A Different Kind of Handicap

"Where'd he go? He was in the seat at the turn."

This month's article does not cover the rules of handicapping. I wanted to give the membership a break from reminders to post their acceptable scores. Oops. This month's blog post carries over from last month's photo of a golf cart. It made me wonder how golf carts have evolved, so I decided to start from the beginning.

Disabled golfer Lyman Beecher invented the first golf cart in 1932. Because he couldn't walk long distances, he designed a rickshaw-style cart that a couple of caddies could pull. Beecher later enhanced his design by incorporating six car batteries and two additional wheels. His invention remained the preferred cart until after World War II. 

R.J. Jackson received the first U.S. patent for a gas-powered cart. The cart, known as the "Arthritis Special," was designed and built so that older golfers or those with serious illnesses could enjoy playing.

Initially, these carts were not accessible to the public; golfers were required to have a doctor's note. However, once course owners recognized the profit potential of motorized golf carts, they began offering rentals to everyone.

In 1955, just 40 percent of courses in the country had carts for their players. Now, the number of carts exceeds 2 million, and they are visible on golf courses, resort towns, and even streets in major cities.

                                                                                                                                                     (The full article can be found here.)