say, "Screw it".

[iacas]

11 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Predatory cart fees won't help things.

Oh brother.

7 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I'm in marketing and advertising.  A course with that predatory attitude cannot count on extra cart fees as extra revenue.  At some point people will just say, "Screw it".

Maybe you’re wrong.

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

Maybe you’re wrong.

Me?  Wrong?  I once thought I was wrong but it turned out I was wrong.

[saevel25]

Most golf courses will need to rent carts for the new demand called solo riders. Many courses around Akron did such a thing. This is an added cost that needs to be accounted for. In the end, they will not pay off these carts because they are renting them. Also, buying them could be cost because when things return back to normal they will have excess carts. I have no issue with golf courses putting an extra fee on it. 

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, saevel25 said:

Most golf courses will need to rent carts for the new demand called solo riders. Many courses around Akron did such a thing. This is an added cost that needs to be accounted for. In the end, they will not pay off these carts because they are renting them. Also, buying them could be cost because when things return back to normal they will have excess carts. I have no issue with golf courses putting an extra fee on it. 

I have no issue with a surcharge.  But not when it almost doubles the cart fee.  We all have to take financial responsibility in this.  Courses and golfers alike.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I have no issue with a surcharge.  But not when it almost doubles the cart fee.  We all have to take financial responsibility in this.  Courses and golfers alike.

They are… by charging extra.

You keep saying you have no issue. The market helps set the price. If they are charging double and getting it, good for them.

“We’ve already established what kind of woman you are, now we’re just haggling on price,” as the punch line goes.

[Double Mocha Man]

14 minutes ago, iacas said:

They are… by charging extra.

But double extra is not fair.  Hence golfers like my friend stop golfing at that course.  He has found a different course that, if he goes out in the morning, will happily let him ride single.  For the single rider fee.  Guess where Mark now prefers to play?

A lot of this has to do with good public relations.  Legend has it Nordstrom once took back a set of tires from a guy who claimed he bought them there.  They lost money in that transaction but gained a million bucks in good will and good publicity.

So the point being sometimes you lose money to make money.

Edited July 21, 2020 by Double Mocha Man

[iacas]

21 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

But double extra is not fair. 

Says who? You?

They clearly feel differently and probably know more about the market than you do.

Again… you very well could be wrong here.

They’re under no moral or legal obligation to do what you think is right.

They have a fiscal obligation to maximize profits, though. If enough people are paying, good for them. If 30% higher prices only costs 20% of the customers… it might be a good strategy for them.

[phillyk]

38 minutes ago, Zippo said:

There's no upcharge for a single rider at Grandview. Probably what's hurting them the most is the border closure. Do you mind naming the course you're finding that has the upcharge?

Where I work at Lake Padden. I’d guess a few others in the area do it too.  Grandview has a lot of problems, but yeah border closure definitely doesn’t help.  

19 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

But double extra is not fair. 

I guess the way I see it is it could potentially take away from someone else later in the day if a course runs out.  So as the course, they’d want to cover what they can. 

[Double Mocha Man]

28 minutes ago, iacas said:

The market helps set the price. If they are charging double and getting it, good for them.

It's not that cut & dried.  My friend reluctantly put up with the nearly double pricing and then he changed courses, providing his new course with more revenue.  It's not just about numbers and cost analysis.  It is also about what's right.  The consumer is emotional about it... the business (the course) needs to understand that or in the long term they stand to lose customer loyalty.  And eventually revenue.  American Airlines decided to make a business decision and sell the middle seat on flights.  How'd that go over?

1 hour ago, Zippo said:

There's no upcharge for a single rider at Grandview. Probably what's hurting them the most is the border closure. Do you mind naming the course you're finding that has the upcharge?

It is more than one course.  It would not be appropriate to name names.

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

It's not that cut & dried.

Look, you clearly just want people to agree with your take.

I don’t.

9 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

It is also about what's right.

Nah.

[Double Mocha Man]

14 minutes ago, iacas said:

Look, you clearly just want people to agree with your take.

I don’t.

I think I'm making a solid case.  You, and everyone else, have the right to agree or disagree.

Edited July 21, 2020 by Double Mocha Man

[Vinsk]

55 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I think I'm making a solid case.  You, and everyone else, have the right to agree or disagree.

You’re making a case for those who feel like you do. I’ll pay extra/double or whatever if that’s what the course seems necessary. I don’t think the course is trying to get rid of people. They’re setting a price and seeing how it fairs. If 25% leave but the remaining players pay the up charge...that’s how it goes bro. There’s a limit perhaps the majority will pay, but that’s business. They’ve gotta test the waters. 

[boogielicious]

I won’t ride in a cart with a stranger. So I will walk. My other retired friends aren’t playing much because they need to use a cart and don’t want to ride with strangers. I don’t like the double fee, but I understand the economics for some courses that are struggling. 

[Sandy Divot]

I don’t ride often, but I would gladly pay for the whole cart rather than exposing myself to the virus. I have survived two potentially life threatening health issues within the last three years, and my health is worth more than $20.