When you sit behind the wheel of a golf cart, you need to think of it in a similar way to how you think about driving an actual car. The fact that it’s not on the road and it’s a much smaller vehicle will lead a lot of people to believe that it doesn’t require as much care.

This really isn’t the case. It’s still a moving vehicle, you are still driving it in an area that is going to have a lot of people walking and standing around, so it is still something that can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

There’s also the fact you are going to be using it on a course which is a private property. This means that you also need to respect the environment and go out of your way to avoid causing any harm.

You’re also more than likely going to be renting a cart from the clubhouse so you need to respect that too. You’re not driving your own car so you can’t be flippant with how you take care of it.

I mean that’s probably a good attitude to have towards any car that you drive whether you own it or not but you absolutely must treat the golf cart as a rental, that’s essentially what it is. So let’s think about a few important things to note in regards to golf carts:

General Safety

What a lot of this particular point is going to boil down to is that you shouldn’t be a moron when you’re using a golf cart. There are certain very obvious things to avoid doing that you have to avoid for your own safety. 

First of all, a golf cart is a two-seater vehicle. Don’t let anyone else onboard except for the driver and one passenger. People will probably ask if they can tag along and hang off the side of the cart or sit on the back of it, but this is unsafe.

A golf cart isn’t designed to have more than two people and it’s not equipped to deal with the extra weight. You’re also risking putting the cart off-balance and there isn’t sufficient protection for someone who’s hanging off the side of a moving vehicle.

Limit it to two, no matter how big your personal party is when you’re at the course, two people in a golf cart is the maximum. Also, keep your arms and legs inside the cart at all times. You don’t have as much covering as you do in a car so you need to be more wary of your precious limbs.

And also, I know some people like to have a few drinks when they’re out at the golf club and that’s fine of course, but if you do, don’t get behind the wheel of the cart.

Stick to the Cart Path

The cart path is there for a reason. On a golf course, the place is divided into specific areas, many of which are generally going to have quite a bit of foot traffic. You wouldn’t allow a car to drive around inside a public park right?

Well the same applies to the course. I mean golf carts don’t move extremely fast and it probably wouldn’t be that difficult to dodge people on the green, but in the interest of being as safe as possible, just stick to the path.

There will more than likely be traffic signs and speed signs positioned close to the path, unless this particular course is a deliberately unsafe place and you should make a point of looking out for these and obeying them.

Watch the Terrain

This is another reason why you should be ensuring that you don’t drift from the path. You can do a serious amount of damage to the terrain. Making severe turns or sharp stops are really bad for the turf.

There’s also probably sprinklers around the course, and there will be fairway bunkers and the closer you get to these the more likely you are to cause damage to them or to the cart by crashing into them.

And water collects in low spots which means that you could end up sliding on or doing further harm to the terrain. Wet conditions and golf carts are a combination that could do lasting damage and make the area unplayable.

Consider Buying Your Own Cart

Having a cart that belongs to you will remove a lot of the anxiety associated with potential damage that you could do. Of course you still have to be careful but it does mean that if something goes wrong you don’t have to think of the club.

It also means that you won’t have to pay to rent a cart when you’re there which will end up costing you quite a bit less in the long run if you are going to be making frequent trips to the course. 

If you do decide to buy a cart, use the same attitude that you would use when buying a car. Don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of financially and make sure that you’re getting the best deal possible. 

Golf carts are a very important part of the golfing experience unless you relish in the arduous task of walking everywhere while you’re playing. But for your sake, for the club’s sake and for the sake of every other golfer there, you should arm yourself with knowledge before you try driving one.