Laurie Edwards | Laker Weekly

Floyd Merryman of Sonny Merryman in Lynchburg tools around The Water’s Edge in his Virginia Tech cart, complete with maroon-striped seats and the Hokie mascot.

GOLF CART VENDORS

• Roanoke Golf Cars: 4802 Melrose Ave., Roanoke. (540) 986-0098
• FSI Auto Sales: 24930 Virgil Goode Highway, Boones Mill. (540) 334-1222
• Everything Carts: 3505 Figsboro Road, Martinsville. (888) 312-3742. www.everythingcarts.com
• Sonny Merryman, Inc.: U.S. 29, south of Lynchburg. (800) 533-1006. www.spiritcustomgolfcarts.com

WHAT DO THEY COST?

Carl Simpson of FSI said used golf carts typically go back to the manufacturer/leasing company where they’re checked over and rated on condition from 1 (lowest) to 10. A four-year-old electric cart in the 6-to-9 range then can be purchased for about $2,000. Gas models cost about $300 more. Most customizing begins with a lift kit and upgraded rims and tires — about $1,000 installed, he said. The sky’s the limit on accessories, Simpson added, but investing a couple grand more in floor mats, custom seating, handrails, bumper guards, fancy dashboard and steering wheel, lights, etc., is not uncommon. “When you see a nicely customized cart, you’re looking at five-to-seven grand,” Simpson said.

It's about getting there ... and in style.

Lake-area residents who have a long and/or steep trip from back door to boathouse -- or who crave sporty, convenient travel to the pool, clubhouse or friends' houses -- can do it with flair in a customized golf cart.

It begins with practicality. On some waterfront properties, a simple trip to and from the dock can be taxing, with 50 or more steps up or down. Sure, the hike is good exercise, but the prospect of a climb back up, especially on a warm summer day, can discourage going to the dock for meditation over a morning cup of coffee, a cooling dip between chores or an end-of-day boat ride.

Trips to the dock also may become increasingly difficult over time as health or mobility issues enter the picture. A climb that seemed like no big deal when a waterfront home was purchased can gradually -- or suddenly -- become a significant deterrent to enjoying the lake to its fullest.

More and more lake-area communities (Mayberry/Downtown Moneta and LakeWatch Plantation for example) are being designed around the concept of easy access to common recreation areas and on-site shopping. Residents who want to get from one area to another quickly, yet prefer not to crank up the gas-guzzling SUV for every trip, find the alternative of a golf cart extremely handy.

In fact, a golf cart is being included with each of the 14 independent living cottages at the planned Runk and Pratt Residential Adult Care facility for easy trips to the adjoining shops at Westlake Towne Center.

Ken and Dorisann Moll, relative newcomers to Mariners Landing, got a street-legal Tomberlin electric cart from Roanoke Golf Car Sales in June.

"I especially like it for taking the grandchildren to the beach and pool," Dorisann Moll said. "And they think it's a cool ride."

Today's consumer often wants more than just functionality. As evidenced by the variety of cellphone ring tones, personalization appeals to buyers. So lake-area cart suppliers are offering the latest in customized zip-around transport. And they can do wonders when it comes to "re-in-cart-nating" a vehicle that had a previous life as #37 in a country club fleet.

"Carts come off their initial golf course lease long before their useful life has ended," said Carl Simpson, sales manager at FSI Sales in Boones Mill, a Club Car dealer.

"We customize them to fit the needs and desires of a new owner. Besides cosmetics, we can fine-tune performance -- things like top speed, pedal sensitivity and slope resistance -- to suit a buyer's intended uses or physical challenges. So a custom cart often helps our customers enjoy their retirement years to the fullest."

Such a ride can make an exciting and memorable birthday or holiday gift.

Mary Jane Oakes of Highpoint said she believed her husband, Frank, might like a cart for hauling yard-maintenance gear and supplies.

"We were going to be in Connecticut with family for the holidays," she recalled, "but Carl provided photos I could wrap up and put under the tree."

Frank Oakes was delighted.

"What a surprise that was," he said. "It's been great for getting both stuff and people up and down to the boat and for just cruising trails in the neighborhood."

Ron Woodall got his customized 2004 EZ Go (it has polished diamond-patterned steel floorboards with side steps, chrome brush guards, "lift kit" and oversized wheels, hand rails, panoramic mirror, folding rear seat/cargo deck) from Everything Carts of Martinsville. He uses it to traverse both his neighborhood and the adjoining acreage just beyond the switchback turn in Crafts Ford road near the W.E. Skelton 4-H Center.

"I load up my RC airplane and head to the open field across the street," Woodall said. "More times than not, I end up needing something from the workshop -- that's how it is with model airplanes. But with the cart handy, it's no big deal. I just jump in, run back to the garage and get whatever I need."

Practicality was also the impetus for Wally Clark, who envisioned buzzing around Clark Construction's job sites to monitor work in progress.

His 2005 Yamaha electric originally was purchased bare-bones, but it since has been "tricked out" with aluminum wheels, brush guards, lift kit, oversize knobby tires, CD player, fold-down rear seat/cargo deck, headlights and, most recently, a winter driving enclosure and heater.

Clark said it has contributed to a change in his lifestyle.

"The cart is tremendous for going to and from the waterfront," he said. "We're using the dock and the boat more than we ever did before."

E.C. Hundley, owner of Everything Carts in Martinsville, said he isn't surprised.

"It's not uncommon for someone to invest in a cart for practical reasons and discover that they look for excuses to drive it. Joy riding on a summer evening becomes a relaxing new pastime. And there's a fascination about a blinged-up cart that seems to make neighbors more neighborly.

"What people seldom realize," Hundley said, "is that most of the fancy carts they see were built as golf course carts. But with today's bolt-on accessories, anybody can get a cart customized the way they want it. A lot of folks really take pride in fixing up their carts," Hundley added.

"It's like having that old car they've always wanted to restore, but instead of spending 30 grand to make it pretty, they can customize their cart for one or two thousand -- and have just as much fun."

It seems to matter little whether the cart is gas or electric.

"There's a perception that only a gas-driven cart can manage the climbs on steep lakefront lots," said Clark. "But my 48-volt electric (vs. the more common 36-volt drive system) will haul four adults up our hill, no problem."

FSI's Simpson said customers often opt for the lower-maintenance, quiet, always-start performance and reduced fuel costs of the electrics, but batteries will eventually need replacing.

"Five hundred and up every five to eight years --you can feed a cart gas and oil for a long time for that, so it really comes down to preference, and, as often as not, which cosmetics catch someone's eye," he said.

Wood-grain dash boards, sport seat covers, driving canvas, propane heating units, billet cup holders and all types of glitzy chrome accessories are among the possibilities.

College-themed rides are even making the cart scene at SML.

"We sell Spirit Golf Carts, the only authorized collegiate golf cart line," said Floyd Merryman, who lives in The Water's Edge and is president of Lynchburg's Sonny Merryman, Inc.

"Besides custom collegiate graphics, Spirit carts come with the seat belts, brake lights, turn signals and horns needed to make them street-legal in some developments. But we advise sticking to cart paths and trails unless you've checked with DMV to confirm the requirements for your area," he said.

"One of these buggies will make a very memorable Christmas for your favorite Hokie, Wahoo, Tar Heel, Buckeye or Nittany Lion fan," Merryman said. "We can do 'em all."