This article was published in the March 2019 issue of the Beacon.

For many years I had successfully resisted and avoided the responsibilities of golf cart ownership. I rationalized that we already had a very comfortable SUV for getting around in Florida and that personally, I was quite happy to ride my bike almost anywhere within the community. We were not big golfers, and lord knows, there was already quite enough “stuff” vying for space in the garage. That all changed last year with two significant new developments. First, we joined the BSGAC men’s and ladies’ Wednesday golf leagues, which we are very much enjoying. Second, my wife co-chaired a golf cart poker run at PPYC. All of a sudden pressure began to mount for a cart of our own! I resisted for a while, as we men tend to do, but slowly began to accept that ultimately there would be a cart in the garage. I began doing a little research – new vs. used; two seats vs. four; electric vs. gas; go-fast vs. tortoise speed; domestic vs. foreign built; fancy colors vs. golf course green or beige; and a whole host of upgrades from custom wheels to LED lighting (one dealer had a list containing over 70 extra-cost upgrade options).

I’ve always prided myself in being both a careful and opportunistic buyer so when I heard that some good friends were leaving the community and heading back up north I immediately called and offered to buy their cart. The cart was 15 years old, but in good condition and importantly, the batteries were only two years old. It had some nice upgrades and other than the fact that it was a two seater, it seemed to fit our needs. The price we agreed upon was also very reasonable and a fraction of the cost of a new unit.

Once we took possession the process of personalizing the cart and making it our own began in earnest. Various stickers and other identifying marks which were meaningful to the former owners were removed and I began my research into golf cart maintenance. The battery bank is quite similar to what I have on my sailboat up north so that aspect was somewhat intuitive. What did bother me was a somewhat rough ride, punctuated by some grating noises when bumps on the golf course were encountered. It took a couple of weeks of this before I finally got around to investigating and examining the suspension system. Much to my surprise there were no bushings between the rear springs and the bolts which secured them to the cart. It was metal upon metal with lots of play on all six of the attachment points. I ordered a bushing kit online and decided to try installing them myself. Most dealers will provide this service, which would be money well spent if you want to avoid “busting your knuckles on a monkey wrench”, as John Prine famously sang about his time in the army in his tune Fish and Whistle.

Fortunately, I have a set of jacks so was able to elevate the cart and after much grunting, groaning and squirming on my back managed to free up and remove the bolts before inserting new metal sleeves and bushings (12 in total) to the ends of the springs. The difference in the ride of the cart after this installation was astounding and well worth the effort expended. I suggest every golf cart owner take a close look at their spring bushings. Next up was the installation of a new car radio which I had left over from a previous project. We don’t use it often, but it is nice to be able to occasionally plug our iPod into the USB slot and play tropical or seasonal tunes.

Emboldened by these early successes I went on to purchase and install a new rear facing bench seat which also folds out to create a truck bed for hauling yard waste to the street. I’ve also now taken some time to read the very comprehensive Owner’s Manual and Service Guide which fortunately had survived the transfer of ownership through several families.

Another important consideration for new golf cart owners should be a discussion with your insurance broker about coverage for your cart. We discovered that we were not covered by our existing policies and that a relatively inexpensive $100 policy was required to ensure we had appropriate property damage, liability, personal injury and medical coverage.

We’re thoroughly enjoying scooting around the community on our new “ride” and feel that we have taken one more step forward in our transition to bona fide Florida snowbirds.