How Golf Cart Rentals Work When You Book a Tee Time
Renting a cart is simple and takes about two minutes at the pro shop.
When you book your tee time — online or by phone — add a cart to your reservation. That locks one in for you. When you get to the course, check in at the pro shop and they'll confirm your cart number. Head to the staging area, load your bag, and you're ready to roll.
At Redlands Mesa, our staff helps get bags loaded and carts lined up before your tee time. On busy weekend mornings, we stage carts in order so groups go out on time without a bottleneck at the first tee. It's part of what makes us the best public golf course Grand Junction has to offer — a smooth, organized experience from the moment you pull into the lot to the moment you finish your round. If you book during peak season — spring through early fall — reserving your cart ahead is the way to go. Weekend carts fill up, and walk-up availability isn't something you want to gamble on when your foursome is counting on you.
After your round, bring the cart back to the staging area or the drop-off spot near the pro shop. That's it. No paperwork, no extra steps.
What a Standard Cart Rental Includes at Grand Junction Courses
When you rent a cart at Redlands Mesa, here's what comes with it.
Each cart seats two and has a bag rack on the back that holds two golf bags. You'll find a scorecard holder, a sand and seed bottle for divot repair, and cup holders or a small cooler compartment. On a hot Grand Valley afternoon, that cooler spot is worth its weight in gold — toss a couple cold water bottles in there before you tee off.
Some of our newer fleet carts come with GPS screens that show yardage to the pin and a layout of each hole. It takes the guesswork out of club selection, especially if you're playing Redlands Mesa for the first time and aren't familiar with our 11 elevated tees and 37 bunkers yet.
What doesn't come with the cart: food, drinks, and range balls. Those are separate at the pro shop or the clubhouse. But the cart itself comes ready to go with everything you need to ride and play.
Per-Round Rentals vs. Membership Cart Plans — Which Fits Your Season
If you ride once or twice a month, per-round rentals are the easy choice. You pay per round, no commitment.
But if you ride every week — or a few times a week — a season cart plan starts to make more sense. The math is straightforward. Take the per-round cart fee, multiply it by how many rounds you expect to play in a season, and compare that to the cost of a cart plan. If the plan comes out lower, you're saving money every time you tee it up.
In Grand Junction, the breakeven point comes faster than most places in Colorado. With 245 or more sunny days a year and a playing season that stretches from March through November, you've got a lot of riding rounds ahead of you. We see members at Redlands Mesa hit that tipping point by mid-summer when they play twice a week. After that, every round for the rest of the season is pure savings.
If you're not sure how much you'll play, start with per-round rentals. Track it for a month or two. You might also find that booking 9 hole tee times a few days a week is a smarter fit for your schedule than committing to full 18-hole rounds. If you're riding twice a week or more, ask our pro shop about cart plan options before the next season rolls around.
How To Share a Cart and Split the Fee With Your Playing Partner
Sharing a cart with your playing partner is the most common setup and the easiest way to bring the per-person cost down.
At Redlands Mesa, each golf cart holds two riders and two bags. If you're in a twosome, you share a cart. In a foursome, you'll take two carts. It's that simple.
How pricing works depends on the course. Some Grand Junction courses — especially out near Clifton and Fruita — charge per rider. That means each person pays their own cart fee no matter what. Others, including some courses closer to downtown, charge per cart. In that case, two riders splitting one cart each pay half.
When you book, ask the pro shop how they price it. At Redlands Mesa, our staff will walk you through the fee and make sure everyone in the group knows what they're paying before they head to the first tee. No surprises at checkout.
If you're organizing a larger group — say a corporate outing or a charity scramble — we handle cart assignments for the whole field. You tell us how many players, we set up the carts, and everything is staged and ready when your group arrives.
Course Rules Every Cart Rider Should Know Before Teeing Off
Every course has cart rules, and following them keeps the turf in good shape and keeps play moving for everyone behind you. Here's what you need to know before you ride at Redlands Mesa.
Cart-path-only holes. Some holes require you to stay on the paved cart path. This usually happens after heavy irrigation or the rare heavy rain we get in the Grand Valley. Desert turf in Mesa County needs time to dry, and keeping carts off wet fairways protects the grass. Check the starter board or ask the pro shop when you check in — same-day restrictions can change from one round to the next.
The 90-degree rule. When carts are allowed on the fairway, drive along the path until you're even with your ball, then turn 90 degrees onto the grass to reach it. Drive straight back to the path after your shot. This spreads out cart traffic and keeps wear off the middle of the fairway.
Stay off tees and greens. Never drive a cart onto a tee box or a putting green. Park on the path or the fringe and walk to your ball.
Speed. Keep it reasonable. We've got 37 bunkers and some elevation changes out here. Take turns at a safe speed, especially near slopes and blind corners.
Respect other players. Park your cart to the side when someone is hitting. Don't drive during someone's backswing. Keep noise down near the greens.
Our starters go over the basics before you head out, and posted signs on the course make it easy to follow along. If you've never ridden a cart on a course before, our staff is happy to walk you through everything at check-in.
Ways To Keep Your Cart Rental Comfortable in Western Colorado Weather
The weather in Grand Junction changes through the season, and a few small moves make your cart ride a lot more comfortable.
Summer heat. From June through August, afternoons can top 100 degrees. Load your cooler compartment with cold water and ice before you tee off. Use the cart's shade canopy — it makes a real difference between holes. Wear a hat, put on sunscreen, and drink water at every tee box. We see players fade on the back nine every summer because they didn't hydrate on the front. Don't be that golfer.
Summer storms. July and August bring afternoon thunderstorms through the Grand Valley. They roll in fast off the Book Cliffs and can bring lightning. Know the course lightning policy before you go out. At Redlands Mesa, we'll sound a horn if play needs to stop. Keep a light rain layer in the cart's storage compartment — you probably won't need it most days, but when you do, you'll be glad it's there.
Spring and fall. Mornings can be cool and afternoons warm. Dress in layers so you can adjust as the round goes on. A pullover or vest stashed under the seat handles that early-morning chill on the front nine, and you can peel it off by the turn when the sun is up.
Wind. The Grand Valley gets breezy, especially in the afternoons. Secure loose items on the cart — hats, scorecards, towels. The last thing you want is chasing a scorecard across the fairway on hole 14.
A little prep goes a long way. Pack the cart smart, and the weather won't slow you down.
Ready to Book a Tee Time
We Look forward to serving you at Redlands Mesa Golf Course.