The real golf cart story
 

I'd like to ask for some honest info on golf carts and TV. When we first started looking, it seemed these were really a cool idea. But as I've looked more at maps I am beginning to appreciate just how big this place is. While I'm sure the carts are handy to go to the nearest country club, or pool, it appears on the map that the two Town Squares really wouldn't be practical unless you actually lived pretty near them. And it also appears that the new building is somewhere else, not counting the new planned third Square. So what is your experience. For those you you not close to one of the square is transport by golf car really practical? We have two cars and no problem driving. I just wonder if the cart is really worth while. Thanks for the help.

Cars work just fine - they get you everywhere you'll need to go..........except for out on the golf course.

Otherwise, it's a bit of a cultural thing. Golf carts are fun, a unique form of transportation, pretty inexpensive to operate, easy to find a parking space at the squares........pick your own reasons.

As far as distance driving goes, a gas cart will go around 200+ miles on a fill-up. Electric carts can get you pretty much anywhere you need to go during a day before recharging at night. The size of TV isn't really too much of an issue for most people.

But you've gotta do what you feel comfortable doing!

Bill :)

We have a Yamaha gas cart and go anywhere we want to go! I might not want to trek from Spanish Springs to Brownwood and back but the cart is capable!

Thanks Bill. But doesn't it take a very long time to drive somewhere you're not close to or does the scenery make you not care? lol

Dave, you're right - it takes a bit longer in a cart......but proportionally, it's not all that much of a longer drive. Plan accordingly if you're under a time commitment and, like you said, 'enjoy the scenery'!!

And you do get a totally different feel/perspective for TV when you're seeing it from a golf cart and the multi-modal trails.

Bill :)

I believe that golf carts are part of the culture of the Villages and as a whole people like to drive them for all the above reasons. I have a gas golf cart and would not hesitate to drive it anywhere in the Villages.

We haven't been here that long but drive our carts just about everywhere that we don't need a car. (not picking up large items from Lowes). You can not be in a bad mood driving the trails in a golf cart! We even enjoy it in the rain! You're right.... You can only go 20 miles an hour but then you have time to look around and enjoy the beauty that is all around you!

I mean... What's the hurry? :a040:

Dave - unless you've been here it's hard to describe. First of all, the squares, are not the end all be all. Weeks go by that we don't go near them. Then sometimes I'll go 2-3 times in one day. Just depends.

We live 3.4 miles from LSL - 8 miles from SS - 4.5 miles from Brownwood. I wouldn't drive to either one in a car. Just prefer the cart. Open air, relaxed atmosphere etc.

I only use the car to drive to work at the hospital and that's only so my wife can use the cart. I recently went 3+ weeks without a car fill-up.

Slowing down
 

New motto for the Villages! Slow down to go fast! Or something like that!

TV is such a beautiful place it makes the slightly longer trip really worthwhile. When we go out the determining factor when deciding what to drive is how much we will be dragging back home. It's almost always the cart. Soooo relaxing and so much more fun. :wave:


Jim

I truly believe that those that don't own a golf cart & live here aren't experiencing all the villages has to offer.I take the cart as often as I can .I even take it to work 7.5 miles away every night and drive home at 1:30 in the morning.I couldn't imagine living here without one....hopefully in the future we'll have two!

I have put gas in my "big" car twice in 6 months. 1 month I took it out of the garage once to get it registered in FL. Now I work and have to take it out twice a week. We go everywhere in the golf cart when the drive is 25 minutes or less which is just about everywhere SS and LSL as we are pretty much in the middle.

TV is a unique and charming golf cart community. Yes there are those who don't have one or two carts and that is a personal choice. It is soooooo much esier to park a GC in the squares and most of the year it is not difficult. In high season we have a few more accidents but as some have stated only 8 or 10 fatalities have been recorded in the past many years. Out of 80,000 people that is a pretty good safety record.

An import feature of having a golf cart down here in Florida is that they don’t get hotter than a pizza oven when left in the parking lot for even a few minutes.

We have not lived here long, but we use the cart to go everywhere. SS is 3 miles away, LSL is 6 miles away and we go to the squares regularly. We use it to go grocery shopping, to the rec centers, to the movies, and my wife uses it to go to work.

When we first moved here we were having our car delivered from Panama so we went almost two months without having a car and the truth is we never missed it. Now that it's here we use it for day trips (Disney, Cedar Key, Crystal River, St. Augustine, etc.) and to pick up larger items from the nurseries or Lowes, but for the most part it stays in the driveway. With gas rapidly approaching $4 a gallon, I prefer taking the cart whenever possible.

Golf Cart
 

We bought a 4 seater gas cart when we closed on our home.We drive it everywhere we are allowed. It's economical, easy to park and fun to drive. The car goes to the airport church and places the GC can't which are usually shopping trips. When going out with other couples we drive. 200+ miles on a tank of gas is easy in a gas cart. I had to replace the tires after 2 years we drive it so much. I've been all the way to the north end and all the way I can legaly go south. It's slower, I'm in no hurry and really enjoy driving it. I believe it's the way of life in TV.

If you have doubts about the need for a golf cart, you can always rent one for a while and see how much you use/like it. My bet would be that after a week or two, you will be buying.

We rented in Jan-Feb-Mar 2010. We didn't have a car for those three months. We went "native" and went everywhere in the golf cart. When we wanted to go to Disney we would rent a car. We rented a total of 10 days in three months.

I think you get into a TV frame of mind when you use a cart almost all the time. When I drove a car in TV I felt like an outsider. I couldn't wait to turn the car in and drive the cart again.

Once we went a month without driving a car. When I picked up the car and drove off I felt like I was driving a house, the car seemed so darned HUGE.

Now that we live here we use the car a lot. But that has to do with working hard to renovate the house we bought ASAP as I have to go back to Maine soon to finish my contract out before I retire at the end of June.

I am eager to park the car in the garage and get back to using the cart almost exclusively. It is a frame of mind.

As far as the dangers of driving a cart? Drive defensively. Expect the unexpected. Stay alert. Drive slow. And keep your fingers crossed.

For us, a big part of the enjoyment of going places in TV is the journey there. Even trips to not-so-fun places (like doctor appointments or grocery shopping) is made more palatable by the beautiful scenery during the trip. Unless I’m under some kind of time crunch, I tend to take the golf cart just about everywhere, no matter the distance.

And as far as distance goes...I think most people, once they get settled in, tend to use the facilities, amenities and squares closest to their home most often. No matter where you live in TV, you’re going to be pretty close to at least one square and grocery store as well as two or more rec centers/pools/country clubs. For me, the closest square is about 15-20 minutes by cart. It would be 7-10 minutes by car. It doesn’t take that much longer by cart, but it saves a lot of gas. We downsized to one car and two carts. Savings on gas, insurance and car maintenance was part of my budget considerations when moving down here.

As EdVinMass pointed out, the interior of your car will heat up very quickly during the summer months and it will take several minutes for the air conditioner to cool it down while you are baking and sweating. With a golf cart, you’ve got a breeze in your face as soon as you hit the gas peddle. It’s a much more logical transportation choice when returning from the pool in a wet swimsuit or after working out in the gym or exercise class.

We only personally know one couple who doesn’t have a cart here. When they join us for dinner at a restaurant or a trip to the square, they always prefer riding with us in our carts, as opposed to us riding with them in their car. And if we didn’t have carts, we’d be constantly renting them, because that’s the only way our out-of-town visitors want to travel.

There are times when a car is necessary or more desirable, but for us, those times are fairly infrequent.

The whole golf cart experience is one of the 100's of perks that are available to enjoy here in TV. You get to see the world, the sights and sounds around you at 20 MPH instead of racing around with the windows up and the AC blasting!!

We live in Pennecamp and take the cart everywhere with us. LSL may be 5 minutes quicker by car and SS 15 minutes quicker, but we all live in a retirement community so what's the rush??

With gas prices creeping up every week, you also save a bunch of money. I am amazed how little we use our cars when we are here.

We love to use the cart. Our experience is that on trips of 5 or 6 miles the cart is faster than a car and our cart is a 19 mph cart, not supped up.
We live in Belvedere and can get to all the shops and restaurants on 466 faster in our cart than the car also the parking is easier. Also seems quicker to get to LSL and we normally park on the square or very close. When we go to SS we take the cart because we like the time together and its easier to park.
The accidents while bad are statistically very small. I think there are now over 40,000 carts and just 10 fatalities in the past 10 years.
Get a cart and enjoy.

I agree with the posters here. However, maybe I'm unique. I get 52 MPG in my Prius while my gas cart only gets around 33 MPG. However, I do have a MEEI enclosure on my cart which probably accounts for the lower gas mileage because of the extra weight. So when I want to save gas I take my car :o

John

I want to thank everyone for their answers, especially the many really thoughtful ones. Sometimes these kind of questions get nearly Chamber of Commerce positive responses. I've come to understand that is because many of the folks who live their truly love it.

I really liked the idea of not having a hot car in the summer. Living in Kansas where it's often over 110 in the summer, the golf cart seems really good.

Thanks again everyone.

Love my Prius! When we were visiting it was so cool to leave it on by locked while at open house's. Electric criven AC compressor kept the interior cool.

But we will be getting a cart when we are full time. The Electric vs Gas is still a ongoing decision.

Wish Toyota made a Cart! They have a lot of experience with battery powered forklifts etc

golf cart and golfing?
 

It seems to me with the distance from Brownwood to SS it could be an issue if you want to play golf. If you drive a car you would need to rent a cart right? If you lived south of 466a (Brownwood)and want to play Lopez or even Palmer. Do you pay to sit on other persons cart during a round rather than have 4 carts for each group? thanks

There would only be 4 carts if you all came in separate carts which doesn't happen often since you tend to golf with neighbors/friends and pick each other up at the house. But there are times when golfing as a single that you have extra carts so you just leave one/two at the starter shack and ride two on the course. The only time you pay to ride is if you haven't paid your annual trail fee.

The real long ride won't be from Brownwood to SS. It will be from Brownwood to Lopez. But it can be done and I'm sure many will do it.

I only take the car if going off campus.

golf carts
 

Omg! I love going for golf cart rides! You see things in a whole different prospective. Why would anyone move to TV and not want one? That is what this community is about. If you are retired, you can plan accordingly, not get in a hurry and enjoy the scenery. I still work 40 hours a week but take time for my evening rides to the square and enjoy the beautiful weather.