Keohen Smith can be seen driving around with his dog , Chewie , who he affectionately calls his “ co-pilot .” “ He ’ s my partner and a cute little dog — that has his own bed . I ’ m technically his chauffeur ,” Smith jokes .
Keohen Smith in his golf cart with dog Chewie
“ These are the newer models and include the Maverick 4- and 6-passenger , and the Ranger 4- and 6-passenger . These carts include all the add-ons of modern luxury in a golf cart with a sleek look , great sound system , USB ports for charging devices , forward-facing seats , rear storage , etc .”
Powered by a 48-volt AC system and available in nine body colors — from Sky Blue to Flamenco Red — a top-of-the-line 2024 Evolution with all the bells and whistles goes for around $ 14,000 and includes an eight-year warranty on the battery . And , no , you can ’ t drive it off the lot . Seeing as all the roads leading down to the shore are over 35 mph , Apex trucks it to your coastal home or office for free in OC .
But you don ’ t have to spend that much . Apex offers used E-Z-Go , Evolution , Club
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Car , American Custom Golf Cars ( ACG ) and Yamaha golf carts for as little as $ 3,500 . The business also sells a wide range of replacement parts and accessories , from heaters and horns to alarms , storage covers , cargo boxes and even surf racks .
Apex can also customize a cart with special paint , upholstery , rims and more . “ We have tons of examples , but a fire truck golf cart has been one of the biggest hits ,” Moeller says . “ We have requests frequently for highly customized carts with initials or sports team emblems stitched into custom seat covers , custom paint , etc . Southern California is an amazing area to have a golf cart — and better yet , a custom golf cart .”
Moeller says that in addition to individual golf cart owners in the beach communities , Apex sells to “ tons of local businesses ” including security companies , churches , schools , hotels and retirement communities as well as handling golf cart rentals for all types of events . “ The percentage varies but is likely 60 % businesses and 40 % individual consumers ,” she estimates .
Smith bought his blue-green , four-seater E-Z-Go golf cart pre-owned 18 years ago . “ Mine had a life on a golf course in Palm Springs before I even got it and made it street legal ,” he says . Then he set about gradually customizing his ride . “ It ’ s raised and has big ‘ off-road ’ -looking tires with custom rims [ and a ] front bar with extra lights ,” he says . “ I also have eight solar Tiki torches , which look great at night and help keep me visible to others .” For winter , he puts on a rain cover to make the cart fully enclosed . “ I can still drive around town in the heaviest of rains and stay dry and warm ,” he says . “ In summer , it ’ s back to the beach cart .”
Smith can often be seen driving around town with his dog , Chewie , who he affectionately calls his “ co-pilot .” “ He ’ s my partner and a cute little dog — that has his own bed . I ’ m technically his chauffeur ,” Smith jokes .
So what does he like about driving a golf cart ? “ The ease of getting around , they ’ re fun , practical , easy to park — the city has even put dedicated golf cart parking throughout town —[ and ] you can customize them , which most have done ,” Smith says . “ There ’ s no two carts in town that look alike . I love the uniqueness of them all . Some old , new , groovy , lowered , raised , etc . There ’ s endless options available nowadays .
“ On a beautiful day , would you rather be in a car or sitting outside on a golf cart enjoying the weather ? Plus , it makes traffic enjoyable . Oh , did I mention they ’ re fun ?”
MOKIN ’ HOT RIDE Another tiny vehicle that ’ s occasionally seen tooling around Laguna Beach is a Mini Moke . Originally designed for military use , the lightweight , front-wheel-drive , gas-powered , doorless contraptions never gained traction with the British army or navy but later took off as fun-to-drive recreational vehicles .
The first Mini Moke rolled off the assembly line in Birmingham , England , in 1964 . They were later made in Australia , Portugal and , most recently , China .
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