New Rule? Golf Carts & Championship Courses
 

So there was a posted rumor on FaceBook last week, regarding golf cart use at Championship Courses.

The Poster said, "As of November 1, 2023, no more than (2) Carts per foursome. Has anyone heard anything about this change?

Palmer Legends has a similar rule, in that they require if a group has more than 2 carts, 1 cart must be designated "Cart Path Only" on each hole. [The simple way to accomplish this goal, is to just split it up: Front 9/Back 9 or 1-6, etc.)

I can understand the logic, but not the liability and aggravation.

I don't want to ride in a gasoline powered golf cart. I wouldn't do it at a $20/Muni, I'm surely not going to do it at a course I'm paying $75 to play.

I'm surely not going to play golf in someone else's "Street Rod Golf Cart" or Atomic Car.

What about the liability? How is a course going to require someone, to trust someone else to drive them around a golf course, with hills, water, & sand hazards, in a 15 year old golf cart?

To say nothing of the fact, having to ride with some unknown stranger, takes all the fun and convenience out of having your own cart, set up exactly as you want to be.

& I suppose it's going to be revenue negative, as no one will ever rent a golf cart again.

So put your clubs on that other cart and walk the course.

All the championship courses have that rule but few (if any) enforce it. Worse on the executive courses where you might see four players, each in a separate cart. Yes, most holes are par 3 but not all. I agree with the OP and won't ride with a smokers, or in some uncomfortable funny cart. Most of the time when three carts are used, the players will take turns keeping the cart in the rough or on the path.

Everybody on the executive courses stay on the concrete path. The only ones that stray have the handicap placard on their cart allowing them to go on the grass.

Then walk, carry you’re bag, and get some real exercise :D

Most of the Championship courses have the 2 cart rule but at most some allow three. It would be curious what the liability is if you were forced to ride in a stranger's cart and he did something stupid and got you hurt. The executive courses shouldn't be a problem since most are all par three's and there is no reason to deviate from the cart path even the boneheads that drive around a puddle on the cart path creating ruts in the mud. During the Covid period using 4 carts on average spread up our round by 8 to 10 minutes which cut down the jack jawing of double occupied carts.

I’de prefer that. I walk 18 holes, 5 times a week now.

Unfortunately, that’s not practical in TV, other than maybe TDS.

There’s simply no way to maintain pace with people on Golf Carts, when it could be a mile or more walk, between 9’s, to say nothing of the walk from some Greens to the next Tee Box.

The reason I'm guessing to limit to two carts maybe because of the knuckleheads that can't seem to grasp the 90 degree rule and run down the length of the fairways and rutting the wet areas.

Such third world problems we have to put up here in The Villages

I plan to eventually walk the executive courses again after I get my second knee replacement done and leg strength back.

Exactly. Up north we always walked the 18 hole courses, but these (championship) courses are just not set up for walking. I'm sure the reason they want less carts is less wear and tear on the course, but I agree with people over the liability issues, and just the question of comfort. You don't know what you're getting into riding with strangers.

I wasn't feeling good the other day and the starter at Palmer let me take a 3rd cart, with the proviso that we only had 2 in the fairway at a time, which we pretty much followed. We might have slipped up a couple of times, just not paying attention.
I wonder if 4 people in 4 carts really put that much more wear and tear on the grass than 4 people in 2 carts, when you consider all of the back and forth that happens when one player hits it left, and the cart partner hits it right, and the cart is going back and forth across the fairway, as opposed to using two different carts, and each player heading straight for his own ball, hopefully staying on the cart path and rough as long as possible.

So what did you do prior to Covid, ride in a gas cart, or walk, either way go back to that. No worries about the change, unless you will be pleading with starter, and hope to get your way.

What does Covid have to do with it?

& I haven't ridden in a gas cart, since the 90's and not planning to start again.

& Starters don't make policy. They implement.

The wear and tear is most evident where 4 carts leave the cart paths wether they stay in the rough or proceed to the fairway.

The policy before Covid was 2 carts to a group.
And there are exceptions to this new policy……
No more than 2 carts per group with ‘same reservation number.’
If there are 3 carts, 1 staying in rough still is stated as an option.

Where did you find this information?

& thank you for posting the relevant facts!

(I just did a Google search and I can only find a Press Release from back in May, 2021. You apparently found more recent info?)

Not everyone living in TV is physically capable of walking 18 holes...

Thank goodness we'll have those new, faster EMT response times...

Not sure you’ll find a ‘written’ policy for this pre Covid. This was just how it was done. You were ‘asked’ to double up and 99.9 % of the people knew this and had no problem. They usually did it voluntarily before checking in with the starter. Even on the executives doubling up was done back then. We always doubled up before leaving the house. You go anywhere outside the bubble and you would be hard pressed to ever see 3 carts on a course unless there is a single joining a group of three. And that is still allowed and will be allowed here.

Actually, you can find it in @golfthevillages.com. Under the tab, “Golfing in The Villages”, scroll down until you see “Golfing in The Villages Brochure”. I think it’s spelled out on pages 14 and 15. Those were the rules prior to COVID but were relaxed when the virus started ramping up. The new rules are slightly less restrictive than the pre-virus rules.

That's great! Make the execs walking only. That will free up a lot of tee times!:laugh:

Now I'm really confused.

The citation reads: "Unless special circumstances prevail, starters are not authorized to allow more than two golf cars per group".

A previous poster said the "new rules" say that no more than (2) carts with the "same Reservation Number".

I've played 200 rounds in TV and in at least 150 of those rounds, we had at least 3 carts. Palmer Legends has a specific "rule" that allows 3 carts. Every other course's rule seems to be "no more than (2) carts in the Fairway at one time".


Also. The Citation reads: "If a golfer needs greater access on and around the course, such as driving onto or near the greens and tees, a "single rider golf car" must be used. Each Championship Course has single rider golf cars available for use on the Championship or
Executive Courses".

I've never see a "single rider golf cart" in TV and I've played in plenty of groups, with carts driving almost onto the Greens.

Couple of examples for special circumstances, 1) Fourth player joins under a different reservation number than the original threesome, 2) Someone with health concerns that would pose a risk to themselves or others to pair up.

Single rider golf carts are referred to as Solo Rider carts that are required for golfers with mobility issues. Each Championship Course has a Solo Rider.

The flyers for the new rules are posted today in each pro shop or starter shack bulletin board.

I think most pros would be happy to answer your specific questions or address any concerns.

Most of the Pros I've met in TV are really good guys. That said, the staff seems to interpret policies in various ways. I've run into that on more than one occasion, which is why I like to read the actual policies.

I had 5 different Staff people at Mallory Hills, argue with me over pricing/holes for the "3rd Wave". I finally got a hold of Brady Godfrey the Pro, who agreed with me and said he would re-educate his staff. 3 days later, I got into the same disagreement with 2 member of his Staff, despite being able to show them exact language in the Golf Policies.

Personally I've never witnessed it, but I often hear of disagreements with Starters, over "appropriate dress", even though the rules are clearly posted on most every Starter's wall.

I will never again get in an electric cart to play a round. Last time I did I was having one of my best rounds ever when the dam thing ran out of juice on the 12th hole and screwed up the round. I would rather take my own cart and not leave the rough. Hopefully people who are forced to stay in the rough remember to bring their sand bottle with them so they can fill in their divots, otherwise it would be better for the course to just allow all three carts access to their golf balls. Fortunately for the guy with the electric cart who insisted on driving, I had a tow strap in my cart and towed him home after the round.

Don't blame the cart. Blame the driver who was stupid enough to not have enough charge in his cart to go out that day. Blame the gas cart driver who runs out of gas as well.

Yeah, but it'll slow down the pace of play...

"Hit your shot, drag Larry... Hit another shot, drag Larry..." :p

roflmao !

The liability is the same as when someone you know does some bone head thing and you get hurt. While I don't have percentages to support this stance but based on observation I believe rarely does a third or fourth cart in a group remain in the rough or on the cart path.

That's correct and in all honesty we should have gone back to the two cart rule a year or two ago. All courses of campus did. Hell even in CA they were doing two carts before they ended their shutdown. And yes they have smokers and God knows they have strangers.

minor deal
 

This is a minor deal and yes true I played yesterday - why make it a big deal or just play exec courses

Rarely does one see a gas cart sitting on the side of the cart path, due to lack of gas. Our clutch went out on ours, plenty of gas, just not a working clutch. Even the electrics are few and far between on side of cart path, but some on the new carts mileage is only 40 miles, wouldn’t make a tee time far away to play championship

Lottoguy....you forgot....except the par 4"s

Those were the rules prior to the pandemic.

The term is "first world problems."

YEA, about time. And while we’re in this discussion, EXIT THE FAIRWAY AT THE EXIT BEACON!!!

Very few courses I've played—anywhere—allow more than two carts per group. It has to do with wear and tear on the course. You can easily see that wear and tear as you play; just look at any place where the carts routinely leave or enter the concrete cart path.

The explicit rules in the Villages Good Golf Guide are clear: no more than two carts per group. "If three golf cars are necessary," only two carts are allowed onto the fairway. They get to make the rules. We get to live within the rules, for the benefit of all.

Par 4 holes allow riding on the fairways.

Mishap
 

An accident did happen to a friend who had to ride w an elderly golfer when he rode up on a hill, turned & slid into sand trap. The cart was on its side. The elderly man was injured, & my friend’s ankle was severely bruised.