4 Golf Cart Safety Tips

The safe operation of a golf cart should be your primary concern when using one on the links. A golf cart is a convenient way to get around an 18-hole course, especially if arthritis or some other ailment makes that much walking uncomfortable. Golf carts are typically available for rent at a golf course, but many golfers bring their own on a trailer. Both gas-powered and electric golf carts are used, each with their own benefits. Whichever type you use, safety is of the utmost concern. Golf courses often are laid out with somewhat steep hills, and there is not always a smooth path for you to drive along. Consider these safety tips when operating a golf cart, whether it is your own or the club’s. 

4 Golf Cart Safety Tips

Don’t Speed

Gas-powered golf carts have a lot more power than electric models, so this is especially important when that is the type of cart you are using. You should never drive the golf cart speeds that exceed a few miles per hour. Although a golf cart may be able to travel upwards of 35mph, there is no reason you need to. The golf club will likely post the top speed for golf carts. Not only does maintaining the proper speed on a golf cart help keep the driver and passenger safe, it ensures the safety of those walking that may not be aware that a speeding golf cart is approaching them. 

Don’t Overload the Cart

If the golf cart has 4 seats and room in the back for 4 golf bags with clubs, don’t load 6 passengers onboard. Not abiding by the passenger and weight limitations of a golf cart puts you and the passengers at risk of tipping the cart over, burning out the motor or having someone fall off when in motion. Not only that, but the course ranger may kick you out because of it. 

Don’t Stop it on an Incline

Whether it’s at the teeing grounds or just off the green, never stop a golf cart on an incline. The emergency brake could give out, and the cart could roll away. Worse yet, stopping sideways on an incline might cause the cart to tip over. That is a surefire way to ruin a day of golfing as well being liable for damages to the club’s cart. 

Don’t Drink and Drive

Carrying alcoholic beverages along with you when playing golf is technically prohibited on many courses. That being said, many golfers do it anyway. Just like drinking and driving a car, drinking and driving a golf cart is just as foolish. Don’t think of a golf cart as a toy with a low center of gravity. Accidents can and will happen when you include alcohol in the mix. 

These are but 4 tips for the safe operation of a golf cart. Don’t make yourself liable for damages to club property or any bodily injury you have a hand in causing by the unsafe driving of a golf cart. It is important to be safe when driving a golf cart, both for you, your passengers and any pedestrians around you.