Club Car
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
Key people | Craig Scanlon (President & CEO) |
| Products | Golf carts, small utility vehicles |
| Parent | Platinum Equity |
| Website | clubcar |
Club Car is an American manufacturer of electric and gas-powered golf carts and small utility vehicles for personal and commercial use. Founded in 1958, the company is headquartered in Evans, Georgia and is one of the largest employers in Columbia County.[1]
The company was acquired by Platinum Equity in 2021,[2] following its tenure as a business unit in Ingersoll Rand corporation's Industrial Technologies division.[3]
History
[edit]Club Car was originally founded in 1958 in Houston, Texas, under the name Landreath Machine. In 1962, the company was purchased by entrepreneur Bill Stevens Jr., who relocated the business to Augusta, Georgia, and renamed it Club Car. The company has maintained its global headquarters in Augusta since that time.
In 1978, a group of eight former EZGO executives acquired Club Car, positioning the company as a local competitor in the golf cart manufacturing industry. Among the new leadership was William Dolan, a co-founder of EZGO.[4]
Club Car was acquired by Ingersoll Rand in 1995 and became part of its Infrastructure division. Club Car was later merged with Bobcat to form a Compact Vehicles Technology division that expanded the company's offerings into utility and commercial vehicles in addition to golf cars.[3] In 2017, Ingersoll Rand purchased GPS Industries which provided fleet management system for Club Car since 2009.[5]
In 2021, Platinum Equity acquired Club Car from Ingersoll Rand in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.68 billion.[2]
Nearly a year later, Club Car announced and subsequently completed the acquisition of Garia, a Danish low-speed electric vehicle manufacturer, which included its subsidiary Melex from Poland—marking the company’s first acquisition under Platinum Equity.[6][7] The deal extended the company's reach into street-legal Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and lightweight utility vehicles.
Over the years, Club Car expanded its operations footprint globally to accommodate growth and demand for vehicles around the world. In addition to the global corporate headquarters, the company operates two other Georgia based facilities - a distribution center and a production facility.[8][9] The company also operates facilities in Mielec, Poland[10] and JiaXing, China.[11]
In June 2025, Craig Scanlon was named President and CEO of Club Car.[12]
Products
[edit]Club Car produces vehicles for personal use, business and commercial applications, and golf operations.
Personal Utility Vehicles (UTVs)
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Beginning in 2008 and 2009, Club Car entered into the utility vehicles (UTV) market with its XRT line of personal utility vehicles. These ranged from the XRT800 4x2 UTV to XRT1550 4x4 UTV with the ability to add work attachments to the vehicle. Club Car also offers street-legal golf carts with automotive features such as seat belts, turn signals, windshields, and more. These vehicles, UTVs and LSVs, were also manufactured and branded for other companies making Club Car the OEM. The utility line was expanded two years later to include more vehicle options.[13]
| 4x2 | 4x4 | LSV |
|---|---|---|
| XRT 800 | XRT 1550 | Villager 2 |
| XRT 850 | XRT 1550 SE | Villager 2+2 |
| XRT 1550 with IntelliTach | Villager 2+2 LX |
Commercial Utility Vehicles (UTVs)
[edit].jpg)
Club Car first began offering UTVs for golf courses by modifying golf carts with holding boxes and other accessories for increased application. They created vehicles targeted at business applications in 1985 with its Carryall II aimed at manufacturing facilities, college campuses, and providing a turf utility vehicle for golf course operations. It became the Carryall series as the company continued producing more vehicle options.
In 2014, the company re-launched its line of commercial utility vehicles with a reintroduction of the Carryall series boasting improved efficiency, a new line of accessories. Two new types of vehicles were developed and launched in 2009 and 2010: street-legal low-speed vehicles (LSV) and vehicles designed for transporting multiple people at resorts, venues, and campuses.[14]
| 4x2 UTV | 4x4 UTV | LSV | Transportation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carryall 100 | Carryall 1500 | Carryall 510 | Transporter |
| Carryall 300 | Carryall 1500 with IntelliTach | Carryall 710 | Villager 4 |
| Carryall 500 | Carryall 1700 | Villager 6 | |
| Carryall 550 | Villager 8 | ||
| Carryall 700 |
Golf Carts
[edit]
Club Car’s first product was a three-wheeled golf carts introduced in 1958. The company has continued making carts since.
The company is regarded as an industry leader involved in many innovations, including producing one of the first street-legal golf carts.[15] It enjoyed newfound success with its DS line of golf cart beginning in 1980. The cart, named after designer Dom Saporito, became the company's hallmark until 2004, when the Precedent line of carts were introduced.[15] The company revealed its next version, the Precedent i2, to critical acclaim, and again in 2008 in an all-new drive system.[16]
The company's partnership with GPSI in 2008 produced the world's first connected golf cart [15] in the Precedent i3, featuring one system to connect an entire golf fleet to the clubhouse and providing new options like score tracking to the golfer. The Precedent i2, i3, and 4Fun are sold to and used by golf courses, while the i2 is also available for personal use.
In 2017, the company launched the first of its Onward series of personal transportation vehicles, introducing the ability to customize a vehicle's accessories, color, and more online for the first time. A 2-passenger, 4 passenger, and 4 passenger lifted vehicle were featured in the initial launch, with a 6-passenger and lithium-ion option added later.[17]
| Personal Use | Golf Course Use |
|---|---|
| Onward | Precedent i2 |
| Villager PTV | Precedent i3 |
| Precedent i2 | Precedent 4Fun |
References
[edit]- ^ Editor, Business (3 March 2001). "Car marks company's success". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
{{cite news}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ a b "Ingersoll Rand Completes Sale of Club Car to Platinum Equity". Platinumequity.com.
- ^ a b Editor, Business (26 October 2005). "Ingersoll-Rand, Club Car mark 10-year journey". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
{{cite news}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ "Local golf companies wage war". The Augusta Chronicle. 8 November 1996. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ Crittenden, Jack (22 November 2017). "Club Car parent buys GPSi, maker of Visage". Golf Inc.
- ^ "Club Car to Acquire Danish Electric Vehicle Manufacturer Garia". Club Car. 8 April 2022.
- ^ Lawrence, Ian (27 June 2022). "Garia, Luxury Golf Car Maker, Acquired by Club Car". 19th Hole Mag.
- ^ Smith, Tori (18 April 2024). "Club Car celebrates a new facility in Appling; Gov. Brian Kemp in attendance". Fox54 News.
- ^ Vickers, Kim (18 April 2024). "Club Car celebrates new manufacturing facility in Appling". Yahoo! Finance.
- ^ "Club Car opens second factory in Poland to cope with increased demand". Golf Business News. 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Club Car Jiaxing factory opens".
- ^ Hotchkiss, Joe (9 June 2025). "Joining the Club: Augusta golf cart manufacturer taps an industry veteran as its new CEO".
- ^ "Club Car Expands XRT Line". EBSCOhost. Retrieved 19 January 2017.[dead link]
- ^ Cooney, Lucas (8 January 2014). "Club Car Unveils New Line of Carryall Utility Vehicles". ATV.com. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Rausch, Tim (6 July 2008). "Electric vehicle company eyes global market". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ "Club Car introduces Precedent i2 with Excel". Golf Business News. 3 March 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Club Car® Introduces New Onward™ Personal Transportation Vehicle (PTV)". Club Car. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
External links
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