Yes, I’ve encountered this before at a few area courses. The Divide and Larkhaven come to mind. To be honest, I think it depends on time of day / size of your group — if you are a single player and won’t be filling out a foursome, then it may not be an issue. I understand, though, if they are packed and need all the cart space they can get.

It helps if the staff knows you or if you talk to the manager beforehand — like when making your tee time.

Personally, if no special consideration applies (like a crowded course), then I think this is a bogus charge and would express my displeasure with management — letting them know they could lose a customer.

I wouldn’t say its standard practice as I’ve done this a few times without charge. However, as the B-Man says, if you go to play at a busy time there is a higher likelihood of them charging you such a fee. I’ve always done it during twilight hours, and never had a problem because it wasn’t busy.