Fly-In debuts new golf cart fleet

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This article was published 29/05/2020 (1800 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Although it’s not quite business as usual these days at golf courses, or anywhere for that matter, life must go on.

When the Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club, like all golf courses in the province, received the green light to open for the season on May 4, albeit on a restricted basis, it also marked the debut of a new fleet of golf carts at the Fly-In.

Gone are the dark green models and replaced by 40 new state of the art carts, blending in with their new almond colour.

Head professional Brian Guenther says the new fleet replaces one from 2012, which was actually longer than normal before replacing the fleet. They continue to operate with 46 golf carts, as they have in the past, keeping six carts from the old fleet.

When we say state of the art, really there is not that much difference between these electric, battery powered carts than the previous ones except for the fact newer models are equipped with USB ports to keep those all-important cell phone devices charged up.

These E-Z-GO golf carts are manufactured in Augusta, Georgia. And if that locale sounds familiar, it is where the Augusta National Golf Course, home of the Masters, the world’s most prestigious golf course, is located.  

The Fly-In has been using electric powered carts for the past 20 years and they have 46 separate charging units that charge them during the night following the day’s use.

Meanwhile, with the COVID restrictions at golf courses, with only one person per golf cart, unless they are from the same household, Guenther said the arrival of the new carts this year was quite timely. That is because the golf carts are more in demand with the single rider rule and with that extra wear and tear there may have more repairs necessary on the old fleet.

Also, golfers are only paying half the normal rate for the cart with the one rider. Guenther says that is what other golf courses are doing, “plus we think it is the right thing to do for our customers.”

As to how things have gone during these COVID-time in the first three or four weeks since the course opened for the season, he said “when the weather’s been nice, it has gone very well, it’s been busy.”

Once again the weather has been less than stellar in the month May, which has thrown another wrench in to what has already been a difficult opening for golf courses. The weather was not good the first two weeks of May, but of course has turned around since then.

“The golfers have been very good, just happy to back out there, they have been respecting all the protocols that have been put in place.”

“We are doing are our best, revenue will be down this year, it will just be a very different year.”

Tournaments, particularly charity tournaments, can be made a major source of revenue for golf courses. Two of the Fly-In’s biggest tournaments, scheduled for June, have been cancelled, including the Bethesda Foundation Tournament.