One thing this ugly pandemic has done is undoubtedly increase the number of golf car rides that folks in The Villages have completed. I know that The Blonde in the House and I have gone more places by golf car than we did in the rest of the 20 years that we have lived here. Now, those of you with sharp eyes will note that I have been referring to the vehicle in question as a golf car not a golf cart. That is due to the fact that I am a stickler for correct facts. Under some official regulation the proper term is “golf car.” The reason for this is that the vehicle is self-propelled whereas a cart is pulled. Now aren’t you glad that you got this far in order to pick up some historic accuracy?
However, this doesn’t take into account that the first vehicle on a golf course was pulled. Back around 1932 when some of my friends were born, there was a gentleman by the name of Lyman Beecher from Clearwater who had some problems walking a golf course. Consequently, he made up a vehicle similar to a rickshaw. It was pulled by two caddies. It’s a good thing that is not what we have today because paying two caddies ten per cent each of your winnings could get expensive. This vehicle was mentioned at a party just before the pandemic. A gentleman there noted that you couldn’t find caddies anymore, so that wives would have to do the pulling. That brought an equal number of laughs and glares.
Some of the guys seem to think that is why we haven’t seen old Herm lately. I think that it is just probably related to the pandemic in general as there are a lot of people you don’t see much of anymore.
Beecher by the way did come up with a battery-operated engine in a golf car, but it used six car batteries to complete eighteen holes which was obviously not too efficient. Thus, it wasn’t until the 50’s that golf cars got moving. R.J. Jackson came up with a three wheeled vehicle he called the Arthritis Special. It was banned from golf courses because it was noisy and smokey. Merle Williams came to the rescue in ‘51 with an electric golf car that was made specifically for golf. That eventually really moved the golf car business, although there were many innovations afterwards. For example, it wasn’t until the 60’s that Club Car produced the first steering wheel. I am not certain what was used for steering before then – perhaps a crank to turn the wheels? Considering how erratic some golf balls are, there is a definite need for good steering.
Today, there are a tremendous number of add-ons which confirms the name of golf car. For example, because of the effect that wind has on some women’s hair, doors have become more and more necessary. Doors are not cheap – much more expensive than a door on or in the house. By the time, you come out of the sales office with your new golf car, you may have forked out more dough than a small or slightly used car costs. I guess that is just another advance in civilization!
Sometimes civilization needs to slow down a little bit!
Villager Barry Evans writes about Life in The Villages for Villages-News.com.