BRAD ALLAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Inset : Golf carts can be seen just about everywhere around town . Above : The popularity of golf carts has grown over the years . Pictured is Heidi Draper and her family in their cart back in 2013 .
Sure , they ’ re still a staple of country club living and retirement communities , but their evolution into street-legal vehicles over the past few decades is astounding . With a top speed of 20 to 30 miles per hour , they ’ re never going to beat you off the line at a green light . But totally tricked-out golf carts that ply Orange County coastal cities today will turn far more heads than your suburban sedan .
Nowhere is this more evident than Laguna Beach , where so many residents have adopted the open-air rides that a couple of parades even feature decorated golf carts at Christmas and Halloween . And there ’ s an owner group — the Laguna Beach Golf Cart Club — with more than 430 members .
Keohen Smith , one of the club ’ s founders and a local real estate agent , started the Christmas Golf Cart Parade in 2020 during the pandemic . “ It was a fun and festive way to social distance and have some holiday cheer ,” he says , adding that he now plans them with other club leaders . “ This year , we had over 40 carts and it ’ s only getting better ,” he says .
Smith explains that golf carts are street legal everywhere that the speed limit is posted as 35 miles per hour and below . Technically , golf carts can be driven on Coast Highway along stretches with the lower speed limit , but it ’ s not recommended because of the traffic , especially on busy summer weekends . It ’ s better to use side streets like Glenneyre or Catalina , advises Smith .
In some ways , he says , golf carts are like any other automobile . “ You have to register with the DMV and pay a registration fee every year like a car ,” Smith says . “ So they ’ re basically little vehicles ”— complete with license plates , seat belts , brake lights and blinkers , he adds . The mechanics may be similar , but they have a cool coastal vibe and can be customized in any number of ways to really stand out on Laguna streets . Plus , you get to feel the beach breeze in your hair as you drive — and parking can be easier with the smaller profile of a golf cart and some dedicated spaces in town .
NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER ’ S GOLF CART These are nothing like the carts that your uncle or granddad may have piloted around a golf course .
Apex Golf Carts in Laguna Hills sells and rents new and used golf carts ( both gas and electric types ) and also services and repairs them . Among the options are all-electric Evolution Golf Carts with rugged tires that look like they could handle dune riding in the Mojave Desert or a jungle expedition in the Amazon .
“ Our bestselling vehicles are the Evolution D5 Series ,” says Apex CEO Jessica Moeller .
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