EDITORS NOTE

from Golf Carting Magazine Issue 31 December 2022

GOLF CART NATION

As I write this, it is exactly one week since Hurricane Ian made landfall in SW Florida. I know it is now December, but I thought it important to address it. My family lives in Estero, FL, a community sandwiched between Fort Myers to the north and Naples to the south. Hurricane Ian hit the barrier island of Cayo Costa, an almost uninhabited island north of Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico. For all practical purposes however, Fort Myers, which is a few miles to the south, took a direct hit. Having lived in SW Florida for almost 10 years and Charleston, SC for 7 years, hurricanes have become a part of my life. I’ve been through enough hurricanes to have developed an underlining complacency towards them. It’s a feeling of “much ado about nothing” when they come and go, and all the preparations and anxiety were seemingly wasted on a storm that just never quite lived up to the hype. I think many Floridians and Georgians and Carolinians have grown a little cynical towards hurricanes. Hurricane Ian was different. Hurricane Ian devastated the place I call home. It completely changed this part of Florida forever.

The weekend before Ian, I did what I always do a few days before a hurricane. I bought gas, groceries, water, wine and clam chowder. An abundance of canned chowder. I bought extra batteries and dusted off my camp stove and mini propane tanks. As of Monday, September 26, Ian was projected to make landfall near Tampa Bay on Wednesday evening, approximately 140 miles north of Fort Myers.

Concerning for sure, but far enough away that there was no real panic in this area. On Tuesday, things started to change. Overnight, Ian started to shift south. The new projection had it hitting

Venice, FL, 60 miles north of us. More concerning. By midnight, the storm had shifted even further south, and experts predicted a direct hit on the Cape Coral, Punta Gorda and Fort Myers area at around 1pm on Wednesday. And worse, they were predicting a Category 4 or even Category 5 hurricane. At 1:00 a.m. the day of the hurricane, my wife and

I caved and decided to leave. We packed the car, woke up our toddler and drove three hours through 30 mile-an-hour winds and rain to the east coast of Florida and checked into a hotel at four in the morning. For the next two days the images we saw on the news were stunning. Fort Myers Beach was virtually erased. All the places I’ve frequented for years were simply gone. Sanibel

Island, where my wife and I got engaged, and eventually married, was completely devasted. The causeway was destroyed and there is no access to the island of Sanibel and Captiva. I went to my country club in Fort Myers to discover it was severely impacted. My old neighborhood and house flooded. Thankfully, my current house was virtually damage free. Our power was restored five days after the storm. We feel very fortunate, but Hurricane Ian has been a lot to digest. The profound loss of property and possessions for so many people is staggering. People who choose to live coastal do so with their eyes wide open. But I am left with a sense of humility at just how fragile our world is and how quickly things can change. Florida will rebuild. It always does. Life goes on. But my heart and prayers go out to the legions of people who have lost everything. I’m humbled that somehow, I am not one of them. We hope you enjoy this December issue of Golf Carting Magazine. Merry Christmas!

Trevor Rose Senior Editor Trevor@golfcarting.com

M A G A Z I N E

GOLF CARTING // Issue 31 // December 2022

Publisher: GC Media Group, LLC Senior Editor: Trevor Rose - trevor@golfcarting.com Creative Director: Troy Merrifield - troy@golfcarting.com Graphic Designer: Tanner Merrifield Production Director: Christian Amico - chris@golfcarting.com Staff Writer: Kelly Madden Staff Writer: Josh Delsota Staff Writer / Social Media: Tony Benjamin

Golf Carting® is published monthly by GC Media Group, LLC. Reprinting in whole or by any means- electronic, graphic or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems is forbidden without written permission from the publisher.

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Editorial contributions are welcomed, but editors recommend that contributors contact us first. Contribution must be accompanied by return postage, and we assume no responsibility for damage or loss of material. Manuscripts must be typewritten, and all photos have to have captions. Photo model releases of all people in photos must accompany manuscript. GOLF CARTING reserves the right to use material, and we reserve the right to edit material to meet publication requirements. E-mail contributions or inquiries to: trevor@golfcarting.com

WARNING: Certain action photographs depicted in this magazine are potentially dangerous. The drivers and vehicle occupants seen in our photos are experienced professionals. Do not attempt to duplicate any stunts. Wear a helmet and safety restraints while operating a Golf Cart, and never drive beyond your capabilities. Do not drink and drive while operating a Golf Cart. We also encourage you to “Tread Lightly” while respecting the outdoors and other outdoor enthusiasts. Use your head and enjoy the ride! ©2022 GC Media Group, LLC