THE GOLF CART INDUSTRY AND HOW IT’S CHANGED

Hello again, its Tony!  Hope everyone is having a great holiday season.  Today I wanted to discuss the golf cart industry and how it’s changed over the years.  The golf cart community has greatly emulated the automotive industry over the past few years.  Manufacturers and part suppliers are continually coming up with innovative ideas to make carts more attractive, safe, and useful.  I built my first golf cart in 2003.  I was proud of it!  I look back at the pictures and chuckle.  How times have changed!  I painted the cart, added some lights, and decals.  Not customized by todays definition.  The items available in 2003 were so limited.  Those days were just the start of a major shift in the golf cart world.  The term “golf cart” has really evolved into what I call “personal transportation vehicles.”  Today we rarely sell a “traditional golf cart.”  People these days are using golf carts for so much more than conventional transportation.  Even traditional golfers want all the gadgets on their carts.  I remember back when I was struggling to get ANY accessories, let alone for certain makes and models.  Accessories were limited to a few back seats, windshields, and light kits.  There were a few lift kits and very limited wheels/tires.  Everything was expensive due to low supply and demand.  Times have changed.  I’m going to walk through some of these changes that I’ve witnessed over the years. 

Safety improvements.  

     This is the most important area to Carts Gone Wild.  Golf cart safety is quickly getting better.  There were virtually no safety features in 2003.  Now it’s common for customers to purchase carts with street legal features like light kits with turn signals, horn, hazards, etc.  Fully retractable seat belts are commonplace in most townships.  I remind people about seat belts all the time.   I would never want to see a child fall off and hit their head.  ANYONE PUTTING CHILDREN ON A GOLF CART SHOULD BUCKLE THEM UP!  SEATBELTS SAVE LIVES.  The other items available for safety include very bright LED flashing whip flags.  Slow moving vehicle signs, beacon-style amber lights, reflectors, and bicycle flags all help others see you when riding.  Rear view mirrors help the driver see their surroundings, and come in all shapes, sizes today.  We even have side folding mirrors that have LED flashing turn signal indicators in them.  Previous luxury items such as back up cameras are becoming popular today.  Thicker DOT windshields that are impact resistant.  Battery and fuel gauges help alert drivers to keep from getting stranded.  These items all contribute to a safer vehicle. 

Accessory availability.  

     Today's accessories are world away from what were available 10 years ago.  Seems like a new accessory comes out every week.  I’ve seen some crazy things recently that I didn't think I would see in my lifetime.  It’s like the automotive industry;  people wanting to be better and different from everyone else.  We see carts now with back-up cameras.  YEP, NO KIDDING!  Other items include hydraulic disc brakes, seat belts, digital dashes w/speedometers, self-cancelling turn signals, heat & air conditioning, LED whip flags, rear view mirrors w/turn indicators in them, plush seating, solar panel roofs, etc.  We sell lots of painted bodies and aftermarket body kits.  In recent years, we built Mustangs, 57 Chevys, Bentley, Jeeps, Roadsters, and Broncos.  We sell lots of painted bodies or gel coated plastic bodies.  Wheels & tire market went bonkers.  The standard custom wheel in 2003 was a 10” polished aluminum.  There was almost no painted or chrome available in the entire market, unless you wanted to pay an arm and a leg for them.  Standard wheels today have become a 14” wheel that you can get painted, chrome, black chrome, polished aluminum, multi-color, round, etc.  In addition to the wheel market, there is also a wide variety of tires available.  I remember there being maybe 10 different tires available in the entire market, now there’s hundreds!  Lifted, low profile, radial, bias-ply, white walls (yes true), DOT approved, etc.  We can get golf cart tires now anywhere from 18" to 27” in diameter and for wheels ranging from 8" to 15”.  Never thought we would see 15” wheels for a golf cart.  Next milestone will be 16”, and who knows from then on.  The name of the game today is aesthetics, everyone wants the latest and greatest.  Pimp my ride! 

Technology changes. 

     Previously I mentioned it’s like the automotive industry and continually getting better.  I thought we would never see fuel injected golf carts getting 48mpg and now it’s the norm.  Biggest complaint on gas carts is noise. We sell carts now that are nearly dead silent when running at full speed.  People mistake them for electric carts.  Riding range used to be the biggest complaint on electric carts.  We sell electric carts now that run as much as 60 miles on a charge.  Carts with fully independent front & rear suspension.  Fully programable computer controlled electric carts where we can control everything involved with driving.  It’s easy these days to make a golf carts run between 30-40mph and they drive very stable.  We problem solved carts in the past with repair manuals,  now we are using digital scan tools.  Every aspect of carting is better due to the advancements in technology.  It’s truly amazing!      


Community aspect.  

     Communities adopting cart ordinances completely changed the industry scene.  I don’t remember anyone riding golf carts on city streets in 2003.  It’s changed.  Take our community for example, in Haubstadt Indiana. Its a small close-knit community of approximately 1500 people.  Social gatherings and activities in town are common.  Haubstadt is a pretty cool community.  There’s lots of established businesses around town that people support.  Most of these places will have carts in their parking lots.  It’s our way of life in this small town.  You will usually find carts at the baseball & soccer fields, restaurants, grocery store, schools, and even the local bars.  Golf carts parked everywhere.  Here’s my take on golf carts.  Anyone can drive around town in a vehicle.  Sure, it’s faster, comfortable, and climate controlled.  However, it’s missing the community aspect.  Riding around town in a golf cart is relaxing and allows you to take in the community.  It’s easier to socialize with friends and family.  You find yourself stopping at places you normally wouldn’t.  The ease of driving is better.  Especially, for the elderly.  We currently have around 270 registered golf carts and UTV’s riding on the streets in Haubstadt.  It’s changed the community.  This weekend is a good example, we have a golf cart parade this Sunday and probably 75-100 carts will attend.  The children love it!  Many people in town use their cart as the primary means of transportation.  Are there people who don’t like the carts?  Yes, but many of them have never experienced loading up the kids/grand kids in a cart to go for a ride around town.  Would they do this in their vehicle?  The answer is no!  Unfortunately, there are towns resisting carts.  Getting an ordinance passed isn’t an easy task, it takes work.  It can be painful and involve months of attending town meetings.  The key is getting others involved to voice their opinion.  It’s like anything else.  One person won’t get it passed.  We’ve been able to get several towns passed locally and it’s taken time.  Get others involved, attend the town meetings, and make sure your voice is heard.  Once it’s in place, then it will stay in place.   

Commercial/Industrial Carts.  

     This is an area for Carts Gone Wild that’s changing quickly.  Many of the companies that utilized loud bulky Utility Vehicles in the past are converting to golf cart style work vehicles. Companies are looking to save logistics expenses.  There’s the safety factor.  Companies find it’s safer and cheaper to use cart style work vehicles vs a large utility vehicle.  The initial investment is much cheaper, and the overall cost of operation is much less.  The vehicles available are growing every year:  2wd to 4wd,  Gas to diesel,  Vehicle with full cabs with heat and air conditioning, the list goes on.  There is a different golf cart for every job nowadays.  Flat beds, dump beds, tugs, tool carts, beverage hot/cold carts, ambulance, trams, scissor lift carts, vans, and even buses.  Again, this area is growing at about the same rate as the normal golf cart market.


Well folks that’s a wrap.  I hope you enjoyed today’s blog involving the golf cart market and how it’s evolved.  I can’t believe what’s changed in the 16 years I’ve been in the industry.  I included 3 pictures below as a funny reminder on how things have changed.  1st is a vintage 3 wheeled golf cart.  2nd is the first cart I built that was my pride and joy at the time.  The 3rd is an example of today’s technology.  We appreciate you tuning into our blogs.  Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.  Have a happy and safe holiday.