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Kids Take the Wheel of Custom E-Z-GO Golf Cars
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“Golf is something we can do together,” says Sheila Whitlow. She and her husband, Dan, often bring their grandsons to Clubs of Kingwood in Houston.
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What’s the number-one grownup activity kids most want to do? Drive. So when ClubCorp and its Clubs of Kingwood in Houston planned a family-friendly golf course, they turned to E-Z-GO to figure out how to put kids in the driver’s seat.
“Kids yearn for time with their parents and grandparents,” said Andy Miller, Vice President of Operations for ClubCorp and General Manager of The Clubs of Kingwood. “Golf is one of the best interactive sports that everyone can do together. It’s truly a lifelong sport. But, what the kids want to do most is drive the golf car.”
Tailoring the Course for Kids
In June 2006, The Clubs of Kingwood at Atascocita opened what ClubCorp believes is the first-of-its-kind, nine-hole golf venue for children and beginners. Each green has two holes — one regulation for seasoned swingers and one with an oversized cup and shorter flag for new golfers. The stress-free fairway features evenly mown greens (no roughs), mesh fencing around water hazards, and sand-free bunkers.
To complement the kid-friendly terrain, Miller envisioned a golf car kids could safely operate with a parent or adult in the passenger seat. In the Fall of 2005, Miller's team at Kingwood built a working prototype from a used E-Z-GO golf car, which was modeled after a "driver’s education" automobile. The prototype was tested with more than 20 members’ children and grandchildren. In February of 2006, ClubCorp approved funding for this novel concept and suggested that Kingwood work with E-Z-GO to produce a fleet of 20 golf cars because, as Miller says, “E-Z-GO is the expert in production.”
Miller contacted Russ Gambill, Operations Manager for the E-Z-GO Southwest Branch, who enlisted engineering, manufacturing, marketing and corporate legal departments to participate in the work to convert refurbished golf cars into a kid-friendly fleet for ClubCorp’s youngest patrons.
Important Modifications
“Our biggest challenge was not only to make the cars kid-friendly but to make them safe to drive,” Gambill said. The modified vehicles, designed for children ages 6 to 11, feature an adjustable seat for better driver control; a shorter steering column; three-point seat belts; a roll bar; and redundant brakes on the passenger side--like in driver’s ed vehicles. The cherry red finish with chrome trim says, “Move over Mom, I’M DRIVING.”
Twenty kid-driven cars now glide around Atascocita’s kid-friendly course, with golfing families like the Whitlows riding high.
Pint-Sized Golfers Got Game ... and Drive
Golfing grandmother Sheila Whitlow and her husband, Dan, enjoy the game with grandsons Juergen, 7, and Sebastian, 4. “Can grandma play basketball? I can’t do that,” Whitlow said. “But Juergen takes the responsibility of driving very seriously. Driving gives him freedom and makes the game more interesting. He can’t wait to finish his shot because he wants to get back on the car and drive.”
Built-in safety features let adults riding shotgun take control if needed. The passenger side of each car has a foot-operated switch that must be depressed in order for the car to run.
Four-Seater Golf Car Doubles the Fun
E-Z-GO and ClubCorp also introduced two modified four-seaters so families can drive the course together. No longer is golf solely a game of the elite and businessmen. As Russ Gambill said, “We’re introducing a whole new generation of golfers into the field.” And the ride is half the fun.
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