Golf History: Origins Of the Electric Golf Cart
YOU WON’T BELIEVE HOW WE GOT TO ELECTRIC GOLF CARTS!
Electric golf cars are used for much more than just golf these days, but their origins definitely began on the green. How did we go from carrying around an awkward bag of golf clubs, to racing around in customized, comfortable, electric golf carts? The history of the golf cart has its roots in good ol’ American ingenuity. Keep reading to learn more!
A LITTLE GOLF HISTORY
OK first off, read up on our golf cart vs golf car terminology debate. The short of it is that you must push or pull a CART, while a CAR is self-propelled. For our purposes, and to keep it simple, golf “cart” and golf “car” are interchangeable.
Now for some golf history!golf history-electric golf car company sacramento
While most historians consider the modern game of golf to have started around the 15th-century in Scotland, the origins of golf may actually date back to Roman times with a game called paganica. The first major golf tournament, which is still played today, was the British Open and was first played in 1860. Golf spread across Europe and eventually made its way to America. The first American golf club, St. Andrew’s Golf Club, was started in 1888 by two Scotsmen in Yonkers, New York.history of golf-electric golf car company sacramento
Golf quickly grew in popularity as a prestigious and competitive game, and the United States Golf Association (USGA) was formed in 1894 to regulate golf tournaments and their winners.
Originally, golfers just carried their clubs around in a bundle. I don’t really understand how that lasted for any length of time at all, but naturally, this eventually led to clubs being put into a bag. As it were, with golf being a “sophisticated” game, golfers were not apt to carrying around their own clubs or bags. Hence, the Caddy. The Caddy served to basically carry stuff around.
THE GRANDFATHER OF GOLF CARTS
If you have ever played golf, you know that lugging around a bag of clubs while working your way through 18 holes can be quite a workout. Incredibly, it wasn’t until around 1930 that someone finally thought to make that task a little easier. Lyman Beecher, an avid golfer and prominent educator designed what is often credited as the “first” golf cart: the Beecher Rickshaw. This was truly a golf cart since it was not self-propelled. However, this design did lay the foundation for the modern electric golf car. The Beecher Rickshaw was a cart that featured two wheels, a seat, and a place for clubs. The downside was that it required TWO Caddys to pull it. This became impractical, as the popularity of golf continued to grow it was becoming harder to find Caddys.
About 5 years later, the Beecher Rickshaw finally evolved to feature 4 wheels and an electric motor, and thus, the first electric golf car was born!
GAS VS ELECTRIC GOLF CARTS
Shortly after WWII ended, R.J. Jackson filed a patent on the first gas powered golf cart. Golf cars were gaining popularity because older players were able to continue to play the game of golf without the burden of carrying their clubs. He called his golf car design the “Arthritis Special”. Unfortunately for Jackson, his design was loud and would smoke. This led to many golf courses banning gas powered golf cars from use. Companies like E-Z-GO and Yamaha took this opportunity to make the electric golf car the mainstream choice for golfers.
MORE THAN JUST GOLF
golf history-custom golf cartElectric golf cars have become a staple of most any golf course. They are convenient, fun to drive, and low maintenance. In fact, many golf communities and senior communities are designed around electric golf car accessibility. The convenience and affordability of the electric golf car also means that people use them for much more than just golf! Many businesses use electric golf cars simply for moving people or things around large properties. The practicality of the electric golf car continues to grow. Additionally, people today take more pride in their golf cars and enjoy the fun of customizing and personalizing their electric golf cars.
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