Nothing’s better than playing a full round of golf with good friends and loading everyone up in a golf cart to head out on the course. With the time it takes to play an average round of golf taking up to 4 hours, your crew is bound to get thirsty, and that’s where golf cart coolers come in handy.
Golf cart coolers are convenient and can fit in your golf cart easily to keep the whole crew parched and satisfied all day long, whether you’re on the course or having some additional fun on your cart.
In today’s guide, we’ll cover the best golf cart coolers available and some tips for making sure yours is a perfect fit for your golf cart.
What Are Golf Cart Coolers?
A golf cart cooler is simply a cooler that is used on a golf cart.
Golf cart coolers can come in many varieties and can be mounted various different ways on your golf cart, but one thing they all have in common is that they’re intended to keep you and your friends refreshed with cold drinks at the ready- no matter where your golf cart takes you.
Why Do I Need A Golf Cart Cooler?
Whether you play golf or not, if you spend any amount of time outside on your golf cart, you probably need a golf cart cooler.
Whether you’re storing strictly drinks, or keeping food cold for a break in the game or just taking your cart on the trail, there’s always a need to keep your stuff cool.
Sometimes the course won’t have the drinks you prefer – a cooler will resolve that issue!
Types Of Golf Cart Coolers
Traditional Hard Coolers
Hard coolers are the typical square or rectangle-shaped coolers with hard exteriors that have been available for the past few decades.
Really old ones used to come in metal, but most these days are made with molded plastic.
Hard coolers usually offer superior insulation to soft coolers or cooler bags, but they take up more space and aren’t flexible.
Traditional coolers are usually mounted on a golf cart with an accessory bracket or cooler bracket that creates a dedicated space where you can put the cooler.
Cooler Bags And Soft Coolers
Soft coolers and cooler bags feature an insulated and watertight bag that will sometimes offer a removable hard plastic liner to help the cooler keep its shape.
Cooler bags (particularly those without the hard liners) are flexible and can fit into a variety of spaces more easily than a hard cooler can, but most don’t have the same levels of insulation or ice life than old-school coolers offer.
Cooler bags can be strapped on to a cart or put in the golf cart’s storage bin for transport.
What To Look For In A Golf Cart Cooler
Size
Keep the size of your golf cart and other items in mind when choosing your golf cart cooler.
Smaller coolers are easier to hide than larger ones, which is important if you’ll be playing at places that discourage you from bringing your own beverages or private coolers.
Small coolers are also typically easier to cool down and keep cool than large ones.
Mounting Options
There are aftermarket brackets and trays for hard coolers, and there are also some other creative ways to mount coolers on golf carts.
Consider your skill and comfort level of attaching anything to your golf cart when choosing your golf cooler.
Capacity
This may be obvious, but choose a cooler that’s going to hold enough drinks to keep everyone happy for as many hours as you plan to be out with your golf cart!
Whether you’re golfing or doing something else, the whole point of having a cooler is so that everyone’s got cold drinks, right?
Weight
If you’ll be taking the cooler off and trekking on paths or going places your cart can’t take you, the weight of the cooler will be a priority to you.
Consider your intended use when picking the golf cart cooler.
If it’ll be staying on the golf cart all the time, the weight won’t be an issue.
Effectiveness & Ice Life
Not all coolers are created equal – some can keep ice for several days, while others may only last hours.
Most of the time with coolers, you get what you pay for in terms of performance.
Check out the ratings and ice life on the cooler before you buy it, and make sure it’ll keep everything cool for as long as you require.
Durability
Get a durable cooler – most cooler bags and hard-sided coolers made these days are pretty solid and can take a beating.
Price
There’s no need to have the name-brand designer coolers when it means paying 30% more for the same functionality.
Consider your budget and weigh the pros and cons of each cooler when selecting one to get the best value.
How Do You Mount A Golf Cart Cooler?
There are a few ways you can attach a golf cart cooler to your golf cart, which we’ll cover below.
Install An Accessory Bracket On The Rear
Many golf cart accessory retailers offer specific mounting brackets (sold by make and year) that you can attach to your golf cart that will allow it to hold a cooler or other accessories.
Most of these are easily installed and allow a golf cart cooler to be stored at the rear of the cart for easy access, keeping it out of the way.
Mount It Over The Steering Column
Some smaller golf cart coolers with 6-can capacities can be kept on a tray above the steering column.
This tray kit can be mounted to the golf cart and then you can place your golf cart cooler on top of the tray.
Get A Self-Attaching Cooler
Most soft-sided cooler and cooler bags come with shoulder straps that you can use to hang the cooler on your golf cart with, like slinging it over a headrest.
Some like the Nivel Cooler even strap to the front of your golf cart, taking up no extra space at all, which is really cool.
Fit It In The Golf Cart’s Storage Space
Most golf carts have a storage space behind or underneath the seats, which you can fit a cooler in.
This method allows the cooler to be removed easily when needed and doesn’t require any mounting or hardware, which is nice.
Use Bungee Cords
As a last resort or a cheaper option, you can use bungee cords to secure your cooler to your golf cart.
Make sure the cooler is supported on the bottom by something other than the bungee cords, as they can only hold so much – the bungees are mainly there to keep the cooler from tipping forward or backward.
The Best Golf Cart Coolers
Performance Plus 12-Pack Cooler With Rear Fender Mounting Basket
The Performance Plus 12-Pack cooler kit comes with a universal-fit rear fender mounting basket that can easily hold the included 12-pack cooler. Gets the job done affordably and easily – a win-win in our book.
Revenge Golf Cart Cooler Kit With Mounting Bracket
The Revenge cooler kit with mount is a universal option that fits all golf cart makes and models without a rear seat installed. This cooler holds 6 cans and the included mount is pretty convenient to get everything in a single package.
InTheZone Golf Cart Pop Up Cooler Bag
The InTheZone Pop Up Cooler Bag is designed to stay out of your way when you don’t need it, as it folds down when not in use. The heat welded liner keeps out leaks, and the strap makes it great for slinging on both golf carts and push carts and it’s compact design makes it a great travel cooler, too. This cooler holds 10-14 cans of drinks.
McNick & Company Perfect Fitting Golf Cart Cooler Bag
The McNick & Company Perfect Fitting Golf Cart Cooler bag is really slick because it’s designed to fit in the natural storage basket of most golf carts. It holds up to 24 12-ounce cans and has a shoulder strap so you can easily carry it with you when needed.
Nivel Black Front Cowl Mounted Cooler
The Nivel Front Cowl Cooler is one of our favorites because it takes unused space – the front of the golf cart – and turns it into the perfect spot for a cooler! This cooler mounts in seconds with easy-to-secure straps, holds 18 cans, and has multiple exterior storage pockets that are great for holding snacks or accessories.
RTIC Soft Cooler Insulated Bag
The RTIC Soft Cooler offers YETI-like performance at a fraction of the cost, which is absolutely excellent. This soft cooler comes in 20, 30, and 40-can capacities, is insanely durable, and is 100% leak proof. It also holds ice for up to 24 hours, and has many straps and handles to make sure you can haul it easily.
FAQs About Golf Cart Coolers
Yes, there are plenty of ways to fit a cooler on a golf cart. There are external hardware mounts that allow you to fit a cooler on the back of a cart, while others have included straps that easily attach to your cart.
There are several ways to mount a golf cart cooler including hardware brackets, bungee cords, straps, or using the existing storage basket in the golf cart.
Most universal mounts will easily accommodate 12-pack coolers, but some models can hold larger or smaller coolers depending on what your preference is.
Wrapping Up The Best Golf Cart Coolers
We’ve covered all the key things you need to know about what options there are for golf cart coolers, why you should get one, and how to attach your new cooler to your cart.
Next step – get everything settled and enjoy your time with your friends on your golf cart!
While you’re here, check out our additional guides on the best golf cart bluetooth speakers, golf cart lift kits, will a golf cart fit in a truck bed, and our guide to golf cart dimensions for helpful info.