The Evolution of Golf Cars: From the Fairway to Everyday Use

Golf cars are quiet, efficient, and pollution-free, speeding their progress from fairway to driveway. But although the sport they made easier has existed since the 1400s in Scotland, these high-tech wonders only got their start about 90 years ago in the USA.

Twice Invented

Lyman Beecher of Clearwater, FL, loved golf, but he disliked walking the course due to his arthritis. So, in 1932, he invented a rickshaw-style cart that he could ride as it was manually pulled by two caddies. Later on, he added two front wheels to eliminate the caddies and six car batteries that could power his contraption for a full round of 18 holes.

That same year and completely independently, J.K. (John Keener) Wadley, a Texarkana executive, noticed three-wheeled electric carts in Los Angeles that transported elderly shoppers to grocery stores. He bought one of those carts to use on the golf course, but it didn’t work well until he customized it. Most golfers at the time preferred to walk the course by themselves, leaving these carts for use by older and disabled golfers who found going on foot too challenging. Besides, many of the earliest models were expensive, bulky, and noisy, all of which were deterrents to their use.

Marketeer

The gas rationing of World War II during the 1940s prompted Merle Williams to create an electric runabout that his wife could use to get around Long Beach, CA. He took that knowledge to create the first purpose-built electric golf cart in 1951, which was then commercially produced by his Marketeer Company in Redlands, CA.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, gas- and electric-powered golf carts became popular, although their high cost made them too expensive for individuals to own. Luckily, golf courses purchased these vehicles and rented them out to a wide range of golfers. More companies, including Westinghouse, which bought Marketeers in 1965, began to manufacture these vehicles, which helped to lower their cost.

Improvements

Early golf carts, including Westinghouse/Musketeer, used three wheels and were steered by a tiller bar. They worked well of flat fairways but became uncertain on hills and slopes. In the 1970s, nearly all carts were upgraded to four wheels and conventional automobile-type steering for better performance. By the 1980s, many were customized to individual buyers with more user-friendly controls, different seating configurations, varying paint jobs, and useful accessories.

Environmental concerns in the 1990s led to manufacturers emphasizing alternative fuels, including propane, natural gas, solar power, and, of course, electricity. In the early 2000s, many planned communities encouraged golf carts to be street legal, enabling residents to travel short distances. To meet this demand, manufacturers added headlamps, turn signals, and seat belts.

The tech advantages that proliferated in vehicles in the 2010s also filtered to golf cars, including electric power steering, GPS systems, and infotainment systems. They were made safer with features like improved braking systems and rollover protection.

The Future

In this decade, we will see the rise of autonomous golf cars that depend on external sensors, cameras, and cruise control to navigate public roads on their own. Solar powered golf cars are also slowly entering the market, fueling a new generation of eco-friendly LSVs. If you’re interested in seeing what the latest features of these vehicles are, please contact us at Under the Sun Golf Cars.