When the going gets rough, the cart stops going

IN THREE years it will host the Ryder Cup and be exposed to the gaze of the world.

Now Gleneagles is taking pre-emptive action to protect its top course from the actions of errant amateur golfers in the run-up to the major sporting event.

The Perthshire resort has unveiled a new range of satellite-controlled golf carts whose engines automatically cut out if players attempt to drive on to soggy fairways.

Players are instructed before teeing off not to take the carts over the pristine surfaces when wet, as they tend to gouge muddy tracks in the grass, which remain for long periods.

Now the carts will be programmed to come to a shuddering halt if they attempt to leave the concrete cart paths near restricted areas on the PGA Centenary Course, where the Ryder Cup between Europe and America will be held.

Russell Smith, the head professional at Gleneagles said: “When the course is extremely wet and we have to restrict the golf carts to the cart path to avoid damaging the course, we can now program them so they will automatically stop if a player tries to go on.”

Neil Tappin, of Golf Monthly magazine, said: “I think it is a rather good idea. Every golf course which has golf carts has had incidents of players going into the wrong area or backing into bunkers and this could keep them under control.

“Golf clubs do like you to stick to the cart path, but some players will ignore the rules and now they won’t be able to.”

There is an upside, however, for golfers willing to pay green fees of up to £155, plus £45 for a cart. The new carts have interactive screens which display menus, allowing guests to order food and drink from the clubhouse so that they can be waiting for the golfers when they step off the course.

And instead of scores having to be noted with pencil on a small card, they can now be stored on the cart’s screen and e-mailed to the players at the end of the round.

As Smith explained: “These new carts offer players of all abilities added benefits when going round the PGA Centenary Course, from the GPS application to information on the distance from tee to green.

“Importantly, there are some safety applications which allow us to track where the cart is at all times and to quickly pass on messages to our players about changing weather conditions or course closures.”