Golf Cart Facts

Golf carts are a standard piece of equipment at most golf courses and are becoming increasingly popular as a potential replacement to your car for local errands. On a course, they speed up the pace of play by moving players more quickly to where they have hit the ball, making them a good investment for courses who want more rounds of golf completed in a playing day. You may also here them referred to as golf cars or golf buggies, depending on your region.

Power

Golf carts are powered by either gas or electric engines. Gas engines use regular petroleum that you can purchase at a local gas station. Electric engines are powered from a bank of batteries, typically stored under the seat. Electric engines require regular recharging, though you can purchase solar panels. If you kit your cart out with solar panels, your cart will convert the sun's energy to recharge the batteries on your cart.

Seating Capacity

Most carts generally seat two players, with bags for the players secured directly behind the bench seat. But golf carts used for other purposes, such as transporting guests around a resort, may be fitted for up to six or eight people. Golf carts that are used to transport equipment, either around the course or around a resort facility, typically seat one or two people, with a either a flat bed behind the driver or a cage that secures equipment.

Driving

When driving on the course, make sure you follow the course rules; some courses do not allow carts to deviate from the cart path, others allow carts to advance to the ball lie if you drive perpendicular to green, still others allow driving freely on the course (though never on the putting green). Courses regulate the speed of carts at 12 m.ph., but even this slow speed can be dangerous as carts are bottom-heavy. If you're standing up or leaning out on a curve, you can be thrown out of the cart and inured.

Before driving on the local road, check with your municipality's rules about golf carts. Most allow carts to travel on roads rated at 25 m.p.h. or slower, but prohibit carts to travel on faster roads. Even on slower roads, most areas require a turn signal, brake lights, registration, side mirror and a seat belt.