If you drive a golf cart along the Grand Strand, a parking shake-up is coming. At an early-August 2026 city workshop, Myrtle Beach staff laid out a plan that would more than double the number of golf cart–only parking spaces near the north-end beach accesses — a direct response to a parking squeeze the city created earlier this year.

Here’s what’s on the table, why it’s happening, and what it means if you own or rent a cart in the area.

What’s changing

The proposal would grow designated golf cart spaces from 228 today to as many as 522 in the beach-access corridor between 34th Avenue North and 82nd Avenue North. That stretch currently holds about 670 metered parking spots across 34 beach access points.

As Assistant City Manager Josh Bruegger put it, “It doubles where we are right now.”

The city would create the new capacity two ways:

  • Converting metered spaces: Removing eight full-size metered vehicle spots and re-striping them as golf cart–only parking.
  • Reopening grassy areas: Adjusting the ordinance so carts can once again park on the grassy areas at select beach accesses that are popular with locals.

Why this came up in the first place

Golf carts were technically never allowed to park on the grassy areas at beach accesses. For years it happened anyway — until the city recently began enforcing that long-standing ban, a move prompted by Mayor Mark Kruea, who noted the rules were already being enforced elsewhere in the city.

The crackdown solved one problem and created another: suddenly there weren’t enough legal places for carts to park. This new plan is the city’s attempt to strike a balance — keep the rules enforceable while giving cart owners real, marked spaces to use.

The money side

The trade-offs are modest. Removing those eight metered spots costs the city roughly $3,000 a year in lost meter revenue. But freeing up regular spaces that carts had been occupying lets the city recapture $3/hour (or $15/day) from out-of-town vehicles — so the math is close to a wash.

What’s next — and the pushback

The plan isn’t final. Several residents have already raised safety and congestion concerns, and the proposal is expected to head back to City Council for further direction before anything is locked in. The ordinance tweaks are eligible for a council vote at an upcoming meeting.

If it moves forward, officials say the physical changes — new striping and signage — should appear within a few weeks to a month of the legislative process wrapping up.

What it means if you drive a cart in Myrtle Beach

A few practical takeaways for owners and visitors:

  • More legal spaces are coming, but until signs and striping change, the grassy-lot ban is still being enforced — park in marked golf cart spots to avoid a ticket.
  • Know the corridor: the 34th–82nd Avenue North stretch is where the biggest changes will land.
  • Renting for a beach trip? Confirm with your rental operator where street-legal carts can legally park during your stay, since the rules are actively shifting this season.

Golf carts are woven into the fabric of Grand Strand life, and moves like this show cities working to make room for them rather than push them out. We’ll update this post as the City Council takes its next vote.

Thinking about buying or renting a street-legal cart for the Myrtle Beach area? Browse trusted golf cart dealers on Cart & Buggy to find sales, service, and rentals near you.