Quick answer: The SGC Club Car Onward/Tempo Nerf Bars are the best all-around pick for most owners — a bolt-on black steel step set for 2017+ carts at about $168.95, no drilling required. Yamaha G14-G22 owners get better corrosion resistance from Jake’s Stainless Steel Nerf Bars (about $194.95). Lifted carts need the MadJax Recon Series drop-down side step (about $470.95), which is purpose-built to bridge the taller step-in height that a lift kit creates. Owners who trailer their cart often should look at SGC’s Retractable Running Boards (about $228.95), which fold flush against the frame instead of catching on a ramp.
Top golf cart running boards at a glance
| Running board | Best for | Fitment | Material | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC Club Car Onward/Tempo Nerf Bars | Best overall | Club Car Onward/Tempo 2017+ | Powder-coated steel | ~$168.95 | ★★★★★ |
| Jake's Yamaha Stainless Steel Nerf Bars | Best for corrosion resistance | Yamaha G14-G22, all models | Stainless steel | ~$194.95 | ★★★★☆ |
| SGC Retractable Running Boards | Best for trailering | Club Car, EZGO TXT/RXV, Yamaha Drive/Drive2 | Thick-gauge steel | ~$228.95 | ★★★★☆ |
| MadJax Recon Series Drop-Down Step | Best for lifted carts | Club Car, EZGO TXT/RXV, Yamaha G29/Drive | Armor-coated steel | ~$470.95 | ★★★★½ |
1. SGC Club Car Onward/Tempo Nerf Bars — Best Overall
SGC Club Car Onward/Tempo Nerf Bars
- A black powder-coated steel step set built specifically for 2017-and-newer Club Car Onward and Tempo models, bolting to existing frame points with no drilling.
- SGC sells the same design for EZGO RXV (2008+) at the same roughly $168.95 price, so the pick holds across both brands if you're cross-shopping.
- The straightforward bolt-on design keeps install time under an hour with basic hand tools, according to the retailer's fitment notes.
Running boards live outside in mud, wet grass, and gravel, so replacement mounting hardware is the kind of small part that’s easy to lose track of — a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial gets a replacement bolt kit or a second set to your door in two days instead of a special order through a local cart shop. The SGC set is the default pick here because it covers both Club Car and EZGO at the same price point without stepping up to stainless steel or a drop-down mechanism most owners don’t need.
2. Jake’s Yamaha Stainless Steel Nerf Bars — Best for Corrosion Resistance
Jake's Yamaha G14-G22 Stainless Steel Nerf Bars
- Full stainless steel construction rather than powder-coated steel, which matters most for coastal owners or anyone who runs the cart on wet turf year-round.
- Covers the full Yamaha G14 through G22 model range in one listing, wider brand coverage than most single-generation kits.
- Priced only about $26 above the SGC Club Car set despite the stainless upgrade, which makes it an easy step up for Yamaha owners specifically.
3. SGC Retractable Running Boards — Best for Trailering
SGC Retractable Running Boards
- Extra-thick steel boards that fold flush against the cart's frame when not in use, instead of staying fixed in the extended position.
- The retracted profile matters most when loading onto a trailer ramp — a fixed nerf bar is the most common thing that catches or scrapes during loading.
- Sold across Club Car Precedent/Tempo, EZGO TXT/RXV, and Yamaha Drive/Drive2 fitments, with all mounting hardware included per the listing.
4. MadJax Recon Series Drop-Down Step — Best for Lifted Carts
MadJax Recon Series Drop-Down Nerf Bar
- An armor-coated matte finish with an integrated drop-down side step, built specifically to shorten the reach on carts that already have a [lift kit](/best/best-golf-cart-lift-kit/) raising the ride height.
- Sold in model-specific kits — MadJax splits EZGO TXT into a 1995-2013 fitment and a separate T48 (2014-22) fitment, and covers Club Car Precedent (04-21), Tempo/Onward (17+), EZGO RXV (08-up), and Yamaha G29/Drive (2007-2016) as distinct listings.
- Ships with cart-specific mounting brackets for both driver and passenger sides, no drilling required, per the manufacturer.
How to choose golf cart running boards
- Match fitment to your exact model year, not just your brand. MadJax alone splits EZGO TXT into two separate kits by year — ordering off brand name alone is the most common return reason across these listings.
- Go stainless if you’re near the coast or run wet turf year-round. Jake’s stainless steel option costs roughly $26 more than a powder-coated steel set but won’t develop surface rust in the same conditions.
- Lifted cart means a drop-down step, not a standard nerf bar. A lift kit raises the step-in height enough that a fixed bar no longer closes the gap the way it did at stock height — the MadJax Recon’s drop-down design is purpose-built for that.
- Trailer your cart? Get a retractable set. A fixed running board is the most common thing that catches on a loading ramp; a retractable design folds flush against the frame before you drive it up.
- Confirm the hardware is included. Every kit compared here ships with mounting brackets, but always check the specific listing before ordering — installing without the correct model-specific bracket is what turns a one-hour bolt-on job into a return.
The bottom line
The SGC Club Car Onward/Tempo Nerf Bars are the right first buy for most owners — a straightforward bolt-on steel step at the lowest price here, with the same design also sold for EZGO RXV. Yamaha owners near the coast should spend the extra $26 on Jake’s stainless steel version instead. If you’ve already added a lift kit, skip straight to the MadJax Recon Series drop-down step — a standard nerf bar won’t close the taller step-in gap the way it’s designed to. And if you trailer the cart regularly, the SGC Retractable Running Boards are worth the extra cost over a fixed set just to stop catching the board on the ramp. See our best golf cart accessories roundup for what most owners add next.