Ames, Iowa, is seeking 18 lithium golf carts and two gasoline utility carts for the 2027 season at Homewood Golf Course. The city issued the lease bid on November 9. Responses are due November 23 at 2 p.m. Central.
Golf Cart Search compared the city's specifications with its pricing lines. The bid sets a 24-hour replacement window when a leased cart is damaged or needs maintenance. If Homewood needs extra carts for a special event, the vendor quotes a separate lead time and delivery-inclusive price. Those extra carts sit outside the 20 seasonal vehicles.
What does Homewood’s 24-hour replacement clause cover?
The specifications call for the vendor to pick up the cart and supply one that meets the bid specifications within 24 hours of notice from the city. They put maintenance, repair and replacement costs from normal wear, mechanical failure or defects on the vendor. The deadline is for supplying a replacement. The bid gives no separate repair deadline for the original cart.
Homewood also asks vendors to quote temporary rentals for an estimated two to five additional carts. The fillable form asks for daily, weekly and monthly rates that include delivery. In a separate field, the bid invitation asks bidders to say how much notice they need from the course. The city sets the replacement deadline and leaves event lead time for bidders to propose.
Which golf carts is Ames asking for?
The 18 two-seat golf carts must match in make, model and color. Each needs a lithium battery system and a charger, unless the city approves an equivalent charging setup. The specifications ask for runtime on a full charge under normal use and give bidders space to enter their figures. The E-Z-GO RXV and Club Car Onward and Precedent appear as examples in the electric cart specification.
Both specification sheets allow model years up to four years old, and the general instructions require models that the manufacturer still produces. The two requirements leave room for older model years of a cart still in production.
The gas utility carts have a different job and their own bid line. Ames asks for two seats, a gasoline engine with electric start, a dump box, a hard canopy, a windshield and a rear two-inch hitch receiver. The examples on that sheet are the Cushman Hauler 1000 and Club Car Carryall 300 Turf. Vendors list the manufacturer and model they are offering; Ames has issued a solicitation and has yet to pick a supplier.
How much can the Ames golf cart lease rise?
The first season runs from March to November 2027. The specifications call for delivery March 15 to 20 and pickup November 3 to 7. The city controls whether to renew each year, through the 2031 season. It also requires a season-end assessment so the vendor can make repairs or replace carts as needed.
The 3% cap applies to the previous year’s price. If Ames renews all four times and the price rises by the full amount each time, the fifth season would cost about 12.55% more than the first. Golf Cart Search reviewed the two bid documents on November 12 and compounded the stated cap once per renewal. The invitation asks for an estimate of renewal increases on a separate line outside the response total. The pricing sheet also has a dollar field for each of the five seasons for the lithium fleet. The first-year prices for the electric and gas carts sit on separate lines in the invitation. Homewood is asking suppliers to price a seasonal service, while the Brigham City fleet bid in Utah prices a purchase with trade-in credits. Neither bid form publishes a price for the incoming carts.
Primary reporting source
City of Ames: Golf Cart Lease/Rental bid 2027-042
