More important perhaps than the social aspect of the dual riders is their economics. The Big Three usually lease carts by the fleet. Toward the end of the lease, courses often exchange the used fleet for a new one at a slightly higher rate. In addition, there are design challenges to the single-rider cart. Generally, the lighter the cart, the bumpier the ride, and the narrower the cart, the more likely it is to tip over.
Golf is such a traditional sport, to make changes is kind of tough.
The History of Carts Experimental golf carts first appeared on U.S. courses in the 1930s. Then, in 1948, the first patented cart was unveiled, a four-person craft fashioned out of a World War II vehicle once used to move around airplane parts. And with more than half of all courses outlawing carts, golf remained primarily a walking game. That is, until the 1950s, when the two-seaters gradually came on the scene. Since Ike, Mr. Polek says, no one has thought to look back.