Here’s my own home grown golf practice driving net. I just hung a length of 2 meter wide plastic netting from a few nails and tied the bottom down to the porch handrail.
I bought a patch of well used AstroTurf from the local driving range for 5 dollars and hey presto!
If I get it right, the ball drops onto the old sofa and bounces back to me. So far I haven’t broken the light fitting at the top!
Do you have a home made practice net solution you would like to share?
The condition of the tires (or tyres in UK English) on your golf cart are one of the most important factors in determining the comfort of your journey and it’s safety. If your tires are under or over inflated the smoothness of your ride will be affected and tire wear will be increased resulting in a shortened life span for your tires and inefficient traction and braking. Tire wear, damage and pressure should be regularly checked. Excess wear cracks or damage to the side wall or inability to hold pressure are signs that you need to start looking for new tires.
When shopping for new tires, it is necessary to first check the size of tire you need. Look on the side wall of the tire for the numbers something like 18 x 9 x 8 which give the dimensions of the existing tire as 18 is the total outside diameter of the tire, 9 is the total outside width of the tire, and 8 would be the diameter of the wheel rim to which the tire will fit correctly. If you are replacing only one tire then you need the same size. If you are shopping for a full set then only the last number, the rim size, is unchangeable unless you change wheels at the same time.
Of course you don’t always have to wait for your tires to wear out before replacing them. You can upgrade the look and feel of your buggy by investing in new set of tires at any time. Combine these with fancy new aluminum wheels for a real change in appearance. If you choose to get larger golf cart tires and wheels, make sure you have sufficient clearance in the wheel arches so the tires will never touch any part of the cart otherwise you will need to invest in both golf cart lift kits and tires.
Actually I couldn’t contact the webmaster for permission so I have deleted the text. The gist is that tire width must be between 8 and 12 inches, they don’t allow tires of over 18 inches in height and they must suitable for turf and not off road knobbly treads.
Above are the rules pertaining to tires for use at Pebble Creek Golf Course, with thanks to www.pebblecreekhoa.org . You should make sure your cart’s proposed new tire sizes and treads are within the rules for your favorite local courses or you could be barred from using it with for example golf cart mud tires.
When you need new tires it can pay to shop around for the best deal. Money can be saved by shopping online, or your dealer may have a special, but don’t forget to check if prices include shipping or fitting.
Standard Wheels
If you have bought a new or used golf cart, unless you have paid extra for the upgrade, you are likely to have 8 inch painted steel wheels. That is 8 inches in diameter and 7 inches wide and standard golf course suitable tires. If your wheels are damaged, looking a bit tired or if you are looking to customize your cart there are lots of options and things to think about. You could simply and cheaply buy a set of wheel covers or hub caps to smarten things up or you could invest in a new set of wheels altogether.
Alloy or chrome golf cart wheels are available in many sizes including the standard 8×7. So
Alloys
a straight swap is possible with your existing tires. Or, especially if your tires are worn it could be the time to go large and upgrade to 10 or 12 inch diameter rims. Aluminum golf cart wheels are perhaps not as durable as steel wheels but they come in many different designs that look great and are usually repairable if dented or scratched.
I think most would agree that bigger, wider, wheels look better on any vehicle and golf cart wheels are no exception. You have to check what clearance you have above the wheel and tire to make sure your intended replacements will fit, under load, without chafing against the cart body. Usually it is possible to up-size to 10 or 12 inch wheels without problems so long as you go for lower profile tires so the overhaul height is almost unchanged. Larger diameter wheels come in larger width too. You can choose the width of your wheels and tires to get more rubber on the ground. You can also buy offset wheels which have the position where the wheel is bolted to the axle sited deeper into the wheel so that the rim and tire sits further out from the axle. This will increase the stability of the cart to an extent and make it look ‘hotter’.
If you want to go the whole hog and go for say 14 inch rims with big lugged tires – not recommended for the golf course! – then you will have to go for a lift kit too. This is to raise the body of the cart higher above the axles to accommodate the larger wheels and tires, increase ground clearance or purely for ascetic reasons. Kits are available for all models and are quite easy to fit if you have a decent tool kit.
So if you want to spruce up your buggy getting smart new custom golf cart wheels is an easy and fairly cheap way to achieve a huge improvement its looks. Order online or through your local dealer. If you go for new wheels and tires at the same time, expect delivery and fitting to be included.
Whether your golf cart stays in the garage all winter or you enjoy semi-submersible golf, your cart and you will benefit from some kind of covering to keep out the elements, whether during wintering or when caught out on the course during an unexpected shower. There are basically two types of cart cover, those for longer term storage which cover the complete vehicle keeping out rain, sun, animals, and wind blown debris and those for protection and comfort of the driver and passengers while out and about allowing easy access and visibility and not impeding the wheels.
Ideally your golf cart will spend it’s of road days or months in a watertight garage while it is being charged but if this is not possible then in order to keep it in dry and clean and ready to drive off at short notice you will need to cover it. As with larger vehicles, semi-permanent golf cart covers are available for this, costing from $50 upwards usually made from vinyl with a single zipper and are elasticized at the bottom to fit snugly around the tires too. They are quick and easy to put on or remove.
For use when driving your cart or when it is parked up for short periods an ‘Enclosure’ is useful to keep out the elements and water splashes ensuring comfort during inclement weather. An Enclosure differs from a standard cover in that it provides doors, usually with zips, for access and clear screens so you can still see to drive. Costing a little more, these types of cover start from around $100 for vinyl material. You should go for quality here though and make sure your windscreen will remain clear enough to see well throughout the life of the enclosure.
If you require some thing even better, then you can buy custom golf cart covers specially made for your standard model which should look and fit a little better and may not even cost more. At the top of the range there are also many companies manufacturing custom-made enclosures with hinged and removable doors which make it easier to get in and out and rear canopies for example to keep the rain of your golf bags at the back, and can even match your custom golf cart seat covers.
Luckily most basic golf carts are about the same size, 8x4x6 feet so universal discount golf cart covers can be bought to fit almost any cart, but please check before you buy one. If your cart has, say, a non-standard roof or rear extension you may need a customized cover.
Club Cart
So, for whatever reason you prefer not to walk the golf course any more and are tired of paying to rent the clapped-out golf carts at your local courses and you decided to take the plunge and buy your own cart. Spending $2500 upwards for a used cart or $7500 up for a new one, you’ve got the means now. You don’t need a caddy or an electric trolley or to spend a couple of hours extra hiking round the fairways. So what do you get with a basic golf cart? Hopefully 4 wheels, a chassis and body, motor, decent batteries, steering and brakes!, plus 2 or 4 seats and usually a roof. This may be more than adequate for you or, more likely, having got this far you are going to want a few extras beyond the basic manufacturers fare. So what kinds of cool golf cart accessories are available to put your personal stamp on it?
Small electric vehicles, including Golf Carts, which travel at a maximum of 25 miles per hour are fairly easy to upgrade to become legal on many (non highway) public roads in the U.S. All you need is to fit a windscreen, headlights, turning indicators, and brake lights, and some seat belts, to qualify. You don’t even need a driving license to use it. Check out the laws in your neighborhood. These custom golf cart accessories kits are available on the internet for fairly easy d.i.y. retro-fitting or there are many dealers around who will do it for you.
Once you are on the golf course, there are a host of golf cart accessories that can help your game go more smoothly and make the day more enjoyable. You will need your golf bag racks with straps to keep them attached and upright of course. For inside the cab there is a host of clip-on, bolt on and dash mounted accessories. You may have a couple of cup holders, well you may want some more. These days you can get adapters tailor-made to use your cup holders as ash-trays, cigar lighters, cell phone and GPS organizers, even as sand /seed bottle and propane heater brackets. If you are more than a fine-weather golfer, you might choose to throw a plastic enclosure with clear windows and zip-up doors over the buggy top to keep out the elements and an electric fan heater to warm you up quickly. Want sounds? A dash or roof mounted radio kit does the job neatly.
OK, you’ve got every conceivable add-on inside the cab so what else can you do to personalize your cart? Well, if room allows you could add extra seats at the back, ideally those that fold down to give a flat cargo bed. If you want to turn heads, your basic 8 inch steel wheels and tires could be replaced by 10 or 12 inch alloys with all terrain or low profile tires. You may want or need a lift kit to raise the chassis to accommodate the bigger wheels and tires. A front bumper or brush guard in stainless steel looks great and helps protect your buggy from scratches and scrapes.
Many of these electric golf cart accessories are universal and will fit easily to all carts, but just make sure before you buy. Otherwise choose the kit designed specifically for your model. There are lots of clip-on enhancements, most others are within the means of the average “diy-er” or help can be found at your local dealer.
