I’m writing a policy for my golf club on the use of motorised golf carts. One of the things we want to do is eliminate excessive disturbance i.e. to not permit any motorised vehicle that is over a certain noise level.

I’m having a hell of a job trying to find any information about acceptable noise levels for petrol vehicles. Anyone know of any resource or information anywhere? I’ve thought of some objective measure like “decibels at a certain distance”, but perhaps a subjective measure is more appropriate e.g. “no louder than” or “the noise level of the operating motor should not drown out a normal conversation “x metres from/immediately next to” the vehicle. Or is it better to be really simple and just say something like “the noise level should be such that it is not distracting to other players” (with maybe a complaints procedure)?

Being a rural club, there’s often a tradition of all sorts of innovative vehicles used around the course by cockies and the like. We don’t want to kill that innovation, we just want to make sure that whatever they want to ride on won’t annoy other golfers on the course.

• compulsorily stopping the motor around the greens and tees or close to other golfers playing their shots
• banning engines that emit an excessive amount of smoke
• prohibited areas around greens.

That’s what I love about Australia, always someone out there looking to regulate our lives.

We are not talking about normal golf carts here. We are talking about things like modified quad bikes and small motorcycles with outriggers … the sort of vehicle a city course wouldn’t even allow, but we have always been prepared to permit. We just want some guidelines that people can follow.

we have these regulations with my other hobby , (motocross), good luck with your endeavour and i hope you have thick skin cause you are gonna need it.

Just ban them and make it easy on yourself.

Just ban them and make it easy on yourself.

“A star that shines twice as bright burns twice as fast.” – In memory of Greg Moore

Racinfarmer will be signing autographs at the mall from 3 to 5.

Dude australians have a right to bear petrol vehicles ; )

Pub,

Do what I do, pratice with a 2 year old, week nights I can be found, carry bag + pram( walker ). 6/10ths of F all can put me off now.

P.S. there is a train line and a main road that runs along my course.

Fair chance you are just going to have to put up with it.

Publish,we all feel for you but while people can talk and yell on a green 20 metres away just as you are going to pull the trigger on a drive with water down the right hand side and OOB on the left it will remain a course you don’t own.And the Exxon Valdese’s of the fairways will keep letting us smell 2 stroke fumes so you know you have to mow the lawn on your next day off.

A lady at a course i used to play had a four wheel quad bike. she had to sell it because of the complaints of how loud it was…....

Publish. I think all you can do is seek opinions from members as to what they believe is too noisy , Sort out the over the top replies. ( some will whinge about anything) & go with what the majority seem prepared to accept . Either that or leave it for someone else to sort out. Less headaches that way.Sorry I can,t be more helpful but dealing with golf club members is always going to lead to arguements no matter what you do. ” you can please some of the people” etc.

Hope this helps,
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/N...

I would suggest that you could also look at what kind of tyres are being used as well, knobbed dirt bike tyres will do a lot of damage to fairways.
cheers peter

I am also looking at other issues, like:
compulsorily stopping the motor around the greens and tees or close to other golfers playing their shots
banning engines that emit an excessive amount of smoke
prohibited areas around greens.”

Perhaps you could consider something like ” Motorised vehicles which are excessively noisy or emit an excessive amount of smoke are not permitted on the course. Members wishing to use petrol driven motorised vehicles should seek approval from the committee and present the vehicle for inspection prior to use on the course.The committee’s decision as to what constitutes excessive noise or emission is what any reasonable person would hold to be unacceptable.No motorised vehicle is permitted within 5 metres of greens or tees and a blue line marks the no go area around greens.Vehicles are not to be driven close to trees or shrubs and drivers should show consideration for other golfers and not drive in a manner which damages the course..”