Many of us have the idealistic notion that, in retirement, we will be able to leave our automobile in the carport and, instead, rely for most local trips on an environmentally friendly and convenient golf cart.
But, as Doug Terhune points out, this is more a dream than reality in many communities. Doug is our real estate broker for Brunswick County, one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and home to more than a dozen golf communities, including the popular Ocean Ridge Plantation and Brunswick Forest. Doug publishes a monthly newsletter for his clients and, in his February edition, he explains why golf carts are verboten in many communities. He points out that any communities lacking a guarded or gated entrance are unlikely to permit golf carts on their streets. The streets in such communities are maintained by the local municipalities and require a minimum speed limit, typically 20 mph. But such speeds are beyond the legal limit for open vehicles like golf carts; in our experience, the average cart speed is a doddering 14 mph.
Some developers installed golf-cart-only paths years ago, but today, as Doug explains, such extra lanes are expensive to build, and today’s post-recession developers are more conservative about extra expenses. And, Doug argues, by the time a golf cart is outfitted with required lights, seatbelts and extra horsepower to reach a required 20 mph or so, the cost will approach that of a VW Beetle, Prius or one of those Smart Cars that, to us, don’t look much safer than a golf cart, except for the extra bit of metal.
If a golf cart is a must, though, Doug can help. Brunswick County golf communities, like the recently opened Compass Pointe and the more mature Rivers Edge, accommodate the use of golf carts beyond their gated entrances. Contact us and we will introduce you to Doug, who will be happy to help you get into a beautiful golf cart and community.
This "smart" car seen on the streets of London some years ago would blend in on any golf course.
