Eleven Holes in Ludington's New Golf Cart Laws

[XLFD]

The Ludington Torch went to the beach yesterday, September 7, 2026, Labor Day, and we saw a lot of flagrant violations of the law, which weren't violations of the law earlier this year.  Our city council passed Ordinance 590-26 this spring which revised the rules for riding golf carts in the City of Ludington.  They even devoted a page on their website describing the rules in detail, and the new rules are rather clear on the use of golf carts (and ORVs) in city parks:

Where Golf Carts Are NOT Allowed:  Golf carts may not be operated:

-- On state trunk line highways, including Ludington Avenue, South James Street, and North Lakeshore Drive, except to cross them using the most direct line of crossing.
-- Within City-owned parks, natural areas, or unpaved cemetery properties unless otherwise permitted by the City...

-- Violations of the City's golf cart and ORV regulations are municipal civil infractions and may result in a civil fine of up to $500, or as otherwise established by the City Council-approved fee schedule.

Clearly, under the new rules, golf carts cannot be operated on Stearns Outer Drive, a street that runs through the middle of Stearns Park with beach to the west and the grassy picnic area to the east of it, and parking all along the way.  It is obviously within this city-owned park for its length, and people who take their golf cart into the park coming off North Lakeshore Drive have violated the new ordinance twice for not only operating their vehicle in the park and operating it on North Lakeshore Drive-- as one cannot directly cross North Lakeshore to get into the park without being on the drive for about a third of a block.

This reporter made those points in person at the meetings where the redrafting of the ordinance was being considered, but they were dismissed by a city council who accepted the words of their city attorney, city manager, and police chief that the words in the laws that they were passing didn't have the clear meaning they actually have.  When these people retire, those who inherit their positions will have this law before them that says those who operate golf carts in Stearns Park are liable for a $500 municipal civil infraction.  

This was bad lawcraft on their part; when a council passes laws unanimously that makes previously lawful (and popular) behavior illegal, they should not just tell us to ignore what the words actually say.  They need to think critically when they pass a law that takes away a right and places a potential $500 fine on those who fail to give away that right.

Our fifteen-minute stroll through Stearns Park at around 1 PM on a beautiful Labor Day showed us a couple of things.  First, there was an absence of the beach patrol throughout our walk and our walk back; were they already taking a lunch break so early in their workday, or was the program already sapped of funds?  

Secondly, we saw a dozen distinct golf carts parked on the side or cruising down Stearns Outer Drive in a stroll down the length of the street that took us less than ten minutes.  Here's what we saw:

Two golf carts coming down the drive.  Count of two.

One black one parked near the southern concession stand.  Count: 3.

Another blue cart cruising towards us, our fourth sighting.

One white cart with the operator posted thereon, our fifth golf cart.

Another double length cart offering extra seating, just like that first blue one we saw.  Six.

Two more, we don't count the one in the background until later.  Seven and eight.

There it is again, along with another-- they're coming in twos now, and we're up to ten.

And then there is number eleven shortly before we get to the northern concession stand.  The new law in force states that they all deserve a fine of at least $500 for being driven through a city-owned park. 

While the Ludington Torch completely believes that those with golf carts should be able to drive through Stearns Park without fear of receiving a ticket for the experience, the new law is quite explicit in what it prohibits and should be enforced as if it was any other law passed in order to protect the public health and safety.  But passing these laws are rarely about serving a public purpose, it's to establish a councilor's legacy-- and passing this ordinance only established their lunacy. 

We need to hold these lunatics accountable when they pass laws that they have no intention to enforce for the moment, and we also need to hold these lunatics accountable when their police department enforces laws that are not on the books-- like for trespassing in a public park that is open to the public 24 hours a day and standing outside city hall minding one's own business.

[Golf~6~Romeo]

The expectation is that you shut up and "Do what I meant, not what I said!!"

Narcissistic hubris that is incalculable, off the charts.

[XLFD]

Incalculable and inexcusable.  When you have the power to pass laws that are binding and have consequences, you have a duty to make those laws as straightforward and unambiguous as possible-- it saves a lot of debate and legal challenges afterwards.  

Our city police administration, at least for now, seems to think that the law doesn't say what it does because the outer drive is treated like a "city street within a park" and overlooks the fact that the street is "within a park", surrounded on both sides by Stearns Park from the Water Plant down to the mini-golf course, where I took all of my pictures.

Ambiguous laws encourage challenges to them, unequal application, and future interpretations that were never intended.  When I was standing outside of city hall minding my own business and was later arraigned for 'disorderly conduct, disturbing a public meeting' under city law, it was because there was nothing in state law that would ever apply.  The only thing that would apply was ambiguous language in city law.  That fiasco went to jury trial, and I won after having a courtroom of people waste their day and mine hearing the city's weak AF case.