The Benefits of Owning Your Own Golf Cart
Despite their name, golf carts aren’t exclusively useful on the golf course. Many people use golf carts for recreational purposes around the neighborhood, while others may use them for professional work on large, open campuses. Golf carts are durable, reliable utility vehicles that work on the flat asphalt of a calm neighborhood or on the more rugged terrain of a campsite by the lake.
There are plenty of good reasons why a golf cart can be your best choice for casual transportation. Here are some of the most significant benefits of owning your own golf cart and why it may be the right decision for you.
1. Optimize Short-Distance Travel
Many people own golf carts when they live in a slightly remote area where shops, parks, and other frequented locations are a little too far to walk. With a golf cart, you easily can drive your family to the playground or to yard sales on the weekend. Plus, going on trips becomes a lot more fun in the open-air environment of a golf cart.
2. Improve Sustainability
Golf carts are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Instead of turning on your car, you can reduce emissions by using an electric golf cart instead. Many modern carts are electric, so a fully charged battery will get you where you need to go if you’re running some short errands. Instead of spending on gas to refill the tank and producing the resulting emissions, you can rely on your emissions-free electric golf cart—better for the environment and your wallet.
3. Experience Easy Maintenance
Compared with many other utility vehicles, golf carts are very manageable with minimal maintenance requirements. If you have an electric golf cart, you mainly want to keep an eye on the battery. Other routine maintenance may involve checking that the tires have enough pressure and that your steering is still responsive and operational. If you suspect any problems, most golf cart dealerships can perform a quick checkup to see if there’s anything else that you should fix.
4. Enhance Your Golf Experience
We mentioned earlier that you can use golf carts for more than just golf, but obviously, they’re one of the best vehicles for spending a day out on the links. Golf carts have the ideal balance of speed and power to get you over the gentle slopes on the average course. When you don’t want to walk the entire way to the green, you can just load your friends and equipment up in the cart. Heading to the hole is a much more memorable and pleasant experience when you have your own golf cart.
5. Have an Affordable Vehicle
Compared with other similar vehicles, including UTVs, golf carts are a much more affordable way to get around. They require a much lower initial investment, they typically don’t require gasoline, and charging the battery doesn’t use much power. Also, electric golf carts are more affordable than traditional gasoline models, so that may be something to consider when you’re looking at models.
6. Provide Driving Practice
If you have a teenager or someone else in your household or life who needs driving practice, a golf cart is a safe, reliable way to help them get it. Most states have their own laws regarding golf cart operations, but you can typically drive one without a license. Because they don’t reach high speeds and often stay off busy roads, golf carts are a great way to practice and build some confidence behind the wheel.
7. Make Group Transport Simple
The amount of seating in a golf cart is more flexible than you’d think. Many carts have anywhere from two to four seats, but you can find larger ones that can carry six or even eight passengers. On top of that, you can attach a trailer to the back with even more seating options and drive around the neighborhood or a large campus area. Golf carts with a lot of seating options are great for getting people around without needing to cram into a car.
8. Potentially Make It Street Legal
Depending on where you live, you may have the option of making your golf cart street-legal so you can drive it on bigger roads. Most federal requirements for street-legal golf carts are that they can go at least 20 miles per hour, can transport cargo of at least 80 pounds, and weigh less than 2,500 pounds.
Street-legal golf carts must also have the following traditional safety features of a more conventional vehicle:
- Seat belts
- Headlights
- Turn signals
- Parking brakes
- Rear and side mirrors
- Vehicle identification number (VIN).
If you want to make your golf cart street legal, check your state or county laws regarding street-legal golf carts at your local Department of Motor Vehicles.
9. Accommodate Physical Disabilities
One of the most significant benefits of owning your own golf cart is that they’re great for those who have trouble getting around. Golf carts are often easy to get in and out of, and you can operate them without much effort. Seniors or those who find themselves moving a little more slowly than they used to can benefit from a golf cart to get around more easily.
10. Take Advantage of Useful Upgrades
Many golf carts come with basic features, but you can enhance them to make them serve a more specific purpose. One of the most common upgrades is a trailer hitch so your golf cart can transport tools, materials, or even other golf carts. You can also attach helpful tools that can make your golf cart more useful around the yard. For example, you can add plows for clearing out snow in the winter or tillers to help prepare your garden for growing vegetables in the spring.
Owning your own golf cart has a lot of advantages. Whether you want to use one casually from time to time or daily in your professional life, you should investigate what makes and models work best for your needs. Ben Nelson Golf & Outdoor has a wide range of new and pre-owned golf carts from some of the top manufacturers. If you’re looking for Cushman golf carts for sale, which are great for transporting multiple people, we can help you find what you need. For more details, don’t hesitate to stop by one of our dealerships or contact us anytime, and a helpful member of our team will be happy to assist you.
