NORMAN — There’s more to a golf cart than meets the eye. They can be customized for almost any purpose. Just ask Lou and Allen Warren, who own ABS Golf Cars in Noble, they’ll fix you right up.
The Warrens have owned ABS Golf Cars located at 317 S. Main in Noble since 1995. Allen Warren started out as a golf course mechanic and worked at Westwood Golf Course for 19 years. He’d work on friends’ golf carts on his lunch hour and after work. Finally, he decided to open his own business. Now the Warrens are the largest E-Z-GO golf cart dealer in the state of Oklahoma.
“We specialize in customization and we have customers from everywhere,” Lou Warren said. “From Kansas, Texas and Missouri. So, it’s not just a local thing. We are definitely here for local farmers and ranchers, but word got out there and we have lake property owners too. The carts are not just for golf.”
Lou Warren went on to describe some of the ways they’ve customized carts over the years.
They’ve manufactured a custom set-up on a cart for a racecar driver who uses it to tow his racecar from the strip to the pits. ABS decked it out with toolboxes, back seats and tow bars specific to racing.
Other folks have special-ordered their carts with flip-down TVs, satellite radio and stereo systems. Some even have GPS systems that are specific to the game of golf—these systems calculate the distance to the next hole and map the course for the golfer.
“We’ve done installations with TVs, iPods, stereos, extra heavy suspensions for farming, hand controls for special needs — we just try to make them unique for each situation. We’ll add custom paint or seat covers to match an organization or business,” Lou Warren said.
The Warrens rent golf carts as well — and not just to golf courses. The carts serve as people movers at special events such as family reunions, church camps and weddings. They’ve rented to cemeteries for Memorial Day weekend, for funerals, and even to the Zoo Amphitheatre during concert season.
The work utility carts they have can be adapted for farm and ranch use or heavy duty hauling. Ranchers carry bags of feed, and Lou Warren tells the story of a man who loaded his portable welder on one and pulled it around while fixing his fence.
“Golf carts can be used for everything from trash to hospitality, to VIPs,” Lou Warren said.
Golf carts can be rented on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Pricing depends on the type of cart rented and the duration of the rental.
ABS has special carts set aside for wedding rentals.
“These are nicer than a regular golf cart,” Lou Warren said. “The wedding shuttles are painted a soft, almond pearl color and they [the wedding party] can decorate them if they like. We have a group of these set aside just for weddings. It keeps them cleaner and nicer for people who are dressed up.”
Sometimes when someone is receiving a cart as a gift, the Warrens will get in on the fun.
“Allen and I have donned Santa hats and delivered them. We’ve put bows on them as birthday presents. When it’s a total surprise, we go in on it with the spouse and make it fun,” Lou Warren said.
ABS carries E-Z-GO’s latest street-legal model. Lou Warren says it has two modes to choose from. It can go from zero to 15 mph, or with the flip of a switch, it can reach 25 mph. These carts come complete with a seatbelt and windshield and are designed for street use. When purchasing one, the customer must take the MSO and VIN number to a tag agency to have it tagged like any other street-worthy vehicle. These models are available for sale only.
Lou Warren takes pride in the many ways that she and her husband have found to customize golf carts. “If someone has a need, they can call us,” Lou Warren said.
ABS Golf Cars is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m..
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Obama Seeks G-8 Support on Syria
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Suicide Bombs Target Baghdad Mosque, Killing 29
Military Plans to Put Women in Combat Jobs
Solar Power Chargers in NYC Parks
Civil Rights Groups Sue NYPD Over Muslim Spying
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
