Golf Cart Digest

Is your golf cart street legal?
It depends on the vehicle and your location.
First, all true GOLF CARTS manufactured so far do not have a DOT 17 digit VIN number, so they cannot be titled and tagged as a motor vehicle. There are many different vehicles that LOOK a lot like a golf car, but are actually LSV’s (Low Speed Vehicle), also known as NEV (Neighborhood electric vehicle). These vehicles DO have a DOT 17 digit VIN number and can, where state and/or local laws permit, be titled, licensed tagged, and used on public roadways as specified in local ordinances. At last count, 44 states have some form of LSV/NEV legislation. Most specify that the vehicles can only be used on streets with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less, and must be equipped with head lights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, reflectors, a rear view mirror, windshield, parking brake, and seat belts. Beyond the LSV/NEV laws, there are a myriad of local rules regarding golf carts use on public highways, with a wide variation in the language. The only way to be certain is to thoroughly research your state and local laws on this subject.

Yamaha has improved the options for headlights in it’s new 2010 Yamaha Accessories Catalog. New for this year is an option for LED tail lights…which are brighter and use less energy. 2010 headlight kits include the standard kit, head and tail lights, the new premium kit which adds LED tail lights, LED brake lights, and turn signals with an automotive style switch. Each is also available as a PTV kit, which adds a horn and horn button.

Adding an inexpensive cargo box to a golf cart transforms the vehicle from a simple two person vehicle to a mini pick-up truck that can be used on lawns and grasses with no damage.   The golf cart-utility vehicle has dozens, if not hundreds of uses.  Cargo boxes are available for nearly every make and model of golf cart.   They can be made of steel (least expensive), aluminum (more expensive, but NO rust), or Plastic (polycarbonate, no rust, no corrosion, quiet, most expensive).   Check out golf cart cargo boxes at Cunningham Golf Car Co.

Adding a windshield to a golf cart…nearly every new golf cart fleet going to golf courses is delivered with a windshield.  For the non-golfing use, it is also becoming a must.  Without a windshield, a light rain becomes a soaker.  A light breeze on a cool day becomes a freeze-out.  But, are all windshields the same?  Definitely NOT!  The lease expensive are plain acrylic, which are the easiest to crack.  Next in quality and price are impact-modified acrylic, which has rubber added to the acrylic to make a much more shatter resistant windshield.  Most expensieve are the polycarbonate windshields, the least likely to break, but also, since they are softer, are the easiest to scratch when cleaning.  Want to learn more?  Click here to read all about windshields page on the Cunningham Golf Car website.  This site is full of good golf cart information.

One on the most popular accessories for the NON-GOLFING users of golf carts is the fold-down rear seat.   With the seat “up,” you carry additional passengers.  With the seat “down,” you carry all your goodies up or down that hill to the lake.  Only one problem:  in the “down” position, you have a flat bed with no sides.  Your gear needs to be tied down with straps, ropes or bungee cords, and this is a bit of a pain.   A creative fellow saw this problem and invented a great new golf cart accessory:   the cargo caddy!   This is a moulded plastic box that fits on the folded down seat, fastens down in seconds, and carrys all your gear with no tie-downs!   Great idea.     See it in detail here.

With so many standard white or even standard green golf carts coming off golf courses, it is no wonder that the NON-GOLFING users of golf carts are looking for ways to make the vehicle look less like a golf cart and more like a fun cart!  Lifting the cart is one very popular way of making a fun cart.  But…be careful.  There are a lot of “bargain priced” lift kits for sale on the web.  The Cunningham Golf Car Co. service dept has seen many of these come in for repair, badly damaged.  We don’t repair them..we replace with a good quality lift kit, and they don’t come back!  Check out our lift kit selection here:      …for CLUB CAR golf carts;     …for EZGO golf carts;     …for Yamaha golf carts

Volume 1, Number 13, in a series about the many uses of golf carts

Coaches and Trainers…Need help in hauling all that gear to and from the practice field?  Consider a new or used utility vehicle from Cunningham Golf Car Co.   These handy vehicles are inexpensive to own and operate…and they are available powered by a gas engine or electric motor.   Similar to a golf cart, but nicly equipped with a carrying utility box in the rear makes for  the perfect vehicle for hauling gear.   An added bonus…they are light enought not to damage any of the turf.

Adventurer One, by Yamaha

Volume 1, Number 13, in a series about the many uses of golf carts

Check out this eight passenger people mover.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Have you ever watched the parking lots at any of the many new mega-churches?   First, most are very, very, large.  Who do you see struggling to get from their parked car, in the far corner of the lot, to the entrance?   You see:  elderly couples; people wih minor mobility impairments;  large families with toddlers; mothers carring infants; many different type of people who would benefit from a lift from the car to the churchentrance.   The answer for the church elders is to utilitze one or more courtesy transportation vehicles to help those in need.   The type of vehicle shown costs way less that a van to own and operate, and is easier for passengers to enter and exit.  Wouldn’t this be a great addition to help with that big church parking lot?  Check out people movers at Cunningham Golf Car Co.

Volume 1, Number 11, in a series about the many uses of golf carts

Check out this eight passenger people mover.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Have you ever watched the parking lots at most hospitals?   First, most are very, very, large.  Who do you see struggling to get from their parked car, in the far corner of the lot, to the hospital enterance?   You see:  old folks; people in casts; people being discharged, in a wheelchair;  you get the picture.  The answer for hospital administrators is to utilitze one or more courtesy transportation vehicles to help those in need.   The type of vehicle shown costs way less that a van to own and operate, and is easier for passengers to enter and exit.  Wouldn’t this be a great addition to help with that big hostital parking lot?  Check out people movers at Cunningham Golf Car Co.

Volume 1, Number 10, in a series about the many uses of golf carts

With nearly every city, county, state and local municipality struggling with budget problems, why not consider using a light duty gas or electric golf/utility cart for parks maintenance, rather than a pick up truck?  Today’s light utility vehicles can go places in the park that driving a truck to would cause turf damage, and they are substantially less expensive to own and operate.  Check out some of the light utility vehicle options at Cunningham Golf Car’s website.  For the extra tight budgets, used golf carts can easity be converted into a small utility vehicle.  Check out this option also.

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