Electric Scooters
Electric Scooters
Greetings Golfers,
Everyone I know is freaking out about these new electric scooters and bikes. They’re everywhere!
Why the freakout? Here’s the AI Overview:
Electric scooters and bikes create serious safety and infrastructure problems, including surging severe injuries, poor road stability, and sidewalk clutter.
Surging Hospitalizations
High Speeds and Severe Trauma
Lack of Stability
Young and Unprotected Riders
Sidewalk and Road Dilemma
Low Visibility and Sound
That nails it.
I’m sure they’re fun … and if I were a kid, I’d want one.
But … that’s the issue. Kids. They’re not grownups. They can’t see the danger. The concept of Risk/Reward is not their strong-suit.
Do they think cart paths on a golf course are made for them? Of course!
Is it dangerous driving a scooter into people hitting golf shots. Naw … what could go wrong?
So, now we have to start fencing off places where they come on the course.
Of course, this will make other people angry. Like the people who think they should stroll down our cart paths as if they’re city owned walking paths.
We even get moms pushing baby-strollers.
There are so many negatives that I can’t believe it’s a problem with adults. I can understand the naivety of kids thinking it’s safe to use our cart paths.
But adults … really?
The lack of respect is always shocking. I shouldn’t be shocked … but I always am.
I don’t know what happened this year … but something must be in the water. Kids sneak on at night and hit shots off the greens. Some parents had a glow-ball tournament one night - not much damage then! Obviously I’m kidding.
But it’s not funny. Our maintenance staff is amazing and they work incredibly hard. It’s outrageous that people see nothing wrong with abusing the golf course.
And people like to sneak on at night. They might not be “abusing” the golf course … but they’re abusing the golf course operation. The lack of respect is shocking.
Adults are supposed to be grownups. Not old kids who never grew up.
I had a run-in the other night after an event. Some guys wanted to go back and play after the event was over. I told them it was over and that the high school kids who clean the carts needed to go home.
Though they went in and returned their cart … one guy was mad and started arguing with me. He said that I was a “Legendary Asshole”. I replied that if I wasn’t, the place wouldn’t be what it is. That hit home. He actually apologized and shook my hand and went home.
Hmmmmmm.
Kids need an adult to be a grownup. Even 40 year-old kids like this guy.
This applies to the kids riding electric scooters and bikes. Not just the people abusing our golf course.
The answer to the problem isn’t very complicated:
Adults need to grow up.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com