A surge in golf car thefts has hit Ontario, with over 192 cars stolen from 18 courses since 2021.
In the quiet of night, security footage reveals a brazen theft at Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club, located about 13 miles northeast of Barrie, Ontario. A man is seen pushing a golf car off-screen, followed by another individual, clad in a hoodie and medical mask, swiftly driving another car. On April 19, these thieves managed to load 11 carts onto a trailer hitched to a heavy-duty pickup truck and drive away, according to the National Post.
“It’s a feeling of violation,” expressed David Graham, the general manager at Settlers’ Ghost. Despite the cars being parked in a brightly lit lot with their keys removed, they were still stolen. “Then you experience anger, sadness, and wonder if you did something wrong to make this happen.”
This incident is one of at least 18 similar thefts reported by Ontario golf courses in recent years. Course owners suggest the sheer number of carts stolen and the level of coordination required indicates these thefts are the work of professionals. According to the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA), at least 192 golf cars have been stolen from 18 Ontario courses since 2021, with a spike in thefts occurring in 2022 and 2024.
Rockway Glen Estate Golf Course and Winery near St. Catharines, Ontario, experienced one of the largest heists in November 2022, losing 44 cars. More recently, on May 30, 12 cars were stolen from Wolf Run Golf Club in Janetville, Ontario, located about 25 miles west of Peterborough. The carts from Wolf Run were later recovered by police, who arrested a 44-year-old man and charged him with possession of stolen property over $5,000.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for the city of Kawartha Lakes collaborated with local authorities to search a property in the township on June 1, leading to the recovery of the stolen carts. Golf course owners are convinced that the level of organization required to transport multiple cars suggests the involvement of professional thieves.
“Moving one golf car can be done with a pickup truck. To move six, you need a flatbed truck and a team,” explained Blair Breen, regional director of the central Ontario chapter of the NGCOA.
The rising thefts are believed to be fueled by a booming black market for golf carts, driven by skyrocketing prices during the pandemic. Rob Davis, sales manager at Turf Care Products, noted that prices for golf cars have surged from around $6,000 before the pandemic to at least $10,000 now. His warehouse in Keswick, Ontario, about 44 miles north of Toronto, was also targeted in March, losing eight cars.
Davis emphasized the unprecedented nature of these thefts since he began in the business in the 1990s. Despite routinely scouring online marketplaces like Kijiji, no stolen cars have surfaced, making their recovery akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
While distributors in other parts of the country haven’t reported similar spikes in thefts, the versatile use of golf cars—from trailer parks and cottages to farms—creates a wide market for these vehicles.
Breen is calling for coordinated efforts among the OPP and local police to determine if these cases are connected and to trace the whereabouts of the stolen cars. The OPP for Central Region confirmed that an investigation into the Settlers’ Ghost theft is ongoing. However, they have yet to establish if the thefts at various golf courses are linked.
“We are actively investigating the increase in golf cart thefts,” stated OPP spokesperson Brooklyn Harker, highlighting the ongoing efforts to address this surge in criminal activity.
