The History of Golf Carts

It may be difficult to imagine golf without golf carts. However, the game has its origins in 15th century Scotland. Meanwhile, golf carts were only invented less than a century ago. Let Graham Golf Carts take you through the history of these useful vehicles.

Before 1950

In 1932, Florida golfer Lyman Beecher was distraught. His chronic health conditions made it all but impossible to walk the course. Necessity is the mother of all invention and soon Beecher’s first cart was ready to test. This primitive first model was more like a rickshaw and it was pulled by two caddies as he sat inside it. He first introduced his new invention at the Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, North Carolina.

Beecher tinkered with his new device, adding two more wheels modifying it to operate independently for short bursts of time. Everytime you hear an electric cart owner complain about having to recharge, remember that Beecher’s model needed six whole car batteries!

Though new models soon came after, many golfers found that they were bulky and underpowered. They chose to walk, arguing it was easier and cheaper. Most golf cart users at the time were those who, like Beecher, found that their disabilities made it difficult to golf otherwise.

1950 to 1970

Clearly, six car batteries was not an optimal solution. Early innovators like Merle Williams began to experiment with improving the electric golf cart. Meanwhile, the first gas powered carts began to emerge, though many courses banned them for being too noisy and creating smelly fumes.

Though early adoption was slow, over time more than half a dozen companies began producing their own golf cart models. At this time, golf carts often had three wheels instead of the four we are familiar with today.

1970 and Beyond

More manufacturers meant more competition meaning more innovation. The four wheeled golf cart was found to be more stable, and slowly edged out the three wheeled model as the standard. Other improvements made both gas and electric powered carts more viable, eventually being adopted in places like campuses and retirement communities. Of course, the rising popularity of golf didn’t hurt either, as courses found that they could make extra money by renting out their carts to be used by patrons.

Golf cart manufacturers continue to innovate in order to create the best carts possible. To see some of these innovations in person, visit Graham Golf Carts. We maintain five locations throughout South Carolina making us more than equipped to serve the area. We welcome guests from other states as well, like those from Charlotte, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia.