Nearly three quarters of golf course operators surveyed reported some vandalism or misuse of their golf car fleets, at a price tag estimated at more than $8 million per year, according to a report prepared by Club Car.
Some of the key statistics unveiled in the recently issued whitepaper included:
- 72 percent of courses reported vandalism or golfers playing extra holes without paying for them
- 27 percent of operators reported retrieving a golf car from a lake or creek
- 48 percent reported unauthorized use of golf cars
- 42 percent reported golf cars being driven in unauthorized areas
- 21 percent reported theft of golf cars.
Several insurance providers contacted for the survey cited the costs resulting from golf car vandalism or misuse, both actual damages and lost revenue as well as higher insurance rates for courses which do not take steps to protect their golf car fleet from vandals.
Partially in response to the vandalism and misuse threat, Club Car recently introduced its GPS-based Guardian SVC system, designed to provide course operators more control over carts.