How to Park a Golf Cart

Learning how to park a golf cart is not as difficult as one might think. In fact, with a few simple tips, anyone can do it. You can get advice from professionals and club staff, or if you want to read tips online, look no further than this article. We’ll explain it all.

Remember that trying to park a golfing cart is similar to maneuvering your car. A parking brake controls most of the motion, a handle manages the speed and acceleration, and a pedal speeds up your drive. The controls have four crucial parts, which you must learn how and when to engage.

Three golf carts on a hotel driveway

Here’s How to Park a Golf Cart

Learning to park golfing carts isn’t complicated, but if you’re new to it, someone from the country club will help you learn. If you’re at a large course or with a bigger group, renting carts is better than pushing, pulling, or carrying your clubs around.

Here are a few easy steps for parking. First, check for obstructions and make sure there is plenty of space to maneuver. If something is in your way, try to move the vehicle around it. If there isn’t enough space, just find another spot.

Once you’ve found a suitable space, slowly back the car into it, lining the wheels up with the markings on the ground. Once you are in position, stop engaging the accelerator and press the parking brake. It’s just like driving a car, except this one’s much smaller than a regular one.

How to Maneuver Slopes When You Park Golfing Carts

The vehicle should be facing downhill if you park on a slope. This will help prevent it from rolling away in case of a not-ideal park. Also, don’t forget to set the parking brake and put chocks in front of the wheels (or behind, depending on which part of it is facing down) to keep it from moving.

When ready to leave, remove the chocks and release the parking brake. Slowly drive away while checking for obstructions and yielding to pedestrians. At any given time, you should also follow the instructions provided by a professional and avoid any horseplay, as it’s pretty much strictly forbidden everywhere.

 Four people riding in a club car

Is Parking Golfing Carts Difficult?

It can be challenging to park these vehicles, depending on the available space. Some are wide and hefty, so it’s essential to have that in mind when driving them. If you have a narrow driveway, you might want to consider getting a narrower car.

Narrower vehicles can accommodate two players, so if you’re in a larger group, it may cost a bit more to rent. However, you should consult with the people at the country club about that – ask them about the terrain (if you don’t know it) and what vehicle is better for it.

Just as size can impact how to park these, so can weight. Wider cars are heavier and difficult to maneuver, so they should be parked in a safe and leveled area. Lighter ones are easier to move around and can be parked in tighter spaces.

The wind is another factor that impacts a lot of areas of golf. If there are strong winds on the course, practicing your GHIN handicap will be much more challenging than you can imagine. The same goes for maneuvering carts. They’re lighter than regular cars and can tip over if exposed to strong gusts of wind. In that case, you’ll want to be sure that your vehicle is parked in a protected area.

A man smiling while sitting in a cart

What Are the Driving Components of Golfing Carts?

The driving components of these small four-wheelers include the battery, engine, and tires. The battery powers it, the engine drives it, and the tires provide traction. The vehicle can move when all these components are working together.

Additionally, here’s a quick rundown of the vehicle controls.

#1 Key Switch

The key switch is used to turn the vehicle on and off.

  • Located on the support panel,
  • It powers the vehicle’s electrical system,
  • You should never leave the key switch in the ON position without supervision.

#2 Forward-Neutral-Reverse Lever

This lever pushes the vehicle forward, in reverse, or allows it to stay in a neutral state.

  • Located on the seat support,
  • Always confirm this lever is in the right position before hitting the accelerator,
  • Don’t activate the lever while the vehicle is in motion; do it only in a standing position,
  • When you’re not nearby, ensure the lever is left on NEUTRAL.

#3 Accelerator Pedal

The accelerator pedal helps the car speed up or slow down.

  • Lowering pressure on the accelerator pedal will activate the parking brake,
  • Depressing this pedal will start the engine,
  • Acceleration shouldn’t exceed 15mph,
  • Whenever the accelerator pedal is fully released, the vehicle will stop.

#4 Combination Service Brake and Parking Brake Pedal

The service brake pedal also has a parking feature, and it’s used to stop the vehicle.

  • To start the car, press the top part of this pedal until it locks in place,
  • The parking feature is enabled when the bottom of the pedal is depressed,
  • While driving, use the bottom part of the pedal to engage the regular brakes.

Can I Drive This Around Town, to a Store, or to Public Places?

No. Golfing carts aren’t cars, despite having most of their characteristics. The policy of most clubs is to disallow taking their vehicles off the fairway, as they’re unsafe to drive in regular traffic and busy streets. Don’t waste your golfing club membership by doing something as silly as that.

These are forbidden from street driving because of their speed limit. Very slow vehicles impact overall traffic and can harm other drivers, especially in highway areas. Don’t take your club car for a spin outside of the bounds of the fairway; it’s for golfing purposes only.

A single golf car in front of a course and clubhouse in the distance

Learning How to Park a Golf Cart Is Easy and Quick

Learning to park golfing cars can be difficult, but with these helpful tips, you’ll be able to park yours like a pro. Use the right signals, check for obstacles before stopping in one place, and learn how to control the accelerator and brakes.

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll have no trouble maneuvering these vehicles in any spot, and you can enjoy using them without worry. Just remember to engage in safe behavior.