Thunder Bayou gets Yamaha's first fleet of 2015 golf carts

Those golfing at Thunder Bayou Golf Links will have a chance to ride in Yamaha's first batch of 2015 golf carts.

Yamaha delivered 48 brand new golf carts and four utility carts to the local golf course Tuesday afternoon. The Blytheville Youth Sportsplex also received a new Yamaha utility golf cart and one of Thunder Bayou's used golf carts.

"This is first fleet from Yamaha that are fuel injected in 2015," Yamaha's Dennis Nelson said. "Fuel injection has been out for three years; the fleet cars have been out for over a year, but this is the first 2015 car out of the factory."

The golf carts are produced in Newnan, Ga..

"I'm excited about them," Parks and Recreation director Elroy Brown said. "It's a step in the right direction. What we're continuing to do in the parks and recreation system is bringing in new equipment and to have everything advanced. We've got the fourth best course in the state and it's only fitting that we have brand new carts."

Thunder Bayou's Ron St. Laurent is also excited about the new golf carts.

"I think we got a real good deal," he said.

A yearly cost of $35,819.52, the four-year lease for 48 gasoline golf carts and four utility golf carts has payments of $56.32 per cart, per month, which is less than what the city was paying for the old leased ones.

Nelson said the fuel injected carts will save on fuel costs as well.

mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com