After Denise and Shannon Lauve purchased a golf cart nearly a decade ago to use around their property in Tomball, the couple noticed many friends and neighbors began asking where to purchase one of their own. In 2009, the couple opened Tomball Golf Carts to help meet a growing demand for golf carts for a variety of uses beyond the fairway.
“Probably one out of every 25 carts we sell is actually for golf. The rest of them are for people wanting them for [use in their] neighborhoods,” Denise said. “So it’s opened up a market for people who live in subdivisions. They’re able to take their kids to school [in the carts] rather than sitting in a car ride line for 20 or 30 minutes in the mornings.”
In Texas, electric-powered golf carts can be driven on private and public streets if there is a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less, according to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. While there are some exceptions for neighborhood ordinances, Denise said golf carts are street-legal in most parts of Tomball and Magnolia.
About 95 percent of the golf carts sold at the business are electric, and many are made from rust-resistant aluminum, which make them easier to use and maintain, Denise said. Because the electric models are quieter, many customers also use the carts for livestock maintenance or when they are out hunting, she said.
“Golf carts don’t make any sound when they’re running, so there’s nothing to startle the animals,” Denise said. “And people out in this area use them for checking on their cows, going out to the pasture and checking fencing. We even know of a couple of horse farms that use them to exercise the horses.”
Tomball Golf Carts sells multiple models that range from $1,850 to $6,995, depending on customization options and accessories, and the carts can seat two to six people. Electric golf carts can run for an estimated 20 miles per battery charge and take five to six hours to recharge.
The store sells between 250 and 275 carts per year. Denise said holidays are a busy time for the business, along with Father’s Day and the beginning of the school year.
“Right after school starts, we’ll have a surge in sales because people will see neighbors taking the kids to school and will say, ‘I didn’t know I could do that,’” she said. “People use them more than they think they would because it’s just convenient.”
While most four-wheeler and recreational vehicles can only accommodate one rider at a time, Denise said customers appreciate how the golf carts can hold multiple people and are easy to operate.
“With golf carts, you can have the whole family on there and really spend some quality time together,” Denise said. “It’s really become a social thing. Just to go riding around in the evenings, talking to neighbors or getting to know different people in your area. [A golf cart is] really good for that.”