What Golf Cart Should You Buy for Tennessee National?

In a golf cart community, the cart is not a golf accessory. It is the second car. It takes you to the first tee, down to the marina and over to a neighbor's porch.

Tennessee National is a private, gated lake and golf community on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee. If you plan to own here, a cart will likely be on your shopping list. This guide covers the choices that matter.

What kind of golf cart works best at Tennessee National?

For most households, a four-seat electric cart with lights and a windshield. Start with how you will use it, not with what is on the showroom floor.

• Golf days. Home to the course and back. Two seats and a bag rack cover it. Ask the club whether you may play the course in your own cart, and on what terms. That is a club decision.
• Marina runs. Coolers, life jackets, towels, a dog. A rear seat that flips into a cargo deck earns its keep.
• Guests. Four seats means one trip, not two, when family visits.
• Evenings. Dinner at the clubhouse or a night of live music can mean a ride home after dark. Headlights, tail lights and a windshield matter more than you expect.

Tennessee National covers 1,492 gated acres. Think about your real routes: home to the clubhouse, home to the marina, home to the courts. Ask about the hills on those routes when you visit. Terrain is part of the next decision.

Should you buy a gas or an electric golf cart?

Electric, for most people. Here is the plain comparison.

Short trips, overnight parking at home and quiet streets all favor electric. Gas makes sense if you run long loops or carry heavy loads.

Before you choose, ask whether the community has a rule on gas carts. Some communities do.

Should you choose lead-acid or lithium batteries?

Lithium if you plan to keep the cart, lead-acid if you want the lowest price today.

• Lead-acid is the traditional setup. It costs less up front. It needs water checks, it is heavy and it wears out sooner. It also loses some range in cold weather.
• Lithium costs more up front. It charges faster, weighs much less, needs no watering and generally lasts longer.

Ask the dealer for the battery warranty in writing. Compare the cost over the years you expect to own the cart, not only the sticker.

Should you buy new or used?

Either can be right. New carts come with a warranty and current features. Used and refurbished carts can be good value if you check the right things.

• Battery age. Ask for the date code and for proof. A used electric cart with tired batteries is not a bargain.
• Frame and suspension. Look for rust and worn bushings.
• Tires and brakes. Cheap to fix, and a clue to how the cart was treated.
• Service history. A dealer who can show it is worth paying for.
• Local service. Ask which dealers serve Loudon County and the Knoxville area. A cart that needs a long tow for every repair gets old fast.

Do you need a street-legal golf cart?

Only if you plan to drive on public roads. A low-speed vehicle, or LSV, is built with road equipment such as headlights, turn signals, mirrors, seat belts and a windshield, and it can be titled and registered for certain public roads. A standard golf cart usually is not.

The rules for public roads come from the state and from local governments, and they are not the same everywhere. Do not take a salesperson's word for it.

• Ask the county clerk about titles and registration.
• Ask your insurance agent how a cart is covered, on the road and off it.
• Ask the community what it requires inside the gates.

What should you ask before you order?

Five questions save most of the regret.

1. What are the current cart rules? Ask the Tennessee National team about equipment, lighting, who may drive and where carts may go. Rules change, and the community is the source.
2. Can you use your own cart on the golf course? Ask the club. Do not assume.
3. Where will it charge? A garage outlet handles most carts. Homes at Tennessee National are custom built and go through design review, so plan the cart bay and the outlet early. See designing a home for golf cart living.
4. Where will you park at the other end? Look at the clubhouse, the marina and the golf course when you visit, and ask where carts park.
5. Will one cart be enough? Two people headed in two directions is the usual reason a household ends up with a second one.

For how a cart fits into an ordinary day, see golf cart living at Tennessee National.

What drives the cost of a golf cart?

Four things: new or used, battery type, seats and accessories. Lithium, extra seats, lights, a windshield, an enclosure and custom wheels all add to the price. So does a street-legal build.

We do not quote cart prices here. Dealers set them, and they change. Get written quotes from two or three dealers and compare the same setup. Then add what people forget: a charger, insurance and a place to park it.

Homesite and home pricing at Tennessee National is a separate matter. It is in the info pack.

The honest trade-off

A cart is one more vehicle. It needs a parking spot, a charger or fuel, insurance and upkeep. Batteries are a real replacement cost down the road. A car reaches the same places, so you can wait until the house is built to decide.

But the point of a golf cart community is the short, slow trip. Cart to the course, cart to the marina, cart to dinner, and no car keys. Look at the routes you would drive when you visit. The right cart is easier to pick once you have seen them.

Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.