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Golf
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Efficient, fun addition to campus fleet
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Golf carts — not just for the links anymore
They’re used for delivering the mail, transporting workers and making administrative rounds. And it’s rare that you’ll find one on campus hauling clubs.
They are, of course, golf carts. The two-person, electric-powered vehicles have become a big part of campus life in recent years. There will always be a need for trucks. But in some cases golf carts offer a convenient, economical alternative.
Facilities Services began using seven carts in December 1996. Since then the fleet has grown to 20.
Doug Lange, director of Facilities Services, ticks off a list of reasons why golf carts, in some cases, are preferable to trucks.
- A used golf cart, he says, costs around $1,200 and is covered under general liability insurance, which means insurance costs are minimal. The price tag for a new truck, meanwhile, is $20,000.
- Those driving a cart never have to look for a parking space. Although drivers have to be aware ofpedestrians, the carts offer easy access to all areas of campus.
- Golf carts are environmentally friendly.
"Most of the time we do not carry heavy tools with us," says Lange. "Using carts allows us to get around much less expensively. We’re fortunate in that we have a closed campus. If we had an open campus with city streets, golf cart use would be more difficult."
He says Facilities Services has not conducted a study to determine how much money it has saved by using golf carts.
"In the past few years we’ve eliminated 10 vehicles," says Lange. "That’s all in light of a growing campus."
Because carts offer easy access to all areas of campus
they are perfect for delivering the campus mail, says Linda Morgan.