No Car? No Problem: Inside America’s Largest Golf Cart Community That’s Taken Hollywood by Storm

by EV Atlanta

Many people work their whole lives so that they can ditch their daily commute in a car for a more leisurely life tooling around rolling green hills in a golf cart.

And now, there’s no need to wait for retirement to make this dream a reality: There’s a town with a sweet name where living car-free is not only an option, but also the norm: Peachtree City, GA.

Located just 30 miles outside of Atlanta, Peachtree City (or PTC as the locals call it) is an award-winning master-planned community that’s now the largest, most golf cart-friendly municipality in the country.

Chartered 65 years ago in 1959, it boasts five verdant golf courses (which are best traversed by golf cart, of course). But since then, this easy mode of transportation has spilled beyond the greens to become the main way everyone gets around—including people who’ve never picked up a bag of clubs.

By last count, 11,000 registered golf carts owned by the city’s 38,244 residents meander over 100 miles of paved paths. While you can own a car, you certainly don’t have to; many are more than happy to leave their automobiles behind.

The rise of car-free and golf cart communities

While golf cart-friendly towns abound in the United States, most cater to retirees and seniors. PTC is one of the only U.S. cities that promotes golf cart living for all ages—and plenty of younger people are flocking to the area.

“We love the family atmosphere and, of course, the golf cart paths,” says Chelsea Thompson, a social media creator who has lived in the area for 17 years and built her dream home there.

In fact, many local high school students get to and from class in golf carts, and there’s even a “golf cart parking lot” at the high schools, according to Johanna Styne Sullivan, a real estate advisor with Engel & Volkers Atlanta.

The biggest advantages of golf carts over cars are their added safety, and being able to avoid vehicle traffic, according to Runyon. Peachtree City is even called “The Bubble” because the city is its unique little world that’s safe and sheltered.