More and more golfers in recent years are choosing to buy their own golf cart instead of just renting them when they play. Many feel that owning their own cart is actually cheaper in the long run.

And for some, there are clear advantages to owning their own golf cart. For instance, if you like to play golf a lot, perhaps five times a week, and your golf course charges you $15 for a cart rental, you are spending nearly $75 a week just on golf cart rentals. If you buy a used golf cart instead for $3500 - $4000, it would pay for itself in only about one year's time. And considering that golf carts can easily last 10 years or more, you should be able to recover the cost of your cart many times over in saved golf cart rental fees.

For those who live in retirement communities, a golf cart can be put to even more uses than just those on a golf course too, such as making small, short trips around the retirement community where the use of a car would not be practical. Obviously then, there can be good reasons for owning your own golf cart. And if you want to save the most money, buying a used golf cart can make a lot of financial sense.

So if you have decided that buying a used golf cart will work well for your needs, where do you go to get one? Well, if you're not very familiar with golf cart construction and maintenance you should probably consider first visiting some of the golf cart dealers that are in your local area. Usually they will have a nice selection of not only new golf carts, but also used ones as well.

But don't just buy a golf cart from any old dealer. It's a good idea to make sure that the dealer is both reliable and trustworthy before you buy. In view of this, find out how long the dealer has been in business. Get to know their operation better by visiting their service department to see how many technicians they have on staff to be able to handle golf cart repairs. Visit the parts department as well to see if they have a good selection of parts on hand for quick installation. You may even want to find out if they offer on-site service for golf cart repairs too, as this can save you the trouble of having to transport the cart to the dealer for repairs in some cases.

Perhaps the best information can be gleaned from asking your friends and family who may have owned golf carts in the past about their recommendations regarding local golf cart dealers. Very often you can quickly get a good picture of those who make customer satisfaction an important part of their business, and those who don't.

On the other hand, if you are somewhat familiar with golf carts and their maintenance schedules, you can probably save the most money and get the best deal by finding a local individual party who has a used golf cart for sale. Of course, you'll want to test drive the cart thoroughly under conditions that are similar to those that match the way that you will be using your golf cart. You may even want to get the opinion of a trusted golf cart mechanic before you make your final decision.

Buying a used golf cart need not be a difficult task at all if you follow the tips and suggestions that are given above in this article. Hopefully, they will help you find the golf cart that will fit both your budget and your needs.