Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Save Money on 2013 Charleston Tee Times

I am pleased to announce that the 2013 Charleston Tee Times Golf Passbook is now on sale. I posted this announcement last year with respect to the 2012 golf season. For those unfamiliar with this passbook, it is a really great deal for Charleston golfers as well as those that visit the low country. What is this deal? Simple, it is a golf passbook or coupon book that gets you a one-time play at nineteen different courses in the Charleston area. (The area consisting of select courses within Charleston, Summerville, Mount Pleasant, Kiawah, and Seabrook). The passbook runs $169 (not including shipping and handling). The only additional fee you will need to pay is for cart fees which run anywhere from $20 - $50 depending upon where you play. The ocean course on Kiawah will charge a $100 additional fee for caddy services (gratuity not included). All in all, the golf passbook is a great way to save money and even more valuable to those travelers staying on Kiawah or Seabrook and want to play the immediate resort courses in the area without paying a fortune. That’s right, you can play all five Kiawah courses and two Seabrook Courses using the vouchers in this book. The only negative attribute to this golf passbook is that the golf tee times passbook vouchers are not transferrable to another individual, so if you do not use up all your vouchers, you cannot “lend” the unused one to a friend that may plan on going to Charleston area. Each passbook is designated with your name; and the clubhouse attendant will make sure you present identification when presenting voucher to cover green fees. Also, when playing the Kiawah resort courses, the passbook vouchers are only valid when playing after 11:00 am, so early morning play is ruled out.


I would recommend this purchase for those that live in the immediate area and even those that plan on getting in at least three tee times during their time in the Charleston area. (I figured it takes at least three plays to get your money’s worth with this passbook. This 2013 Charleston Tee Times golf book is also a great gift for the upcoming holidays.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Tips for Purchasing a Beach Cart

A beach cart or beach stroller is definitely one of the most useful items to have for those that live near or frequently visit sand and surf. For those that make the back and forth trek from the car or condo to the beach carrying chairs, umbrellas, beach toys, and water gear, you know this is quite exhausting; especially on a hot and humid day. Every time I have visited the Kiawah area, I have had the luck of renting a villa that included a beach cart to tote the family water and sand gear. I would have probably made fewer trips to the beach without this useful cart. . Beach carts simplify the transport process by carrying all these items down to the sand in one simple trip whether traversing sand, gravel, dirt or low standing water.
Shopping for a beach cart can be overwhelming if you are not sure exactly what you are looking for. There are numerous makes and models of beach carts with prices ranging from around $40 upwards to $600 for a giant loader. Before heading off to the store or shopping online, first assess what your beach carts needs are, and then go from there. Are your needs just a simple chair or two and a few towels? Are are you looking to transport lots of sand and surf toys along with a giant cooler for the day? Also consider the cart sizes and how well you can manage storing it. Keep the following criteria in mind when shopping for a beach cart: Size, tires, weight, storage capacity, durability, and of course, price. The two main types of beach carts are the utility carts and the folding cart.
Beach Utility Cart 
Let’s discuss the beach utility cart first. This cart is heavy duty in design and typically has large pneumatic tires, though there are other options for those that fear tire puncture when rolling over sharp objects at the beach. Most of these carts contain large buckets to hold an enormous amount of gear with generally a weight capacity between 100 and 400 pounds (some even heavier).This cart not only comfortably carries umbrellas, chairs, and toys, but usually has enough room to also tote the large cooler and ice. These carts are highly recommended for the frequent beach visitor or for one that lives within a short distance of the water and has room in the garage or crawl space to store this larger cart. This cart also doubles as a garden or yard cart due to its enormous capacity and large tires. Makes and models of Beach Utility carts include the Beach Buggy Cart and Gorilla carts series.  When shopping for these carts. You may need to search these by title of “garden carts” or “fishing carts”. These carts generally start at about $150 and go up. Some commonly sold beach utility carts include the Beach Buggy Cart and the Gorilla cart models.
Folding Beach Cart
If your preference is portable, and a less bulky beach tote, I would recommend a folding beach cart. The design of these carts is usually a lightweight aluminum frame that collapses or folds thin for easy storage in trunk or crawlspace. Some models will even fold into a table! Depending upon make and model, these carts typically have pneumatic tires, though some may be plastic. Tire features also include being removable for easier storage. Generally these carts are recommended for most beach travelers. Do not be fooled that these carts are weak due to being smaller size than utility carts. Folding carts can be very durable with the right frame and tires, though the mesh containment may wear quickly after numerous trips to the beach with sharp objects. These smaller sized carts still have the potential to lug three to four chairs, an umbrella and a few toys and towels. The containment of cargo is usually a strap and mesh bag. Frequent beach visitors may realize wear and tear with these carts and consider stronger baggage capacity or opt for the beach utility cart. Typical folding beach carts include the Rio Beach Wonder Wheeler cart series. Like all other products read the product reviews on Amazon and other sites to get comfortable before purchasing your desired make and model.