Peachtree City got some love from the national media last week when the New York Times’ real estate magazine featured a story on what usually draws the attention of out-of-towners: the city’s copious amounts of golf carts.

The piece provided numerous facts on golf carts and their usage in the city, and pointed out that life on the cart paths is a side trip into the leisurely lifestyle.

Or, as they quoted Mayor Harold Logsdon: “Getting on a golf cart and going to the grocery store or a restaurant, you’re not in this big rush. You’re traveling along at 15 or 20 miles an hour through the path system. It just kind of slows things down, which is a good thing.”

Of course, now that spring is in full bloom more folks are hitting the cart paths for errants and short trips, but even in cold weather there’s one demographic of die-hard golf cart users: students at McIntosh High School.

Since the city reduced the cart-driving age to 15 a few years ago (as long as the students have a driver’s permit), many youngsters have jumped at the chance to drive to school as opposed to taking the school bus or bumming a ride from a friend with a full driver’s license.

The latest thing to hit the paths though are more-visible police officers patrolling the path system on four-wheelers. A number of residents have requested this due to safety concerns on the path system including reckless activity by those driving carts, riding bikes or the variety of pedestrians that use the cart paths.

Officials have cautioned against speeding on the paths previously, as the meandering paths have a number of blind spots that have caused numerous close calls and some injuries.