NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – With the arrival of the new year, residents of North Augusta can expect to navigate life under a fresh set of laws.

The River Golf Club, a popular destination for both golfers and golf cart enthusiasts, finds itself at the center of these changes.

For local resident Sam Martin, cruising around in the family golf cart is a beloved pastime.

“When my friends come over, I love taking them for a drive with my parents in tow—it’s a great way to spend time together,” Martin shared.

Following a pair of readings, city council members have officially passed a new ordinance that extends the permissible hours for golf cart driving, allowing residents to enjoy their rides until 11 PM.

“We had a golf cart here, and we ended up taking it to their mom’s house because there was just limited use here for a long time. So, now it’s probably going to end up back here on the river—that way we can use it more in downtown North Augusta,” said Joseph Martin.

The state passed a bill earlier this year that would allow cities to create their own ordinances on golf carts.

For North Augusta, the golf carts need to have the proper safety equipment, and city leaders are also adding restrictions on where you can take them. 

“You’re not going to be on Georgia Avenue, you can’t be on Martintown Road, you can’t be on any state road. But, let’s say you’re on Bunting and you want to go across Martintown Road—you can cross a state road to get to a city road,” said Mayor Briton Williams.

The law also requires kids under 12 years old to wear a seatbelt, which is not a standard feature on most golf carts.

Some city leaders wanted to see stricter seat belt requirements, but the city attorney confirmed that would be out of the city’s power.

That is raising questions for other golf cart owners. 

“It is a safety concern. A lot of times, we’ll see people driving carts with small children that don’t have seatbelts. They’re kind of wedged between two adults, but you never know,” said Daniel Smith.

His wife, Cheryl, agrees.

“I see children with other children (with no adults) zooming down the road, and I think it’s so dangerous,” said Smith. “I also see adults having young children in their laps driving the golf cart. They might have their arms around them, but to me that’s not enough.”

Williams says they will be working with Chief Junior Johnson and North Augusta Public Safety to enforce the law from here on in.

“There’s going to be a lot of education here. We’re going to have public safety folks out at events, educating people about the new rules for the golf carts. So, you’re going to have some people who are driving golf carts and might get a warning,” Williams said.

He says safety is the top priority, but wants this to help improve the quality of life for those who live there.

“The reality is, we’re moving in a world now where more and more communities have people driving golf carts. They want to get on the golf cart. Think about in Hammond Hills, you can get in your golf cart, take your kids down to Riverview Park and take them to the ball fields. It just made sense that we addressed it,” he added.

Violations could result in fines or up to 30 days in jail.

For a full list of the rules, you can find the ordinance by clicking here.