Club Car® Golf Carts: A History of Innovation
If you’ve ever used golf carts for work, relaxation, or exploration, there’s a good chance you’ve utilized a Club Car® model. These machines can be seen at the golf course and country club, around business or educational campuses, and even off road—but where did they get their start? We here at Golf Cars of Louisiana are proud to be the official distributor of Club Car golf carts in Louisiana, Southeast Arkansas, and Northwest Texas, so we wanted to tell you a bit about their history below.
To learn more, or to see the Club Car golf carts we have for sale, contact our stores in Bossier City, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, Louisiana, today!
Hitting the Ground Running
Club Car was founded by Bill Stevens and built from assets he’d acquired from the Landreath Machine company. He moved operations to Augusta, Georgia, in 1962 and renamed his company to the Club Car we know and love today. They released their first model that year and with one single innovation, they managed to change the golf cart industry forever.
That brilliant innovation was a steering wheel! Before that point golf carts used a lever for steering that was reminiscent of a boat’s tiller, which was far less intuitive for most. Suddenly, golf carts became immeasurably easier to control and drive, making them an easy favorite for various persons of note. Bill Stevens himself drove with his son from Augusta to Dunedin, Florida, in a golf cart. Imagine driving a golf cart for six days to a PGA show!
Club Car didn’t simply stop innovating just because they’re already changed the game, of course. They became known for constant breakthroughs in golf cart design, adding upgrades like roofs, storage compartments, and extra seating. With each and every addition, their carts became more and more of a staple.
The New Millennium
A few short decades later and Club Car was still shaking up the golf cart industry with every new release. Not long after the turn of the millennium they produced their millionth golf cart, which rolled off the production line driven by one of the company’s original eight investors.
In 2008 they had another massive achievement with the Excel Drive System. The system allowed for more direct, responsive control and helped improve the cart’s fuel economy. Later that same year they released the Villager 2+2 LSV, a comfortable and powerful golf cart designed to be street-legal. This allowed for easy and comfortable transportation around town, the neighborhood, and anywhere else you could want to drive a golf cart!
To This Day
Even now, Club Car continues to innovate. They’ve released a number of zero-emissions golf carts, fleet carts, and others that continue winning awards to this day.
Ready to write your own chapter in the Club Car® golf cart history book? Contact us at Golf Cars of Louisiana for more information, or to see our selection of these incredible machines. We proudly serve Monroe, Shreveport, and Denham Springs, Louisiana—let us serve you today!