Golf Cart Safety – 4 Tips for Golfers and Spectators

Golf is certainly not the most dangerous sport out there by a long shot, but accidents at the golf course are not entirely absent either. In fact, a good few golfing accidents are actually related directly or indirectly to golf carts. Given that a golf cart is essentially a motorized vehicle, that does make sense. On that note, let’s go through four cart safety tips for golfers and spectators next.

Treat Your Golf Cart as a Car

A golf cart may feel like a toy to someone used to driving much bigger and more powerful cars, but it’s important to understand that it’s not a toy. It is a low powered, but fully motorized vehicle and you should handle it in much the same way as you would a car. For example, wearing seat belts in a golf cart is not a mandatory requirement in most states, but if your cart has seat belts, everyone in it should be wearing them all the same. It’s not uncommon for people to fall out of a golf cart when the driver makes a sharp turn.

Slow the cart down and look around before making turns. Also, only reverse after ensuring that no one or nothing is in the collision course. Note that all applicable traffic rules will come into full force if you plan to use your golf cart for off-roading as well. Do pay a visit to your local government’s traffic website to find out more about the applicable laws for off-roading with a golf cart. Additionally, if you're wondering how to carry golf clubs on a scooter, it's important to consider the size and weight of the clubs, as well as the scooter's capacity. Make sure to secure the clubs properly and ensure they don't interfere with your ability to operate the scooter safely.

Give Golf Carts on the Move a Wide Berth

This piece of advice is mostly meant for the spectators on any golf course. Always keep an eye out for incoming carts and give them a wide berth, so that they can pass at a safe distance from you. Standing too close to the carts or trying to interact with the players while their cart is on the move is a very bad idea.

Ensure that Your Cart’s Tires Match the Road

Golf carts can be excellent off-road vehicles as well, but you must keep a few points in mind. Firstly, regular golf cart tires are not meant to handle the rough terrain of backcountry roads, or any rough roads for that matter. If you plan to use it for off-road adventures, be sure to fit it with all-terrain tires first for better grip on rough roads. The same goes for those that love to hit the links or full-on desert courses, because you will appreciate the extra grip on those rough and sandy sideroads.

However, you must also remember to change the cart’s tires to more turf friendly wheels before driving into a parkland or a woodland course. Doing so is necessary to keep the softer, grassy courses from being damaged. It’s always a good idea to ask the course manager about the kind of golf cart tires they allow on their golf course.

Seek Shelter In Case of Lightning

To keep both you and your cart safe, always seek shelter inside the clubhouse during lightning storms. Park the cart and go inside if the sky is already flashing ominously. Golf carts with golf clubs in them can become unwitting lightning rods, so distance yourself from them if there’s lightning. In fact, the same advice applies to spectators and especially caddies, as they are generally the ones carrying the clubs.

It’s a good idea for both spectators and players to seek shelter during storms, irrespective of whether there is lightning or not. Golf carts are not the heaviest vehicles and high wind speeds even topple cars quite regularly. Such an accident will injure everyone inside, as well as anyone unlucky enough to be in the way.