By Matt Smith
Have you ever wondered how your local club manages to acquire, maintain and upgrade those little four-wheeled booths of luxury that are on hand to whisk you around the course, keep you in the shade and act as a virtual caddie? Those buggies that wait loyally by your side as you chop up your favourite 18 holes, offering yardages and cool drinks all while carrying your clubs? 

Well, it is not as logistically complicated or as costly for your club as you may think, thanks to Green Valley Holdings’ Luxury Carts Group. Chances are they are involved in getting you on the move during your game in one way or another.

Established in 2008 by owner and president Abubakr Balubaid in Jeddah with the aim to provide a solution for those in need of small-wheel electric vehicles, this company rapidly grew to become a regional leader in end-to-end supply and maintenance of not only golf carts, but turf machinery, commercial and industrial utility vehicles, power sports vehicles, batteries, parts and accessories. From cart delivery to repairs and turf care, LCG are involved behind the scenes in every area of golf course vehicle needs.

“The business started out in Saudi Arabia as a cart company and has progressed into what it is today. The most drastic changes came in 2020 when we signed up with many premium brands, Club Car and Trojan are two that particularly stand out,” explains Nathan Williamson, Green Valley Holdings CEO. 

“The strategic partnerships opened additional revenue streams for us to focus on across the region particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We witnessed immediate success as we could now deliver the world’s most powerful brands which included the smartest and most eco-friendly vehicles, from there our expansion has been a memorable one.

“The demand for business has allowed us to expand on many levels. Increasing the number locations we have and drastically adding to our staff levels by adding an additional 100 staff only to our Luxury Carts business.”

One of the keys to this is aligning with the ‘eco-friendly’ policy that LCG and Green Valley Holdings embrace, and it sure opened the doors while aligning with the Saudi 2030 Vision.

“Luxury Carts has successfully won vast market share in the region,” says Williamson, “and with that success, we have been able to expand into other areas of sustainable supply solutions, notably in our Oasis Battery Solutions where we provide all types of batteries to the marine, telecommunications, mobility and access markets — simply put, diversification in a sustainable way is a big part of our future. 

“Our Infinicut lithium battery mowers are world leaders and are used across the world, not only golf courses but also at major venues including Wembley, Anfield, Old Trafford and will be used at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.”

This is also having a knock-on effect on the perception of Saudi Arabia across the globe.

“We are the leading dealership in UAE and Saudi for electric carts,” Williamson continues. “With over 95 per cent of the golf car market electric, this is great for the environment as we move away from gasoline or diesel-hungry vehicles — not only carts but also turf machinery and mowers. 

“This makes sense not only in helping the environment but also helping alter false perceptions of Saudi Arabia, where many outsiders think they rely solely on oil. When in fact a substantial percentage of the Saudi GDP is in the industrial and manufacturing trades, not oil.” 

Luxury Carts Group helps in other ways to move people and equipment around the course, especially at some of the biggest golf tournaments in the region. 

“We support the European Tour, Aramco Team Series and LIV Golf events by providing transportation for players and support staff for the events,” explains Williamson. “It’s fantastic to see the ladies’ game growing with the support from Golf Saudi and the Aramco Team Series has become a major part of the ladies’ golfing calendar. It’s a privilege to be a part of it.”

Just like their carts, things rarely stay still at LCG, and they have come up with yet another novel concept to help with logistics and sustainability. 

“Green Valley has the market share of carts at golf courses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and we have recently tapped into a new, sustainable and economically logical market — cart rental.

“With the population and popular events occurring in Saudi Arabia, we hold the largest rental fleet in the region with over 500 vehicles and can provide rentals for not only events but for the famous ‘seasons’ that have been occurring across Saudi Arabia starting with Riyadh season in a couple of months all the way through to Jeddah season next April/May. 

“We are also looking to expand into the powersports market and recently have been awarded distribution rights for Segway Off-road, who manufacture SSV, ATV & UTV for multipurpose uses.”

Green Valley Holdings now has numerous businesses under its umbrella as well as Luxury Carts, including a landscape maintenance business (Oasis Hills) a garden centre chain (The Garden Concept) a chemical, fertiliser and irrigation trading company (Tasco), a transportation solution business in Mecca (Tanaqol), a sports facilitation and tours business (Oasis Sports) and a battery business (Oasis Battery Solutions). 

So there’s plenty to ponder next time you get behind the wheel and set off on another 18 holes with your faithful electric companion.

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Green Valley Holdings operations

Luxury Carts Group
Design and deliver end-to-end mobility solutions, catering to golf, utility, transportation and powersports customers.

Oasis Hills
World-class landscaping and irrigation construction and maintenance.  

Oasis Community Sports
Provide school facility management, academies from mass participation to elite level programmes as well as hosting professional sports teams. 

Tasco
Provide and supply Saudi Arabia with irrigation solutions as well as eco-friendly chemicals and fertilizers for all landscape solutions including golf courses and sports pitches.

Tanaqol
Mecca-based operation to supply mobility and transport solutions to pilgrims performing Umrah and Hajj.

The Garden Concept
Located in the centre of urban Dubai, this is a lifestyle destination that provides various products and services where we aim to create inspirational spaces amid peace and tranquility. 

Oasis Battery Solutions
Oasis Battery Solution is a one-stop solution for all motive/storage battery, component and accessory requirements across the GCC.