AUGUSTA, Ga. - First-quarter orders for Precedent surpassed the Club Car's initial expectations and were the leading contributor to a 25 percent overall increase in orders for all vehicles, according to the company.
"We were confident customers would be excited about the enhanced benefits that are incorporated into the new design, but we didn't anticipate how quickly their excitement would translate into orders," said president and c.e.o. Phil Tralies.
Precedent, which was in development for five years prior to its launch at January’s PGA Show, is bringing excitement into the dealer and distribution channel, according to Tom Bauerle, president, Colorado Golf & Turf, a golf car distributor in the western U.S.
“For years people have said a golf car was a golf car, but they can’t say that about this car," Bauerle said. "It’s so different – visually and technically – that we have people calling us who want to be the first course in their area to get the car.”
David Hamilton, v.p. of sales, golf Americas, said another factor in Precedent’s success could be golf’s improving participation levels. The first-quarter National Golf Foundation/Golf 20/20 rounds played report was released on April 20 and showed a 5.3 percent increase versus the same period a year ago.
“There’s a growing sense of optimism throughout the industry, and that’s giving some owners and operators the confidence they lacked in the last couple of years to make capital investments,” he said.
The company said it would continue to produce the DS series golf car with the IQ System powertrain as long as customer demand continued to create a market for the vehicle. With the DS model, the two Precedent models – Professional and Champion – give Club Car a wide range of options for customers. The Precedent Champion options include aluminum wheels, custom club logos and name badges, tinted windshields and soft-grip steering wheels. Both models are available in electric- and gasoline-powered models.