[patfinn]

I am planning on moving to the villages at the end of the year. I am contemplating purchasing a golf cart ( gas or electric to be determined) to use as my principle form of transportation around The Villages. I would then rent a car whenever I wanted to take longer trips. Does this seem like a practical thing to do or would I really be lost without a car?

[villages07]

I put gas in my real car yesterday for the first time in 6 weeks....otherwise, use the golf cart for everything. The only potential flaw in your thinking is whether you will be comfortable in the golf cart year round....can get pretty chilly in Jan/Feb; they are not safe in thunder/lightning; if that will be your sole means of transportation, then you would need to pick your home location carefully...to be conveniently accessible to the shopping, doctors, etc that you would frequent. I think your plan could work....you won't know til you try.

[villages07]

Temps in Jan/Feb vary widely.... daytime highs can vary from low fifties to mid 70s, but, most days hit at least in the 60s. Nightime lows mostly in 40s and 50s with a few nights in the 30s. No matter how chilly it was, the temps always recover back to the 60s and 70s within 2-3 days. Still very pleasant by any Northern standards, but, could be a bit chilly in a golf cart, especially early in the morning or after sunset.

[golfnut]

As you can see in my avatar I have an enclosure with doors on it and it makes it bearable on those cold nights and mornings, I also have a catalytic propane heater I use when it gets really cold. When it's warm out the doors can be left open or taken off and left in the garage. We've been there for two weeks without a car and not had a problem, my neighbor across the street saw us and said hey where's your car and we said we flew down, he said if you need to get outside TV just knock on the door and you can use the Mercury, it needs the exercise. That's the kind of neighbors you'll find in TV.

[jtdraig]

In the winter months, my wife has the perfect solution...early in the morning she backs the cart out (sides down) and in short order the sun has warmed up the interior nicely. At night, a jacket does the trick most of the time. ;D

[rballruss]

No one mentioned golf cart screens.