RINCON — All golfers are guaranteed to dramatically improve their driving soon at Lost Plantation Golf Club.
During its Sept. 23 meeting, the Rincon City Council voted to lease 50 new electric golf carts. The club only has 35 functioning carts in its aging fleet, forcing it to occasionally turn prospective golfers away.
The four-year agreement with Club Car is the latest effort to upgrade the city-owned club.
“... Our efforts over the last three or four months have been in three or four areas,” City Manager John Klimm said. “Obviously, we were all aware that the building — the clubhouse itself — was in disrepair and there has been extensive renovations, painting and a lot done at the clubhouse. The second is that, in accordance with the recommendations of the National Golf Foundation, a cost center that needed attention was the operations of the restaurant, and we have put a plan together and will be opening a new restaurant very shortly, which will think will meet the expectations or recommendations of the National Golf Foundation as a profit center for the golf operation.
“Thirdly, we were painfully aware of the condition of our golf cart fleet.”
The City of Rincon owns the current carts at Lost Plantation. Most are nearly eight years old, putting them well past their life expectancy.
“More and more golf courses are going toward the lease option as the most economical and affordable option,” Klimm said, “after conversations and discussions with the council, we were authorized to put the golf cart fleet up to bid.”
Club Car, EZ Go and Yamaha offered bids. Yamaha came in the lowest at $43 per cart per month. Club Car and EZ Go came in at $48.09 and $61.95.
City staff recommended that the council accept the Club Car offer after it offered to drop the length of the arrangement from 54 to 48 months. Reducing the length of the obligation caused a slight increase to $48.45 per cart.
“That aligned the length of the lease with the warranty on the (cart) battery,” Klimm said.
Klimm said it will take six to eight weeks to receive the carts.
“We think replacing the fleet makes sense and this is a good, solid proposal,” Klimm said.
