Can You Ride a Golf Cart While Pregnant? (Be Careful!)

Being a father and watching my wife in labor, I can relate that pregnancy already provides you with the ride of your life, with its ups and downs.

Whether you are early in pregnancy or further along, you may wonder what you can safely do. As a golfer that has a wife that loves to tag along, one of my questions was, can you ride a golf cart while pregnant?

You can ride a golf cart while pregnant. Nevertheless, you want to be cautious depending on the terrain you experience and how far along you are.

As a general rule, you can safely ride a golf cart when pregnant. It depends on the type of cart ride you have and how far along you are in your pregnancy. You can comfortably get on a golf cart if you ride it around paved paths and soft turf. The smooth movement ensures you do not exert excessive pressure on your abdomen from jerky movements on bumpy rides.

Below are some points to help you know when to ride a golf cart during pregnancy. I also touch on how different rides affect early pregnancy, helping you improve safety for you and your precious cargo.

What to be careful of when riding while pregnant?

You would want to avoid getting on a golf cart when the ride is a bumpy experience on off-road routes. In those cases, it is crucial to stay off the cart during early pregnancy, since the rough ride can endanger you.

Generally, I advise to stay away from rough rides and other physical activities that cause you to fall. You want to postpone any plans for downhill skiing, horseback riding, gymnastics, skating, or cycling until after giving birth.

Like a bumpy golf cart ride, these activities cause jerky movements that may affect your pregnancy in the early stages.

Can Bumpy Rides Affect Early Pregnancy?

Though it is rare, the bumpy ride on golf cart paths can result in a heart pattern issue for your unborn baby.

Besides, a bumpy ride may enhance abdominal pain or induce uterine contraction. The rough ride can trigger a miscarriage if you carelessly get on a golf cart.

Medical experts generally advise against certain activities that may endanger early pregnancy, as mentioned above.

For example, they recommend extra caution when using stairs, since a slip poses the biggest threat to your safety.

The Case of Casey Martin

Casey Martin is a disabled golfer that literally had to have a law passed by the U.S. Supreme Court to use a golf cart at LPGA Tour Events. 

But even then, she was not pregnant. 

Along with the ruling that she could use a golf cart during the tour, it was also prohibited any pregnant golfer from riding in a golf cart. 

It’s one of those weird liability things as the LPGA doesn’t want any blame for something unfortunate happening to a pregnant golfer while playing in front of millions of people live and on TV. 

At the end of the day, why not play it safe, right? 

Can You Play Golf When Pregnant?

You can enjoy some rounds on the golf course even when pregnant. Before I got pregnant, I was among the people who treated expectant women like glass. I often thought they were so delicate. Hence, you can imagine my mind when I met a few at our local golf centers. They caused me enough anxiety to be a distraction to my game.

Julius Caesar once stated, “Experience is the teacher of all things.” My pregnancy taught me that carrying a child is a marvelous experience. It does not turn me into a disabled person. It is easy to assume that you cannot play golf until after giving birth.

But you can resume your game by getting clearance from your doctor.

As your bump grows, the center-of-mass shift enables you to change your swing for a perfect hit. Maintaining the correct center of mass lets you keep proper balance, allowing you to optimize distance and control.

You can achieve this by placing some weight on your left foot when swinging from the right. This position enables you to keep your body stable and central. You do not move it to the right when pulling your hands back to the right for the swing.

Do Professionals on the LPGA Play While Pregnant?

Definitely, as many have done it despite their pregnancy. These pregnant competitors include Julie Inkster, Nancy Lopez, Hee-Won Han, and Laura Diaz are examples of women who played LPGA events while pregnant.

Regardless of the circumstance, the game of golf offers an excellent opportunity to work out, especially when walking around the course.

You also learn more about your gaming skills as your body changes. For instance, low-impact golf helps boost your stability by working your core.

In Conclusion

there is no scientific consensus that exists that rides in a golf cart can be harmful during pregnancy. But with that said, there is no evidence proving them as entirely safe either.

Regardless, it is wise and best to play it safe when in doubt concerning any ride including a ride on a golf cart. Even though it is not like an amusement park ride, it would be wise to use the same precaution.

I recommend exercising a bit of discretion when riding in anything during pregnancy that won’t assure a smooth ride.

The quick starts and stops, accompanied by jarring motions, can place excessive pressure on your abdomen. This pressure can result in complications such as placental abruption, endangering you and your baby.

Additionally, the rides may trigger vomiting to add misery to your morning sickness and nobody wants that. This would be true with a car, a golf cart, or even a lawn mower (not sure why you’d be mowing while pregnant, but to each their own)

So play it safe and do what you think is best.