But today, pressed by concerns about the environment and the high cost of energy, more and more golf communities and municipalities are giving the green light to golf carts on their streets. If you find yourself in one of those communities, here are some things to consider in choosing the right kind of cart.
You have two basic choices in carts, gasoline powered or electric. Depending on battery capacity, electric
carts, quiet and odor free, typically achieve a range of 20 miles to 55 miles. Their batteries require a minimum of six hours recharging (best overnight). Some observers estimate that the electric cart costs about 3 cents per mile to run, based on 20 cents per kilowatt in electrical charges (the carts can be charged via a typical 110-volt home outlet). Gas carts, on the other hand, get up to 30 miles per gallon; at $2 per gallon, the cost of operation is about 7 cents per mile. They are loud and smell funny and tend to lurch forward if not tuned properly. However, gasoline powered carts are priced at about half the cost of comparably sized electric carts.
I found online a slick-looking electric cart with the capacity to handle two golf bags; it was priced at $5,200 and claimed a range of 55 miles for each full battery charge. A Yamaha gas powered cart, not quite as fancy as the electric one, was listed for $2,200. Golf carts are in plentiful supply, both new and used, and for those of us handymen who don't mind doing the occasional tune-up, bargains are available. One man in the St. Louis area operates a 20-year-old electric cart for just $30. He can go 20 miles, or the equivalent of at least three rounds of golf, on a 10-hour charge.