Yamaha Golf-Car

Corporate Headquarters: Kennesaw, Georgia

Website: http://www.yamahagolfcar.com

Category: Turf & Course Suppliers

LEADERSHIP

Mike Chrzanowski, President and CEO, Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC)

Doug Griffin, Chief Operating Officer

Stephen Donnell, President

Kevin Norcross, Division Manager Marketing & National Accounts

Based in Georgia since 1988, The Yamaha Golf-Car Company manufactures golf cars, along with utility and specialty vehicles.

Yamaha is prolific within golf and has been a noteworthy innovator in the golf car space over the years, as the first company to develop electronic fuel injection technology (thereby improving gas mileage and leaving a small carbon footprint); the first to feature a fully independent four-wheel suspension (for a smoother ride); and the first to introduce a gas-powered car that’s almost as quiet as an electric car.

(Photo courtesy: Yamaha)

Yamaha Golf Car is a segment of Yamaha Motors, which is known for its expertise with musical instruments and motorcycles, as well as for developing machines that range from ATVs and WaveRunners, to unmanned helicopters and industrial robots.

When it comes to golf, Yamaha remains a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, both gas and electric. The company produces a range of different vehicles for almost every possible need at a golf course – for players, course marshals, food and beverage carts, range pickers, and concierge and maintenance vehicles.

Yamaha is firmly among the top three golf cart companies that dominate the golf industry. While golf facilities remain the largest consumer for golf cars, their use extends beyond the course – to hotels, airports, and other industries.

Yamaha introduced its first golf car in 1975, a compact and lightweight model that was the bedrock for offerings to come. Ten years later, Yamaha rolled out its G-3 Sun Classic model, which was designated as the original “Neighborhood Vehicle,” and came standard with deluxe bucket seats, headlights and taillights, turn signals, a tempered glass windshield, a locking glove box, and a large front storage compartment.

Other advances over the years included the first 48-volt electric golf car in 1996; the first production line-built, 4-passenger vehicle in 2000; and electronic fuel injection in 2012. In addition, Yamaha introduced YamaTrack – a comprehensive cloud-based GPS solution that allowed facilities to manage entire fleet operations remotely – in 2015. The following year, the company unveiled the Drive2 QuieTech EFI, a gas golf car that’s almost as quiet as an electric, but also provides the profitability and performance of a gas car.

The Yamaha Drive2 QuieTech was awarded the 2021 Editors’ Choice Award for Best Gas Golf Car by Golf Digest. The honor marks the fourth time in the program’s six-year history that it has taken the top honor in its class.

“We are honored that Golf Digest has recognized the Drive² QuieTech® once again as the best gas golf car in the industry. Our QuieTech® car is almost as quiet as an electric, and the comfort of four-wheel, independent suspension makes it stand out from our competitors,” said Yamaha Golf-Car company president Tom McDonald. “This golf car allows for significant fleet operation savings for owners and is yet another testament to the quality and performance of the machines that Yamaha creates.”

In 2022, Yamaha debuted the Drive 2 PowerTech Li with IRS at the PGA Show in Orlando. The Drive 2 PowerTech Li features a lithium battery making Yamaha the only brand in the industry to offer lithium with an IRS option and further solidifying the brand’s image as an industry innovator.

More than 2,000 golf courses have added Yamaha carts to their fleet in the past decade. (Photo courtesy: Yamaha)