A golf cart may be one of the most versatile vehicles out there. In addition to their principal application on the golf course, they are frequently used by home owners with large properties, Hunting and Outdoor Enthusiasts, or on neighborhood paths and streets as an alternative, and convenient mode of transport. However, fun and useful as a golf cart may be, they’re not as widely owned as cars, trucks or motorcycles. For this reason, it can be hard to research and shop for golf cart tires when they come due for replacement.
Fortunately for you, you won’t need to search high and low for a specialty shop to find some information on golf cart tires. You can simply read this article and feel much better about your golf cart tire knowledge.
New vs. Used Golf Cart Tires
As with all tires, it’s best to buy your golf cart tires new. Some may think that since you’re not putting a lot of wear and tear on tires it may not be as crucial to buy new ones, but that’s not the case. For the best value, performance and longevity of your tires always buy them new. Sure buying used may save you a few bucks up front, but buying them new will ultimately save you more over the long run.
What type of Golf Cart tire is right for me?
One of the more difficult parts of buying golf cart tires for the first time is determining what kind of tire tread you need. There are three types of tire treads when it comes to golf carts; turf/street, off road/knobby and all-terrain. Some all-terrain and knobby tires may also be directional tires. This means those tires need to be installed facing a specific direction due to how the tread pattern is designed. There are dozens of reputable brands and dozens of styles for each type of tire. Some of the better known golf cart tire brands are Carlisle Tires, Nanco Tires, WDT, and Greenball Tires.
A. Turf & Street Golf Cart Tires
The first, and most common, type of tire tread is turf/street. These are most likely what’s on your golf cart right now provided you haven’t made any changes to it. These tires were designed not to tear up the fairways and sensitive turf as you drive from hole to hole on the golf course and are what’s best if you just want a smooth ride through your neighborhood. If you just use your golf cart to drive around your neighborhood or get you through your 18 holes then turf/street golf cart tires are recommended.
B. Knobby Off-road Golf Cart Tires
The next type of tread pattern is off road/knobby. These are the tires you would use if you find yourself traversing heavily wooded areas or if you drive through mud and sand. This type of tire tread is very similar to what you would find on an ATV or a quad. Off road/knobby tires are recommended almost exclusively for outdoorsmen and would make for an uncomfortable and bumpy ride if you were to use them on the street. Tread-life would also be a problem as the rubber is not optimized for exclusive use on pavement. These tires are a good option if the cart is used most of the time in general utility application on farms or rural property as an alternative to an ATV or UTV.
C. All-terrain Golf Cart Tires
Third we have the all-terrain tire tread. These are considered the best of both worlds. They have a much smoother, shallower tread that you would find on off-road tires, though a much more aggressive tread compared to what likely came originally on the cart for the golf course. So if you find yourself in a situation where you travel off-road as well as on the street then these tires may be best for you! However, since the tread is much more aggressive than turf tires, these are not recommended, nor would they be allowed, for golf course usage.
So now that you’ve decided what type of tires you want to get, you need to figure out where to get them. Tires-easy.com has a great selection of both off road and turf tires for your golf cart. So whether you use your cart to finish off the back nine or traverse some of mother natures tougher stretches, you’ll find your needs covered.
