Golf Cart Pucker Factor

[Zippo]

So, I go out to play a nice local course yesterday. The number 1 tee (and the tenth) are at the level of the parking lot and you tee off into the valley below. It's a great feeling for a old duffer like me to hit a drive that seems to fly out forever with a great hang time to the fairway below. But, then there's the cart path down to the fairway. It's a steep, concrete path with deep grooves cut across it  every inch or so to help drain water (we have a lot of it at certain times of the year here in the great PNW and we've had a lot recently). But it's also lined on one side with tall cedars which also, at this time of year, tend to drop a lot of needles.

Yep, I slowly start down the grade and sure enough I come upon wet tree needles on the concrete path and lose traction.  I've got the brakes locked but I'm still speeding up and worse, the rear of the cart begins to swing around putting me in danger of getting sideways to the grade and rolling the cart. I release the brakes to try and get steering back while turning the wheels into the sideways slide and then quickly alternate between braking and steering. I'm about halfway down, my heart is racing and I finally manage to bring the thing to a halt about 45 degrees to the cart path. The rest of the trip to the bottom is fairly straight and I'm able to make my way to the bottom without further ado. I get to my ball but it's a few minutes before the shaking stops and the heart rate slows down again and I'm not certain but I think I puckered so hard I put a crease in the vinyl cart seat.

So, as much as I love playing that course, I think I'm done with it until the drought hits again next summer and they can sue me for the damage to the cart seat!

[iacas]

Sounds fun, actually. 😄

[ChetlovesMer]

8 hours ago, Zippo said:

So, I go out to play a nice local course yesterday. The number 1 tee (and the tenth) are at the level of the parking lot and you tee off into the valley below. It's a great feeling for a old duffer like me to hit a drive that seems to fly out forever with a great hang time to the fairway below. But, then there's the cart path down to the fairway. It's a steep, concrete path with deep grooves cut across it  every inch or so to help drain water (we have a lot of it at certain times of the year here in the great PNW and we've had a lot recently). But it's also lined on one side with tall cedars which also, at this time of year, tend to drop a lot of needles.

Yep, I slowly start down the grade and sure enough I come upon wet tree needles on the concrete path and lose traction.  I've got the brakes locked but I'm still speeding up and worse, the rear of the cart begins to swing around putting me in danger of getting sideways to the grade and rolling the cart. I release the brakes to try and get steering back while turning the wheels into the sideways slide and then quickly alternate between braking and steering. I'm about halfway down, my heart is racing and I finally manage to bring the thing to a halt about 45 degrees to the cart path. The rest of the trip to the bottom is fairly straight and I'm able to make my way to the bottom without further ado. I get to my ball but it's a few minutes before the shaking stops and the heart rate slows down again and I'm not certain but I think I puckered so hard I put a crease in the vinyl cart seat.

So, as much as I love playing that course, I think I'm done with it until the drought hits again next summer and they can sue me for the damage to the cart seat!

Ah, don't worry. The second time you ride the roller coaster it's never as scary as the first time. 

Seriously, this kind of thing has happened to all of us to varying degrees at one point or another. At least you weren't being one of those D-bags that treats the cart like their own persona derby car. 

[bkuehn1952]

Ending up in a hospital because of a golf cart accident is not something I want to experience.  I am with you, @Zippo, there are other courses out there.

[billchao]

Should have hit the accelerator.

[Piz]

At least modern carts have brakes....whether they are effective in all circumstances or not.  In ancient Egypt we had chariots.  It beat walking but only just.  While pine needles, or rain, were unheard of...you could get sideways quite unexpectedly if your mind was on other things.  And don't even get me started on the locusts...talk about slippery...you can't imagine.

[Zippo]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

Should have hit the accelerator.

Another moment or two and I would have tried to bail out and let the cart go. Not easy at my age. 

[Sandy Divot]

At my old course, we had carts with governors. We had some steep hills, and the carts would slow down by themselves.

[Bucks]

Threads like this make me happy that I'm a walker. 

[dennyjones]

3 hours ago, Sandy Divot said:

At my old course, we had carts with governors. We had some steep hills, and the carts would slow down by themselves.

On these courses, you put the cart in neutral and let it fly!  🕊️

[Zippo]

3 hours ago, Sandy Divot said:

At my old course, we had carts with governors. We had some steep hills, and the carts would slow down by themselves.

These carts have governors too. But, without traction, the governor doesn't have much affect on speed. I think I needed to actuate the drag chute!

[batchvt]

I've been in a cart that rolled over when I was younger, but it probably wasn't the courses or the carts fault.  

[Bonvivant]

Semi off topic, but a good place for a story from my youth. I played loads with my dad as a kid, mostly walking, but we would ride if it was really hot or the course was packed.

The first time he let me drive I was probably 10-12. Second hole, I pull him up to his ball after the 150 yard drive from the box (he drove the first hole). Well I am too close to his ball and he doesn't have a swing, because a basically taxied him to where he would step on his ball first step out of the cart. He says "pull it around again, but not so close this time".

I proceed to full throttle and turn the wheel hard left, almost flipping the cart, but more importantly doing a perfect 360 to land him back in the exact same spot. That was the last time I drove the cart for a couple of years, lol.

Edited October 5, 2021 by Bonvivant

[Esox]

8 hours ago, batchvt said:

I've been in a cart that rolled over when I was younger, but it probably wasn't the courses or the carts fault.  

I was in a cart with a buddy (he was driving) when we almost rolled, he stuck out his foot to stop the roll, and was out the rest of the season with ankle and knee injuries.

 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

On 10/2/2021 at 7:31 PM, Zippo said:

So, I go out to play a nice local course yesterday. The number 1 tee (and the tenth) are at the level of the parking lot and you tee off into the valley below.

Zippo, so of course I know the course and the cart path you're talking about.  I've actually had a couple of nightmares about that cart path. For years, whenever there is any dampness, I drive over to the 10th tee and go down the less steep path and over to #1 fairway.  Takes an extra 40 seconds or so and keeps the heartbeat down.  You may want to try that next time.

[Zippo]

9 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Zippo, so of course I know the course and the cart path you're talking about.  I've actually had a couple of nightmares about that cart path. For years, whenever there is any dampness, I drive over to the 10th tee and go down the less steep path and over to #1 fairway.  Takes an extra 40 seconds or so and keeps the heartbeat down.  You may want to try that next time.

Excellent idea. The 10th is not only slightly less steep but it also less shaded by trees and has fewer needles on it. Thanks. Hadn't considered that option.

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, Zippo said:

Excellent idea. The 10th is not only slightly less steep but it also less shaded by trees and has fewer needles on it. Thanks. Hadn't considered that option.

Same course, a few years ago, there was almost a tragedy on the cart path coming up from # 18.  A drunk couple wrapping up a scramble tournament drove through the wooden fence and went over the cliff. They were lucky they only rolled about 30 ft. before wedging against a tree to stop their plummet.   They were lucky, they came out of it with a lot of bumps and bruises.  And they ended up being the proud owners of a beat-up golf cart.  Today the trees have been removed from that cliff side to provide more sun for the green below. Otherwise they would have rolled about 120 feet to the bottom.

Edited October 7, 2021 by Double Mocha Man

[Zippo]

1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Same course, a few years ago, there was almost a tragedy on the cart path coming up from # 18.  a drunk couple wrapping up a scramble tournament drove through the wooden fence and went over the cliff. They were lucky they only rolled about 30 ft. before wedging against a tree to stop their plummet.  they were lucky, they came out of it with a lot of bumps and bruises.and they ended up being the proud owners of a beat-up golf cart.  Today the trees had been removed from that cliff side to provide more sun for the green below. Otherwise they would have rolled about 120 feet to the bottom.

They were very lucky. I get a kick out of the speed bumps they have on that steep downhiller at #1. I'm really glad I wasn't riding with the idiot that caused the installation of those things! Also, what's with the strange, high pitched squeal the cart engines make when descending those steep paths?