Cartiology Golf Cart Store Opens at Eastern Shore Centre, Plans Oct. 17 Grand Opening

SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Golf carts and street-legal low-speed vehicles now have a showroom at one of the Eastern Shore’s busiest shopping destinations. The Cartiology golf cart dealership, a Baldwin County seller of new golf carts, low-speed vehicles, parts and accessories, has opened at Eastern Shore Centre in Spanish Fort and will mark the occasion with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The store is located near Build-A-Bear at the open-air shopping center, according to Eastern Shore Centre, which announced Cartiology as the latest addition to what it described as a growing list of new tenants. The Spanish Fort store is Cartiology’s third location in Alabama.

What Cartiology sells

Cartiology provides new golf carts, street-legal low-speed vehicles, parts, accessories and service. The company says its vehicles serve personal, recreational, residential and commercial needs, from neighborhood cruising to work on business properties.

According to the announcement, the business focuses on quality products, knowledgeable guidance and dependable service, with the goal of helping customers find the right vehicle for the way they live and work.

The company’s website lists Cartiology as an authorized E-Z-GO dealer and names several other brands it carries, including Bintelli, BLP Motors, DACH, Denago EV, SIVO, Venom EV and Star EV. The site also advertises in-house and mobile service and maintenance, a parts request form and financing options, with approval subject to credit.

Three Baldwin County stores

With the Spanish Fort opening, Cartiology now operates three stores, all in Baldwin County, according to the company’s website:

• Orange Beach: 25856 Canal Road, next to Big Fish Restaurant.
• Fairhope: 506 Fairhope Ave., across from the post office.
• Spanish Fort: 30500 Alabama Highway 181, Suite 228, inside Eastern Shore Centre.

The three locations stretch from the beach communities of south Baldwin to downtown Fairhope and the Interstate 10 corridor in Spanish Fort, giving the dealer a presence in three of the county’s busiest areas.

Grand opening on Oct. 17

Although the store is already open for business, the formal grand opening celebration is set for Saturday, Oct. 17, at Eastern Shore Centre. Details on specific grand opening activities, hours or promotions were not included in the announcement. Shoppers interested in attending can contact the Spanish Fort store directly or watch Eastern Shore Centre’s and Cartiology’s social media channels for updates.

The opening comes just days after Hurricane Isaias made landfall on the Gulf Coast on Oct. 9. Residents planning to attend any weekend event in Baldwin County should check with organizers for any schedule changes related to storm recovery.

About Eastern Shore Centre

Eastern Shore Centre opened in November 2004 at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Malbis Parkway, also known as Alabama Highway 181, in Spanish Fort. Developed as a lifestyle center combining shopping, dining and entertainment in an outdoor, walkable setting, it became one of the largest retail destinations on the Eastern Shore. Dillard’s and Belk have long served as anchors, and Barnes & Noble and Shoe Station are among its larger tenants.

The center has gone through several ownership changes. Allied Development bought the property in 2018 and launched a refresh that included new paint, new tenants and plans to rebuild aging roads around the complex. In June 2024, Wicker Park Capital Management acquired Eastern Shore Centre for about $33.2 million, according to a real estate industry report at the time. That report described the property as roughly 432,000 square feet on about 43 acres, with tenants including Belk, Shoe Station, Barnes & Noble, Half Shell Oyster House and Mountain High Outfitters, with Dillard’s as a shadow anchor.

Shopping centers across the country have increasingly turned to tenants that offer experiences, services and specialty products rather than only traditional apparel stores. A golf cart showroom with parts and service fits that trend, drawing shoppers who are looking for a specific, larger purchase and who may stay to eat or shop elsewhere in the center.

Why golf carts are popular in Baldwin County

Golf carts and low-speed vehicles have become a familiar sight across Baldwin County, particularly in beach communities, master-planned neighborhoods, golf communities and downtown districts. Many residents use them for short trips to the pool, the beach, the neighborhood clubhouse or a nearby restaurant, and businesses use them to move people and equipment across large properties such as resorts, campgrounds, marinas and farms.

Electric models, which make up a large share of today’s market, are quiet and inexpensive to operate for short distances. Many newer carts also come with features once reserved for automobiles, including lighting packages, upgraded seating, rear-facing seats and touchscreen displays.

Golf cart or low-speed vehicle: Know the difference

For buyers, one of the most important questions is whether a vehicle is a traditional golf cart or a street-legal low-speed vehicle, often called an LSV. The difference determines where it can legally be driven.

Guidance published by local law enforcement agencies in Alabama, including the Dothan Police Department, summarizes the key distinctions:

• Golf carts generally have a top speed of about 20 mph and do not meet the requirements to be registered as street legal in Alabama. Where they are allowed on public streets, it is typically under rules set by individual cities.
• Low-speed vehicles are manufactured to federal safety standards and have a top speed between 20 and 25 mph. They must have a manufacturer’s statement of origin certifying that they meet LSV safety standards and a 17-digit vehicle identification number.
• Required equipment on an LSV includes headlamps, front and rear turn signals, tail lamps, stop lamps, red reflectors, mirrors, a parking brake, an approved windshield and seat belts.
• Registration and insurance: An LSV must be tagged and registered, and it may be driven only by a licensed, insured driver. A child who is not old enough to drive a car may not drive an LSV on public roads.
• Where they can go: State law says an LSV may not be operated on a roadway where it impedes traffic, which law enforcement agencies generally interpret to mean roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. LSVs may not be driven on sidewalks, and the same traffic laws that apply to cars apply to LSVs.

The guidance also notes that a standard golf cart cannot simply be retrofitted into a street-legal LSV, because it lacks the manufacturer’s certification required for registration. Buyers who intend to drive on public streets should confirm before purchase that the vehicle is a factory-built LSV with the proper paperwork.

Many Baldwin County cities, including beach communities that see heavy seasonal traffic, have their own ordinances governing golf carts and LSVs, covering issues such as which streets they may use, required equipment, permits and operating hours. Residents should check with their city or county before taking any cart onto public roads.

Tips for first-time buyers

For residents shopping for a first golf cart or LSV, a few practical considerations can help narrow the choice:

• Decide where you will drive. If the vehicle will stay on private property, a golf course or inside a gated community, a standard golf cart may be enough. Driving on public streets generally requires a registered LSV.
• Count your passengers. Two-, four- and six-passenger models are common, and some include rear-facing seats that fold into cargo beds.
• Compare power sources. Gas and electric models have different maintenance needs, and electric models vary in battery type and range.
• Ask about service. Find out where the vehicle will be serviced, how warranty work is handled and whether parts are readily available locally.
• Check insurance. Contact your insurance agent about coverage, especially for a vehicle that will be driven on public roads.

A busy year for Eastern Shore retail

Spanish Fort sits at the heart of the Eastern Shore, one of the fastest-growing parts of Baldwin County, and its retail corridor along Interstate 10 and Highway 181 draws shoppers from Daphne, Fairhope, Loxley, Bay Minette and across the bay in Mobile. New tenants at Eastern Shore Centre add to the options for residents who might otherwise drive to Mobile or Pensacola for specialty purchases.

Cartiology’s grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 17 at Eastern Shore Centre, 30500 Alabama Highway 181 in Spanish Fort. The store is located near Build-A-Bear.