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28 March 2024

Mini, but mighty on the greens

Published
By Reena Amos Dyes

 


There is something about a Hummer. You might love it or hate it, but you certainly cannot ignore the huge, intimidating off-roader. And given the fact almost every other car on the roads of Dubai is a four-wheel drive, that is quite a feat.

Now golf enthusiasts around the world have a chance to make heads turn and their presence felt, even on the greens, with a Hummer golf cart. Talking to Emirates Business about why Hummer decided to go into the business of making golf carts, the director of Mini Hummer, Europe, Dominik Jackson, said: “Hummer licenses a few products and is fond of the ‘Mini’ theme. So we decided to make golf carts. These carts are fully endorsed by GM, and by far one of their favourite licensed products.”

The most expensive golf cart in the Mini Hummer stable is the custom hand-built Hummer H2 cart and it costs £19,375 (Dh141,487), non-inclusive of taxes.

The company also makes the Hummer H3 and The Roadster, which cost £7,995 and £6,995 respectively. While both the Hummer H3 and The Roadster are extremely popular, they are mass-produced with some add-on parts and options to customise. Those who prefer 100 per cent bespoke luxury opt for the Hummer H1 and H2.

Giving the details of the customised version, Jackson said: “Only a limited number of these golf carts are going to be built for a few discerning clients. These are all hand-built and it takes around 120 hours to build one cart.

“Clients can pick their own colour – they have a choice of leather upholstery, chrome rims, tyres and they also can choose from carbon fibre or wood interior.

“We often have clients asking us to match their golf carts to the car that they own like a real-sized Hummer or an Aston Martin. We can pretty much supply anything requested. For example we’ve done an H2 fully enclosed and another with custom air-conditioning.”

The awesome golf cart comes with a 48-volt electric chassis, durable fibreglass body, custom bucket seats, Hummer H2 side emblems, chrome front grill, rear bench seat, fold-down tailgate, front and rear receiver hitch, fog lights, AM/FM/CD stereo, side mirrors, road and turf tyres, chrome tilt steering, custom steering wheel, indicators, wood or carbon fibre dashboard, glove box, drink holders, storage box under the seat, a cooler box under the hood and can go up to the speeds of 22km/h on a petrol engine with a 11 HP.

Customers can also opt for extras such as a removable golf bag holder, removable canvas roof, a six or eight-passenger limousine, roof for the limo version, brush guard, off-road wheels and metallic paint.

It is no wonder then that a host of celebrities are picking up the Hummer golf carts like hot cakes.

Jackson said: “We have sold a number of carts to high-end clients such as John Terry, the captain of the English football team, actor Rupert Grint, businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, and golfer Darren Clarke. And the director of Credit Suisse bank received a Hummer H2 as a retirement present.”

But, won’t these huge golf carts weigh a tonne and be slow, not to mention what they will do to the golf course?

Jackson said: “When people see the Hummer carts on the greens for the first time, they do tend to question their use on the golf course because of its weight.

“However, they can rest assured, because even though the Hummer golf carts do appear to be slightly larger than the standard golf buggy; they weigh the same as a standard golf buggy and have less of an effect on the course due to better weight displacement.

“The wheels of the Hummer H2 are slightly further apart, spreading the weight and creating improved weight displacement. The same goes for all our buggy models.”

So go ahead all you golf enthusiasts and indulge yourself, especially if you are struggling with your game – because with a golf cart like this one, no one will be looking at your score.