Golf Carts
Hey, that's not a golf course - what's going on?
“Golf is a good walk spoiled” – that’s what Mark Twain had to say on the sport anyway, but you can’t really say that any more, because thousands of golfers choose not to walk around the golf courses up and down the country, but to maneuver a golf cart around the course. If you’re one of the people who likes to play golf but doesn’t want the walk, then maybe you’re in the market for a new (or used) golf cart. The first step is to decide which golf cart to buy, there are two basic options;
- gas golf cart
- electric golf cart
Deciding on which is the best can be a bit tricky, so just for you I’ve decided to give you a little “inside info” on the two types of golf carts.
Golf Cart Facts
There are pros and cons for both types of golf cart, so trying to figure out what they are can play a key role in deciding which is the best type of golf cart for you!
- Gas powered golf carts – use a traditional combustion engine, usually four cylinder although there are some two cylinder golf carts around too. You can use regular auto gas in them, either driving them to the gas station or dumping gas into them from a can.
- Electric golf carts – are okay, just so long as you have a long enough cable! Okay, I’m kidding, they are powered by rechargeable batteries, either 38 or 48 volt is most common, which need to be regularly charged to ensure that your golf cart keeps on working. When your battery power fades then your golf cart will slow, which can be a bit of a nuisance if you’re at the furthest hole – can somebody give me a push? Battery powered golf carts are the most popular choice, but that doesn’t mean that this type of golf cart is right for everybody.
A picture of a Club Car 84 golf cart.
Benefits of Gas Powered Golf Carts
Some golfers do prefer the gas powered golf carts ‘cos they’re faster – even though there is generally a speed limit on the golf course, and the game of golf really isn’t supposed to be about speeding across the fairway. Anyway, they are faster, they can pull heavier loads and they are easy to refill. Some gas powered golf carts can even be driven on the roads, whereas an electrically powered golf cart might not be able to reach the desired minimum speed.
Benefits of Electric Golf Carts
Electric golf carts are more environmentally friendly because they don’t produce emissions, so that’s definitely one of their boxes checked. They are also much quieter than gas powered golf carts, that little bit cheaper and more readily available. They also cost less to maintain and to operate, recharging your electric golf cart is much cheaper than filling it up at the gas station.
Drive carefully . . .
Drawbacks of Gas Golf Carts
Okay, if you want to get your gas golf cart ready for action all you’ve gotta’ do is to dump a gallon of fuel in and off you go, but this does product pollution. The carbon-monoxide emissions can also be a health hazard if you operate your golf cart in an enclosed space like a garage. Gas golf carts can be pretty noisy and require regular maintenance – oil changes and the like.
Drawbacks of Electric Golf Carts
The main problem with electric golf carts is that you can’t always tell when you’re gonna’ run out of power, and if you do run out of power at an awkward location then you can’t simply plug it in and be on your way. Golfers can easily become stranded if their electric golf cart runs out of power, and it isn’t usually a simple case of removing the battery and taking it away to be charged, these batteries are not easily removed, they’re big and they’re heavy, your only alternative is to hitch a tow or find some friendly golfers to give you a push back to the clubhouse.
I gotta’ get me on of those . . . even for when I’m not playing golf.
Customized Golf Carts
These days custom is king, and plenty of people have customized golf carts – even if they don’t play golf. Some of these customized golf carts are pretty outrageous by anybodies standards.
Hey, they just look like regular cars – only everything is smaller (except some of the price tags).
