Golf Carts on Daufuskie Island: Who Rents Them and Where
There are no cars to rent on Daufuskie, so almost everyone gets around by golf cart. Five island companies rent them, and most will have yours waiting when the boat comes in.
A Daufuskie Island golf cart rental is how almost every visitor sees the island. None of the passenger boats carries a car, there are no rental cars on the island, and many of the roads are unpaved. The island is about five miles long, so the beach, the Gullah churches, the lighthouse and lunch at Freeport are too far apart to walk in an afternoon, and a cart covers them easily. Five companies on Daufuskie rent carts, and some of the boats from Hilton Head can book one for you with your ticket. For the island itself, start with our Daufuskie Island guide.
Golf Cart Rental Companies on Daufuskie Island
If you are coming on the public ferry, three of them are at or near Melrose Landing, where it docks. Daufuskie Carts rents only electric carts and lends you a baggage cart for your first hour, which helps with a weekend’s luggage. Daufuskie Life rents gas carts for the day and delivers electric ones to rental homes for longer stays; it also runs a shuttle from Melrose Landing to rental homes for groups with luggage and pets. Island Rental Carts is the simplest: electric four-seaters by the day or the week, at the landing.
Mungeon Creek Retreat, on Cooper River Landing Road, has the most Google reviews of the five, with gas carts for the day and electric ones for overnight rentals, and it opens from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a key drop for late returns. Explore Daufuskie rents carts by the day or overnight and also runs guided tours. Every company takes bookings by phone, and most book online too.
Compare the Cart Rentals
| Company | Pick up | Carts | Rentals | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daufuskie Carts | 15 Melrose Landing Rd; baggage cart for Freeport or Melrose arrivals | Electric, 4 or 6 seats | Half day, day, several days | (843) 997-0062 |
| Daufuskie Life | Melrose Landing or the county dock (day); your rental (overnight) | Gas 4-seat (day); electric 4 or 6 seats (overnight) | Day, up to 8 hours; 3 to 10 nights | (843) 805-9040 |
| Island Rental Carts | Melrose Landing | Electric, 4 seats | $65 a day, $400 a week | (843) 368-1345 |
| Mungeon Creek Retreat | 211 Cooper River Landing Rd | Gas or electric (electric overnight only), 4 or 6 seats | Day, several days, week; from $65 (4 seats) or $95 (6) a day | (912) 844-0222 |
| Explore Daufuskie | Call to arrange | 4 or 6 seats | Day or overnight | (843) 505-2341 |
| H2O Sports | Its private dock, for water-taxi riders | Up to 4 people | Half day (4 hours) or full day (8 hours) | (843) 671-4386 |
Carts That Come With Your Boat
Two of the boats from Hilton Head sort out a cart for you. When you book the Vagabond from Harbour Town, you can reserve a cart online with your ticket and pay for it at the Freeport General Store when you land at Freeport Marina. H2O Sports, which runs the water taxi from the same harbour, will have a cart waiting at its own dock on the island, for four hours or eight; it takes up to four people, and the renter must be 18 or older.
Daufuskie Adventures sells a round-trip boat from Hilton Head for a day on the island, for groups of four or more, with carts at $65 a day for four seats or $95 for six; you book it by text or call on (843) 505-7563. Every boat and its times are on our Daufuskie Island ferry page.
Booking and Where to Pick Up Your Cart
Book before you cross, and well ahead in summer and on holiday weekends. The public ferry from Hilton Head lands at Melrose Landing, so rent from a company there or one that meets the boat. The day-trip boats land at Freeport Marina, a short walk up the shore, where the Vagabond’s carts are waiting; Daufuskie Carts’ baggage cart can meet you there too. Tell the company which boat you are on, so the cart is ready when you step off.
Staying a few nights? Book a cart for the whole stay, not by the day. Daufuskie Life drops electric carts at rental homes for three to ten nights, and Mungeon Creek and Island Rental Carts rent by the week.
Daufuskie Island Bike Rentals
Bikes are the island’s other way around, and they are good on the inland roads. We couldn’t find a bike rental open on Daufuskie itself: the island’s e-bike shop, Fuskie Electric Bike Rental on Buckthorn Lane, is listed as temporarily closed, so call (843) 849-9000 before you count on it. The surer plan is to bring a bike across. The Vagabond takes bikes free for guests staying in Sea Pines; on the other boats, ask when you book. If you need one on Hilton Head first, our Hilton Head bike rentals guide lists the shops.
Driving a Golf Cart on Daufuskie
Daufuskie Island ferry schedule, fares and docks: the public ferry from C.C. Haigh Jr. Landing, day-trip boats, water taxis and Haig Point's ferry.
Daufuskie Island tours from Hilton Head: guided boat and golf-cart trips to the Gullah church, Mary Field School and art studios, plus tours on the island.
Daufuskie Island things to do: empty Atlantic beaches, horseback rides, Gullah history, a lighthouse winery, art studios and lunch at Freeport Marina.
A printable Daufuskie Island map: where each ferry lands, the main roads, the historic sites, restaurants, galleries and beaches.
Daufuskie Island, SC: getting there by ferry, getting around by golf cart, where to eat, Gullah history, Haig Point, beaches and golf, from Hilton Head.
Many of Daufuskie’s roads are unpaved, so take them slowly. Haig Point and Melrose are gated private communities, and their roads are for members, residents and their guests, so a day visitor stays on the public roads. Each company sets its own driver age: Daufuskie Life asks for 21, H2O Sports for 18. Gas carts are the day rentals at Daufuskie Life and Mungeon Creek; their electric carts go out overnight.
Two names on older lists won’t get you a cart. Wheelz of Hilton Head rents carts for Hilton Head, not for Daufuskie. And Tour Daufuskie, which some guides list for carts, is now a trip-planning website, not a rental desk. For where to go once you have your keys, see our things to do on Daufuskie Island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you rent a golf cart on Daufuskie Island?
Yes. Daufuskie Carts, Daufuskie Life, Island Rental Carts, Mungeon Creek Retreat and Explore Daufuskie rent carts on the island, and the Vagabond boat and H2O Sports water taxi from Harbour Town can book one with your crossing. Reserve before you go, especially in summer.
How much does it cost to rent a golf cart on Daufuskie Island?
The companies that publish prices start at about $65 a day for a four-seat cart; Mungeon Creek charges from $95 a day for a six-seater, and Island Rental Carts $400 for a week. Call the others for a quote.
Where do I pick up a golf cart on Daufuskie Island?
It depends on your boat. The public ferry lands at Melrose Landing, where Daufuskie Carts, Island Rental Carts and Daufuskie Life meet visitors. The Vagabond and Island Head boats land at Freeport Marina, where the Vagabond’s carts are paid for at the general store. H2O Sports leaves its carts at its own dock.
Do you need a golf cart on Daufuskie Island?
For a day trip, yes. There are no cars to rent and the island is about five miles long, so the beach, the historic sites and the restaurants are too far apart to walk between comfortably. A bike you bring over is the other option.
Can you rent bikes on Daufuskie Island?
Not reliably: the island’s e-bike rental was listed as temporarily closed when we checked. Bring a bike on the boat instead; the Vagabond takes them free for guests staying in Sea Pines.
How old do you have to be to drive a golf cart on Daufuskie?
Each company sets its own age. Daufuskie Life requires drivers to be 21 and H2O Sports 18; ask the company you book with.
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