Golf Buggy Etiquette – How to use the Cart Correctly

Beginners are often reluctant to use a golf cart as they feel as they don’t know the proper way to use them. But, if you always avoid using them, you never get to benefit from their utility.

In this article, we will look at the correct golf buggy etiquette so that you can be confident enough to take one out when playing your next 18 holes.

1. Going in the Right Direction

More often than not, golf courses will have a specific path for carts to follow, which will be evident as it is paved, or there are lines etc.

If this is the case, then you should stick to these paths at all times as they have been specifically designed to be the best route for carts.

If there isn’t an obvious cart path, then follow these rules:

• Follow directional signs. There will likely be signs to help you understand the flow of the course if you aren’t familiar with it. Stick to these instructions to maintain the flow of play and avoid restricted areas.
• Keep carts off tees and greens. There are no exceptions to this rule; a cart should never be on either of them as it will damage these areas.
• Limit movement. Only drive the cart when it is necessary; avoid driving it when lots of people are in that area. Stick to the sides of the fairway.
• Avoid water and the rough. Stay a good distance away from these areas in order to never be at risk of damaging the buggy.

So, stick to the paths if there are any. If not, use your common sense to navigate the course in the buggy. It is awful golf buggy etiquette to drive around aimlessly, so avoid doing this!

2. Park the Cart Correctly

When you are not using the cart during your round, it is vital that you leave it in a convenient place. While we want to minimise the amount of walking, safety is the priority.

Always park your cart so that it isn’t going to interfere with someone else. I would always advise that you park the cart behind the tee when you are teeing off, and keeping it to the side of the fairway when you are playing fairway shots.

As I mentioned when talking about golf green etiquette, it’s always a good idea to put your clubs in the direction of the next hole when at the green. Similarly, park your cart towards the next hole to speed up your round. Just remember not to disrupt anyone by doing so!

3. Control your Speed

Many young people get carried away when they get to drive a buggy – they speed off down the fairway like they are driving a go cart.

A vital part of golf cart etiquette is to control your speed effectively. While you want to maintain a good flow, you should never put anyone else at risk in the cart with your driving.

Golf carts mostly go between 12-14 mph. Therefore, I always recommend that you drive at about 11-12mph at a maximum. This is around 2.5 times walking speed, and is more than enough to make your rounds more efficient.

4. Keep Quiet

An example of extremely bad golf etiquette is being loud. Often, people think that being in a cart gives them the right to be loud.

When using the cart, you should not do the following:

• Don’t play loud music using a speaker. It doesn’t matter if you are moving, it’s still disruptive to others.
• Don’t rev the engine. This is arguably more annoying and interfering than music. There is no reason to rev the engine – you might even break the cart.
• Don‘t shout to others. If you want to talk to someone that is far away, get off the buggy and speak to them.

Keeping noise to a minimum is a simple way in which we can improve the tranquillity of the atmosphere of the course.

5. Share the Cart

If you are playing with a partner, you should take turns driving the car, and always be considerate of your partner’s needs.

For example, if your ball has land far away from your partner’s, drive to your ball and allow your partner to take the cart and drive to theirs.

Just remember that you shouldn’t do this if someone will be driving in front of the person who is taking a shot. But, you can do this if your shots are equally aligned, but across different sides of the fairway.

6. Return the Carts to their Designated Area

It is obvious where you should leave the carts, so don’t be lazy.

Once you have finished with your round of golf, return the cart to the staging area or parking lot so that others can easily use it after you.

Also, remember to remove any personal belongings and rubbish before you leave the cart – leave it in the state that you would like to find it.

Summary

By respecting golf buggy etiquette, we can ensure that we benefit from the carts without making the golf course an unpleasant experience.