» Free golf cart shuttles from SunPass prove godsend,
PALM BEACH GARDENS — When it’s hot and crowded, the 10-minute walk from the Honda Classic entrance to the Bear Trap can feel longer than it actually is — especially if you’re lugging lawn chairs or strollers.
A new shuttle service from just inside the tournament entrance to the 15th through 17th holes is a godsend for the injured, elderly and parents of tired toddlers. The free golf cart shuttles sponsored by SunPass run all day, according to tournament organizers.
Hobbling along on crutches, Charlie Dennis said he probably wouldn’t have made it to the Bear Trap to use his tickets without the shuttle.
The professional soccer player with the Nashville Soccer Club is doing rehab in West Palm Beach after surgery for a torn knee ligament Feb. 6.
“It was all good, no wait,” said Dennis, who was a captain for Palm Beach Atlantic University’s team.
Spectators piled on and off the shuttles all afternoon. The stop closest to the tournament entrance was on the far side of the putting green near the Legends Club entrance.
Rows of chairs set up by a refreshment stand near the Bear Trap complex allowed people to sit while they waited for return shuttles. Just like the rest of the tournament, the shuttles are run by volunteers who do not accept tips.
Nancy Hughes, of Jupiter, said the shuttles were a pleasant surprise when she arrived.
“It was convenient. They were prompt, and they were friendly,” she said of the drivers.
Larry Makela and 12-yearold son, Thomas, said he learned about the new shuttle on the tournament’s website and called it “phenomenal.” It knocks a lot of time off the trip to the Bear, he said — which means more time to watch the golf.
“It helps out tremendously,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people know about it because there’s no line for it, but it’s a great deal.”