Choosing a Golf Cart that’s Right for You
Blog | choosing a golf cart
- Do you want to drive around the neighborhood?
- Does your community allow street legal golf carts?
- Do you need a cart for rugged terrain for hunting, sports or other activities?
- Do you need a more commercial or industrial cart for more resilient uses?
Golf Cart Safety – Keeping your family, friends and yourself safe
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As temperatures begin to rise…slowly…we’re all ready to go riding in our golf carts and have a bit of fun. I know I am!
Take a moment to read through our top 8 recommended safety tips for driving your golf cart:
- Drive responsibly. We’ve seen lots of damage done to golf carts early in the season.
- Avoid being distracted while driving your golf cart.
- Does your cart have a seat belt? If not get one now at the golf cart parts website.
- Only carry the number of passengers you have seats.
- Avoid passengers standing on the back platform while the golf cart is in motion.
- Drive from your seat…not the one next to you or in back.
- Avoid sharp turns at high speeds.
- Yield to pedestrians. The same rules apply as driving a car or motorcycle.
Keeping your golf cart running great all summer
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Here are the Top 3 quick tips:
- Clean and check the battery cables and terminals. Checking the cables is easy. Simply disconnect the cables and look at each cable for any wear and tear. Terminals can be easily cleaned with a wire brush.
- Cracks in the golf cart boy or sun top. If you’re handy, a fiberglass repair kit can do the trick.
- Regular maintenance is key to keep it running smoothly. If you own an electric cart, keep the battery filled with distilled water, and be sure to check it frequently. If you own a gas golf cart, check the oil frequently and fill it up to keep it from ruining the engine.
Need Help? Our Certified, Factory Trained Technicians can help.
Top 10 Reasons for Buying and Riding a New Golf Cart in 60° Temperatures
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Golf carts are still the best way to get around town in warm temperatures especially when it’s over 70°. What happens to golf carts when the temperature is only 60°. Nothing happens to the golf cart in colder or cold temperatures, it’s just us!
We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 reasons from you…our customers to buy a new golf cart and ride your golf cart in cooler temperatures. Let us know if you agree! Got a photo?
- You can get it on sale! Buy one or trade in your old golf cart.
- You’ll never sweat.
- Put together a neighborhood golf cart scavenger hunt! (Interesting…)
- The new golf cart helps you to think spring.
- Comfort! Especially when watching the kid’s soccer, baseball or football games.
- Your drink in the cup holder stays cold.
- A great and fun way to get your teenage to clean up the yard.
- Take the family to the fall festival, and a great way to carry that heavy pumpkin!
- Don’t waste money on gas for the car, get an electric or gas golf cart.
- You can drive a golf cart all year and save money on gas!
There you have it. So take a look at the Beaver Creek Golf Carts inventory of golf carts today and start driving so you can do all 10 of the great reasons to buy and ride in a new golf cart.
Extend the Time to Drive Your Golf Cart with 4 Great Tips!
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When the weather cools down, we think it’s time to hibernate and put all of our fun away. Just the opposite! The cool weather is a perfect time to ride in your golf cart. Keep your cool and take a ride to view the array of colorful leaves, pick the kids up from school, or simply enjoy time visiting with friends.
Here are 4 easy ways to enjoy your golf cart through the cool season:
Buy lights: Brighten up the road! As the sun goes down, you can still drive and extend your day!
Buy a windshield: Windshields for golf carts blocks the wind and blowing leaves. Perfect addition to your golf cart.
Buy a brush guard: Watch those branches from trees and bushes. Great protection for your golf cart especially in the fall.
Buy new tires: Leaves can be slippery. If the tread on your tires is low, get the tires on sale now at Beaver Creek so you can gain more traction!
Seasons Change, The Work of a Golf Cart is Never Done
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Changing seasons always brings extra work around the house, not to mention kids and their activities. I’m one of those who will drive their golf cart until it is absolutely impossible to drive anymore. What else can you use when the rain storms never stop?
A golf cart has been the workhorse in the yard, especially with hauling large branches and debris. With the winds doing a great job of swirling around the leaves, I get the added benefit of hauling more leaves that made their way from everyone else’s yard to mine. They say you need to get the leaves off of the grass, as letting them sit there rots the grass and you won’t have much in Spring. So I tried something different…I used the leaf blower while riding in my golf cart going up and down the length of the grass. It made the chore much more fun.
This year graduation parties seemed to be every weekend. I had one myself. Everyone you know seems to get invited, and it’s amazing how the one’s needing assistance are the first ones to reply and show up. With a long driveway, I could have spent the entire party walking people up and down the driveway. You guessed it…I used my golf cart to go to the bottom of the driveway to pick them up. They loved the joy ride and put a smile on most faces. A couple had to moan about their hair.
But let’s not leave out the kids. Here’s where I was happy to not drive the golf cart. Now that I have a kid old enough to drive (don’t start guessing my age), I gladly hand the keys over to drive the younger one to soccer practice. Now he can never complain that he doesn’t get to drive.
Now that I’ve given you 3 great ways to use the golf cart, why not try one out. Stop by our Joliet Superstore or our Peru location for a test drive. If it’s good for you, ask about financing a new or used golf cart. Now you can put the accessories on your holiday list and look awesome for the Spring.
Like and Follow the Beaver on Facebook. Got a question, let us know we’ll help you through.
Golf Cart Storage Covers and Golf Cart Enclosures
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Golf cart enclosures extend the driving season for golf carts as it protects you from the elements of the weather. The clear plastic see through windows come on either 3 sides or 4 sides depending if your golf cart has a windshield already installed. The golf cart enclosure opens with a zipper for easy access. The zipper is a great solution as it minimizes the colder air from entering your driving space.
Golf cart storage covers are a solid material strictly used for storage purposes. It keeps your golf cart from the freezing elements of our winter. The storage covers come in both 2 passenger golf carts and 4 passenger golf carts. A rear zipper and air vents keep the golf cart healthy during off season. In addition, it comes with an elasticized cord at the bottom for a more custom fit.
Beaver Lost in the Woods
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About a year ago, my wife and I decided to build a new house for our retirement.
I never knew how complicated it would be to get all of the permits. I’ll save that story for another post. Anyway, we got through it and we were ready to move ahead. I had just finished backfilling the foundation and knew it was time for carpentry. I know this may sound crazy, but I intended to complete the construction by myself. I can ‘hear’ you question, “Are you sure you want to do that?” Yes, it’s okay, I’m a pretty handy guy and I can build it.
I sat down at my old kitchen table with my blueprint in hand and came up with a lumber list of 18 items. I made my list the old fashioned way…on a sheet of notebook paper with the quantity and description next to it. Just like this: 206 pcs 2 x 6 x 92 5/8”. This should make my visit to the lumber yard go quickly and my order accurately filled.
I try to know as much information as possible before making a large purchase, so I used an app from one of the big box stores. Based on the number of lumber pieces, I had a pretty good idea how much the bundles were going to cost.
Because I am a local business owner, Beaver Creek Golf Carts, and the former mayor of Braidwood, I believe buying local is a great decision. So, at 11:00 a.m. I made my way to the local lumber yard. I already knew where the customer counter was and began to make my way to start the lumber order. However, I noticed that 2 of the 3 workers quickly disappeared. Hum…
I stood at the counter for a couple of minutes before the third salesman acknowledged my presence. “Help ya?” he said. I explained in detail that I was building a house and had a list of materials with me. “I need a quote for the following materials,” I said, as I neatly laid out the sheet of notebook paper on the counter. He replied, “I’ll get it to you tomorrow.” Hum…. Not ideal, since this was Thursday morning and I wanted to start framing the house on Monday.
Next, I asked, “Can you deliver by Monday?” His answer was, “Tuesday, maybe next Friday. I don’t know.” Well that clarified it for me. I asked when he would know and he said, “When I get the quote done.” Ah, even more clarity. I picked up my piece of paper, thanked him for his time and left. As I left in disbelief, I drove to the big box store, wondering how this one would go.
I found the counter and as soon as I got there, I handed the young man my list of demands. He started to type in his computer and about 2 minutes later, he handed me a quote. It was exactly what I was looking for including quantity and price. He also included an 11% rebate, which was their current promotion. Then I nearly fainted when he said, “We could deliver your order tomorrow. Would that be okay?” I made my deadline and began framing the house on Monday.
It was obvious which store had the quality customer service.
It got me thinking…
As the owner of Beaver Creek Golf Carts, I have constantly instilled the value of customer service…from the persons that greet you as you walk in, to the mechanics in the back of our shops. So, I wondered, what safeguards have I put in place to ensure a consistent customer service experience?
Not to weigh you down with pages of documentation, here are the Top 6 Customer Service actions Beaver Creek Golf Carts takes on a daily basis. Not in any particular order.
No. 6 After the mechanic completes any repair or service, the golf cart is test driven by a quality control person.
No. 5 Be proactive, attentive and responsive with all customers on the condition of their golf cart.
No. 4 Use highest quality parts, OEM parts where possible for a long-lasting ride.
No. 3 Use the latest, proven, technologies to properly test and analyze golf carts.
No. 2 Answer customer requests as quickly and responsively as possible.
No. 1 Regular meetings with all Beaver Creek staff focusing on customer service
I take great pride in my business, and appreciate when good words, or no words (100% complaint free on BBB website) are shared. So next time go to the store and the customer service doesn’t reach your expectations, be sure to go to a place that matches the good person that you are.
2017 Street Legal LSV Golf Cart Purchase Dollars Goes to Charity
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Yesterday I posted an almost new 2017 street legal LSV golf cart where the sale price of $6,800 will be donated to charity. I am touched by the level of interest we received.
Let me fill in some of the details to answer everyone’s questions:
- The street legal golf cart is a 2017, not a 2016 as originally posted. Fat fingers.
- Once the golf cart is sold, the $6,800 will go directly to charity.
- The dollars will go to the following charities: Living Alternatives, Braidwood Food Pantry, Morningstar Missions, and an Animal Shelter (TBD) and…
- Here’s where we need your help. If you know of an animal shelter needing some help, let us know. We also are searching for one additional charity. We thought you might know of one that is in dire need of assistance. If you do, please post your recommendation so we can check it out.
And finally, street legal golf carts are a great way to get around town. Here are just a few of the important features you’ll get with the golf cart: seat belts, turn signals, DOT rated windshield, light blue color with 2 front and 2 rear black seats and much more.
Get something and give something both at the same time. Stop on in today!
The Long Hot Summer
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A customer brought in his 2001 Club Car golf cart into our Peru, IL location. The golf cart did not run; nothing worked at all. The customer stated that he had taken it to a different golf cart dealer to be repaired. After 2 ½ months of waiting for the golf cart to be done, the customer paid $800.00 just to get his broken golf cart back.
The customer had to endure listening to the golf cart dealer bad mouth Beaver Creek Golf Carts. However, once the customer got their broken golf cart back, guess where they took the golf cart to? Yup, Beaver Creek Golf Carts.
Upon examination of the cart, we found the following 3 problems with the cart:
1. the motor was incorrectly mounted
2. one of the small wires on the solenoid was disconnected, and
3. two battery cables needed to be changed.
Once those parts were replaced and put back into their proper places, the cart still did not run. Now, I am not a golf cart whisperer, but many things can be learned by the sounds it makes.
By having trained technicians that has seen a few and we have seen thousands, we were 90% sure it was a bad O.B.C. (on board charger). A quick confirmation with a $20 VOM meter confirmed my suspicion. We pulled an on board charger from the parts room and installed it in about two hours. It would have been much faster if I did not have to find and change the wiring mistake from the other dealer.
This customer experience proves a quote from Red Adair.
“If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.”
The customer was 2.5 months without his cart and paid over $800.00 in unnecessary repairs.