Too cold for 'golf carting' ??
 

Since Kathy and I aren't residents of TV (yet, but soon), one question that I have often thought of, and would appreciate input from many:

Q: When it's cold in TV, and you are an avid golf carter for nearly everything, do you brave the cold and still cart to Rec Centers, the Grocery and other places (appropriately dressed), or do you park the cart in the garage and take the car?

I have read where some residents -- who swear by their do-or-die of golf carting -- rarely use a car. Is that fact or fiction?

When it's cold, what do you do for your transportation needs at TV?

Gene

I personally, still use my golf cart. I just put the sides down, bundle up, and take off. If it is REALLY cold, I have a Coleman heater that I can use, but I have rarely used it. It's all part of the ambience of TV!

Personally, for me, I do 99% of travel in The Villages in my cart. If it gets really cold, it just depends on how I feel if I want to go to the trouble of bundling up for my ride. Chances are, I will still take the cart. But if I have an early morning trip after getting out of a warm bed, I might just take the car.

We still use our cart when it is cold out....that being said, tonight happens to be more than cold out. It is FREEZING!! Currently 35 degrees and I do not plan to use the cart. For the most part when it is cooler than norm, we dress for the conditions, if necessary we drop the sunbrella sides and go about our business. Our car is used very little.

We keep using the golf cart.....zip down the enclosure and it is snug. It keeps the wind out and that is the biggest part of staying warm. We too have a Coleman GolfCat heater that sits in the cup holder, and it works unbelievably.....gets really hot! Only had to use it about 3 times last winter.

Here is an Amazon link to the GolfCat heater (it's the tiny icon here:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-GolfCat-Perfectemp-Catalytic-Propane/dp/B0009PURBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325650614&sr=8-1[/ame]

Admittedly, the cart is more fun to drive, but then so is our Prius. They both get about 45 mpg and the car is "street legal", but is not restricted to 25 mph. When it's hot we take the car because it's air conditioned. When it's cold, we take the car because it's got a heater. The golf cart is more of a play toy for us except when we use it for actually playing golf. The girls love riding on the back of it though, so when it's not too hot or too cold, we will take them for a ride.

Our street legal cart has actual doors and windows (not the sunbrella enclosures) which does a pretty good job of cutting down on the wind chill, but on days like yesterday and today, we fire up the Coleman golf cart heater--it works better than my car's heater.

We use our cart 98 percent of the time. The times we don't use it are when it is cold like yesterday and today and we need to go over to the grocery store or to visit my father-in-law. Bbrrr.

Even a 10 minute golf cart ride with the Coleman heater is too cold for me. I honestly think it is a convenience thing. We hate to unroll and zip the sunbrella and then unzip and roll it back. Get the heater out and put it in the cup holder and then put it away when we get home. Sad, but true.

:agree:

Golf carting when it's cold
 

Great input so far. Thanks!

But Kathy and I would like to hear from a lot more -- men and women. Because when we move to TV, we are debating do we want to have 1 car and 2 golf carts, or 2 cars and 1 golf cart (or 1 car and 1 golf cart).

Please -- speak up regarding your use/non-use of golf carts when it's cold.

Gene

Yup, I agree about the heater thingie We don't have one, but it just seems like it would be more trouble than it's worth, for us. I did see one of the golf ambassadors had one in his cart yesterday. Now that would probably be worthwhile, where you have to be out in the cold all day.

Gene - Your best conclusion will be what feels right for you folks after you've been in TV for a while. All the combinations you mention are reasonable - - - you'll just need to pick the one that makes the most sense to you given your personal situation.

Ex. - Few people seem to feel the need for two cars. Yet if your situation is such that you and your wife will both have a regular need to drive "off-campus", for example, then two cars would be a must for you.

Bill :)

We are now officially "wimps" after living here since 1998. We do not like feeling cold so our cart stays in the garage on cold days and nights. We enjoy the heated seats in our vehicle and like being warm. We have one car and one golf cart and have never felt that we needed to change this arrangement. We all have different tolerances for cold and you will decide how much you can take after you have spent some time here in the winter.

there are far too many nice days to worry too much about going about in a golf cart when it is too cold....but when one must....put on a jacket and gloves and you will be fine.....you will also take them off when the sun comes out....but keep them close by!:)

btk

When it's cold we use our car instead of the golf cart. We don't use our golf cart as much as our car. We just recently purchased a gas cart and we have a Prius which gets better gas mileage than the cart. Prior to getting our new cart I was concerned with the distances travelled in the electric cart but now with a gas cart that "problem" has been solved. We also have a MEEI cabin in our cart and can close the doors when it's cold. However, with the present low temps to be comfortable you would need a coleman heater also.

When we arrived in TV we had 2 cars and purchased one cart. After a few years we thought that maybe we could get rid of one car. We had lent our second car to our son for about a year and during that time we realized that we could get along with just one car. There have been very few times where it would be nice to have 2 cars but not worth the expense.

John

I use my cart regardless of the temperature. I have a polar tech hooded jacket, ear muffs, and gloves and a throw for my lap.

I would think that if you liked to go to football games up North, you would use your golf cart regardless of temperature. Kind of the same cool feeling.

I hate putting the sides down and rolling them up on the cart so I just bundle up and take the cart. I am about 1/2-1 mile from all of my local shopping so it is not a long travel time.

I'll worry about it when it gets cold (you wimps)!

No really, I just put the sides down and think warm thoughts.

besides, it never gets cold here....just very, very :coolsmiley:

When its below forty we'd rather take the car unless its a short ride. We are snowflakes now and we envision ourselves having one car and one cart when we move full time. My wife is still not that comfortable driving a cart (she's known as safety girl) but that may change. However having said that and having only a two car garage, I doubt we'll buy an additional cart.

We use our golf cart about 75% of the time. When our business takes us to US 441 we use the car. When it is extremely cold (30 degrees or colder) we use the car. Other than that we use the golf cart. Most of our doctors are within golf cart range as well as the grocery store and the pharmacy. I do alot of my shopping on line rather than drive all over town looking for an obscure item. Both my husband and I play golf. We take turns using our one cart for golf and it works out fine. We also both have part time jobs and we've had no problem adjusting.

I don't want a street legal golf cart, but since my 82 year old mom will be using the golf cart when she gets here, we are interested in trading the golf cart we have (with sunbrella enclosure) for one with one that has those cute doors.

Does anyone have an opinion on one brand over another...we will be buying used.

:gc:

Ours is a GEM and my wife wanted it specifically for its "cute" doors and windows. We use it most of the time and so far it has been fantastic.

when we hear the admonition to 'cover your tender plants' on the news we usually decide to take the car instead of the cart.

the cart does not have the heater and we have no desire to buy/install one. i have, instead, crocheted lapghans to be used when needed! the size is great because even the driver can use one on their lap and not be impaired when accelerating/breaking. and the color matches the cart!

i crocheted them for my friends and matched their cart colors and they like to use them, too.

As long as it's not snowing here in TV, we take the cart. The car only gets used for trips outside of TV and that's only a couple of times a month, especially when the birds are here and traffic gets bad.

Let's hear from more women
 

I am impressed with the number of responses. Thank you. But I'm curious if men and women answer my question about the same. Seems as if more men have replied so far, and they seem to be more macho with their responses (surprise, surprise!). Would like to hear from more women, so the end result is more balanced.

Why so?

My rule for playing golf 'up north' is [1] if it's at least 50 degrees, [2] the sun is shining and [3] there is no (or little) wind, then I'm good to go.

Not so with Kathy. She wants a minimum of 60 degrees. Thin blood.

Correspondingly, I think she would not want to freeze on a golf cart in "too chilly" of conditions.

Out of fairness to Kathy, I would like to hear some more from women before I close this out. Thanks to all!

Gene

Cutis Cabs
 

My wife and I both ordered Curtis Cabs. The 2012 Yamaha also has fuel injection. We are going to be frogs. We want the doors for the cool days and the rainy days. Takes two seconds to close the door. We didn't want to unroll and roll the Sunbrella sides and try to zip up etc. The wife wanted if first and I thought it was a good idea and followed her idea.

What he said!!!

Yes dear..... :)

Just kidding!!!!!

One of my girlfriends bought a Curtis Cab and I just knew I had to have it!!! I bought the fan that will blow you away if you feel like it's too hot or stuffy in there! Like Oren said... If it starts raining... just pull over and close the doors and open them when it stops!

My wife shares my views. Cart if all all possible. Cold is not a problem. We do not do rain. If it looks very overcast we will take the car.

Perhaps that's because the men are all warm and cozy sitting in front of their computers, while the women are out riding around in their carts. ;)

Bless your heart sweetie. How long have you believed that? :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

I am the Boss
 

I am the boss in my house. I have Angie's permission to say that. :spoken:

We have two cars and a gas cart with Coleman heater.

Only need one car and one cart (and our 1 ton diesel PU to haul us, the 3 cats and the travel trailer back and forth from CA).


.

gene - your rule for playing golf up north is the same one i have for taking my convertible camaro out for exercise! if kathy thinks she's going to be cold - lemme know what colors to make the lapghan for her! :)

Since I don't have a car here,the cart is our way to travel.Since we just arrived today,we had many errands to run.I confess-I WAS FREEZING! Going to check into that Coleman heater.

Stop at any of the local Ace Hardware stores - they carry them.

Bill :)

Me too.

It is just one of the things that skinny people share.

I ain't confessin' nuthin'.

Cold weather
 

I did not move 1,000 miles south to be cold. I vote for the car with a very good heater!