I'm writing in support of David Ross' recent letter titled "Carts are taking over." I support the rights of golfers who want to ride, but unfortunately the painful reality is that the cost of golf is advancing faster than the game itself.

Columbus is in the top five American cities in terms of golf courses per capita. Course owners know this and use the laws of supply and demand to earn a healthy profit. As a capitalist, this warms my heart. As a golfer, it troubles my soul.

Under the guise of speeding play, many fine local courses have enacted mandatory cart policies. The fact is that courses where carts are mandatory DO NOT have shorter average round times than those where walking is allowed. It is a myth that carts speed play, but it is a fact that carts increase revenue.

The cost of a round of golf has nearly doubled in the past decade. As long as demand for weekend tee times remains strong, the cost will continue to rise. The only way to combat the escalating cost is to send an economic message to courses with policies such as mandatory carts. Let your dollars to the talking; stay away.