Useful golf carts far beyond the course

While golf carts are commonly found on golf courses everywhere, their popularity and use has expanded from taking athletes around country clubs and public courses to much more widespread use. They have gone from virtual obscurity 50 years ago to a popular utility vehicle and a form of transportation for short trips.

History of the golf cart

Prior to 1950, golf carts were rarely seen on golf courses. JD Wadley of Texarkana, Texas, thought that a three-wheeled electric cart used to transport seniors might work well on a course, but his idea didn’t catch on. Use was still contained for those who couldn’t walk far. After World War II, the car found wide acceptance when Merle Williams introduced an electric version in Redlands, California. Major manufacturers like Cushman, Club Car, Taylor Dunn, Harley Davidson, Yamaha, and CT&T teamed up to introduce their own models for the next decade.

The first commercial cars were electric and they remain the most popular type, with 55 percent of the market. But gasoline powered vehicles are also available and popular in many fields.

Off-course uses for golf carts

Almost from their inception, golf carts became popular for more than just moving players from hole to hole. According to a major dealer in the Midwest, 40 percent is used off-course. Some of these uses include:

• lawn care – On golf courses, an electric cart is a discreet way to perform maintenance on the property. You can take seeds, fertilizers and other supplies to do garden work anywhere you need, whether in a field or on your own property.
• Maintenance – Inexpensive to operate and easy to park, carts provide reliable transportation between sites for multi-unit property managers and maintenance crews.
• Senior Citizen Communities – Oxcarts were quickly adopted as a means of transportation in communities of older adults, which often have specific trails for their use. In island communities, wagons are often the preferred mode of transportation.
• courtesy vehicles – Hotels, country clubs, airports, campground owners and visitors, and other venues often use golf carts to transport guests around the property.
• security patrols – On college campuses and private campuses that use off-site parking, carts offer safe transportation to cars. They also offer convenient security surveillance in the mall parking lot.
• wedding transportation – Now available for up to 14 passengers, golf carts are an easy way to transport wedding guests or wedding guests short distances, for example, between the ceremony and the reception venue when in the same property.
• general transport – As they become legal to drive on the street in many areas, cars have become an inexpensive means of transportation. Those considered street legal must meet federal standards regarding lights, safety features, and minimum speed. While they’re not designed for the highway, they can be a great alternative for short trips around the neighborhood or to the store.

For effective local transportation well beyond the golf course, golf carts are proving to be an excellent alternative.