Speed Golf Rant

[SirMilton]

Due to a few heart attacks and a SUV rollover I was out of golf for a few years, but now I am back.

The biggest change I now see at my club is the predominance of "speed" golf. Now I'm not talking "ready" golf, I'm talking four guys in four carts souped up like NEVs to 30+ mph trying to see who can get their ball in the hole first and with total disregard to anything the other 3 players are doing.

They run over everyone. Last Saturday me and a buddy played together by ourselves and had to let groups of 4 playing "speed" golf play through on 11 of 18 holes. We didn't play slow, never lost a ball and were playing near par golf, but we were constantly being pushed and it just wasn't fun.

Why is everyone doing this and what is the appeal? Its almost as frustrating as the opposite occurring trying to play poker now that everyone sees it on TV and thinks each person needs to stop and think for several minutes before deciding how they should play.

I live in a very religious small town and no one plays golf in town on Sunday mornings and while I am an ordained elder in my church, I am tempted each week to play when there is no one else out there so I can play at a normal 3 &1/2 to 4 hour round of 18 holes speed.

[Finn07]

I never in my life have heard anything like this before....To my knowledge noone out there is even doing this. I would choose a different golf course to go. There should be rangers out there preventing this type of behavior. Never even heard of a souped up golf cart before either on the golf course.

[sonicblue]

While I've heard of speed golf, I've never heard of it being played mixed in with "normal" golfers. I always assumed courses just blocked off some space for them. It's absurd for them to play while others are on the course.

[kfowler]

I've never really run into this but I think some courses have an unrealistic time for finishing 18 holes. One course I play on a normal weekend day there's no way to finish in less than 4 hours. In a way they're promoting speed golf.

[SirMilton]

I recently bought a new cart (a Yamaha) after shopping 4 other brands in 4different cities. I learned a lot about the new modern carts in the process that I never knew before.

Some golf cart association decrees that stock carts may not exceed 19 mph, and most new carts are sold to go 14-15 mph. Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are golfcarts with lights, mirrows and turn signals to be street legal on 35 mph speed limit or less suburban streets are usuall sold stock to go 25 mph. However, all electric and gas carts can be modified to go much faster.

My Yamaha has a "speed" chip that takes it to 19 mph, but I get passed as if I am sitting still by 90% of the carts at my country club, even old, 36 volt EZGOs. There is one gas cart at our club that has a lift kit and oversized wheels/tires that some say will almost hit 60 mph.

We have no Starter and no Marshalls. Unfortunately, there are only 2 courses with 40 miles of my house, both are private clubs and I belong to the much better one. The other club doesn't even have a clubhouse, much less a Starter or Marshall.

[Finn07]

I recently bought a new cart (a Yamaha) after shopping 4 other brands in 4different cities. I learned a lot about the new modern carts in the process that I never knew before.

After reading that Im wondering to myself why you even asked the question in the first place. Sounds to me like you are one of the speed golfers yourself if your concerned about how fast your golf cart would go.