By Daniel Lapham/Staff Writer
published April 2, 2008

The El Reno Recreational Authority accepted a proposal by Yamaha at a special meeting on Monday to lease 50 gas-powered golf carts to Crimson Creek Golf Club for 48 months.

The proposal by Yamaha came in March when Crimson Creek golf pro Roma Tomlinson asked for proposals from Yamaha and E-Z-GO to provide a new gas-powered fleet. The current fleet of 50 electric-powered carts has given the club problems since 2006. Tomlinson said he has been operating with 25 carts for the last several months.

“Half of our current fleet will not make it through an 18-hole round,” Tomlinson told the trust authority last month.

In February the trustees formed a special committee to look at possible options in order to bring the fleet back to 50 working carts. Club Car, the manufacturer of the current electric fleet, told the committee it could not help them with names of other golf clubs that use their product. After a sample of batteries used in the carts were tested by manufacturer Trojan Battery Co., Trojan and Club Car both denied any fault.

The authority passed the motion to approve the Yamaha proposal at a total cost of $187,126 to be paid out at 5.240 percent interest for 48 months beginning May 1.

“From a financial standpoint, the Yamaha deal looks like the best deal,” said Steve Ketter, the CPA who handles golf club financials.

Trustee Jerry Robertson said although he does not know a lot about golf carts, everyone he had asked about whether they would recommend E-Z-GO or Yamaha said Yamaha was the way to go.