Golf cars, scooters give show visitors mobility

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Utilizing some mode of transportation provides those attending the Half Century of Progress show the opportunity to see more of the wide variety of activities scheduled during the four-day event.

Battery Specialists + Golf Cars will be at the show to rent both golf cars and scooters.

“We say cars because a cart is something you push or pull and a car is something you drive,” said Kevin Coker. “That’s why we say cars and we correct people all the time.”

The company, with stores in Taylorville, Mt. Vernon, Champaign and Highland, will bring from 500 to 600 golf cars to the show.

“All our pre-books for the show are rented,” said Coker, who operates the Highland store. “We’ll have some extra cars, but we don’t know how many.”

The scooters are rented to those attending the show on a first come, first serve basis.

“We will have double the scooters at the show,” Coker said.

It will take multiple trucks and trailers to move the golf cars and scooters to the Rantoul Aviation Center for the show.

“We have five semis that will haul from 18 to 25 golf cars each, as well as multiple trucks and trailers that haul 12 to 14,” Coker said. “So, we can move a couple hundred golf cars down the road at one time.”

Battery Specialists + Golf Cars provides rentals during the Illinois State Fair, Historic Farm Days, Half Century of Progress show and the Farm Progress Show.

“We have to move all the cars from Rantoul to Decatur to get set up for the Farm Progress Show in two days,” Coker said.

In addition to selling golf cars, the company also provides service on golf cars, as well as leasing.

“Our service staff works on all major makes and models,” Coker said. “We are a Club Car distributor and an EZGO dealer.”

The company was started by Coker’s father, Danny.

“My brother, Kyle, runs our Champaign store and my dad’s brother also works with us,” Coker noted.

The company began as a battery business.

“The Taylorville Country Club had private golf cars and the guy that worked on them wanted to retire so since we were in the battery business, he sent golf cars to us and we started working on them,” Coker said. “It ballooned from there and we got into golf cars for people moving.”

Battery Specialists + Golf Cars quickly realized there was a demand for golf cars.

“My dad bought eight golf cars and sold them in a day and then bought 16 cars and sold them in two weeks,” Coker recalled.

“We started going to shows to rent golf cars in the early ‘90s,” he said. “We had a small fleet of 16 golf cars and one 8-passengar car and we thought that was a big deal.”

For more information about Battery Specialists + Golf Cars, go to www.bspgc.com.