Another way to get around Hilton Head: Rental business adds street-legal golf carts
When tourist season kicks into high gear, drivers on Hilton Head’s south end may be more likely to find themselves sharing the road with golf carts.
Wheelz of Hilton Head, which opened as a bike rental shop at 1 Executive Park Road, off Pope Avenue, in September, now has four-seat and six-seat golf carts available for rent.
The bright red Club Car golf carts are street-legal in areas where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. That means you won’t see them on U.S. 278, though they are permitted to cross the highway at intersections.
Natalie Ellis, who handles marketing and communications for Wheelz, said those with elderly or physically impaired family members who are not able to ride a bike are a typical golf cart renter.
Bikes and golf carts give people the opportunity to see the island in a different way, she explained.
“We wanted to give those tourists the same type of experience (as bike riders), to be outside, to not have to be in a vehicle once they get here,” she said.
Visitors with dogs also may find a golf cart a convenient way to get around.
Street-legal golf carts are more often associated with Daufuskie Island, where they are the primary mode of transportation; Old Town Bluffton; and the Sun City area than they are with Hilton Head.
Bicycle business
Wheelz currently has 500 bicycles — tandems, trikes, beach cruisers and step-through models among them — and plans to add another 1,500 this spring, Ellis said.
Customers also can add a child carrier or cargo trailer to their bike rental.
Hilton Head earned a gold designation as the most “Bicycle Friendly Community” in South Carolina from the League of American Bicyclists. The Washington, D.C.,-based organization makes note of the island’s system of bike paths and promotion of cycling.
A 2015 survey conducted by the University of South Carolina Beaufort Resort Tourism Institute and cited in previous Island Packet reports found that almost 50 percent of vacationers on Hilton Head rented a bike during their stay.
Ellis said the response has been positive since the business’ addition of golf carts.
“We have a lot a phone calls coming in for April for spring break,” she said.
Wheelz’s rules are taken from South Carolina law and local ordinances:
- Renters must be 18 or older and have a valid driver’s license.
- They have to stay within a 4-mile radius of the business.
- Carts cannot be driven after dark, on the beach or on bike paths. They also are not allowed in plantations.
Reservations may not be needed in the off season, but Ellis said it would be best to book your golf cart or bikes at the time you book lodging.
“Once we hit season, I would definitely recommend, for any rental, to rent before your vacation.”
For more information about Wheelz of Hilton Head, call 843-842-4445 or email info@rentwheelz.com.
