atrout34

Hey All, super stoked to be a part of this team/forum. I've been a long time lurker and finally want to contribute back where i can, as i feel more comfortable with the game.
Ive been playing for about a year now. I love how you can reduce all stress by just going out enjoying nature and slamming on some golf balls (although frustrating when you cant hit the darn thing without slicing). I have a friend that introduced me to the site, and again just want to be a apart of a bigger community and hopefully give my 2 cents on products that I will acquire throughout the years. Im active duty in fayetteville, NC and we have 2 nice courses on post, stryker and ryder. The worst is probably the humidity here, but being a native from virginia its not too bad. The best is we, have southern, where there are amazing tour golf courses that I have the ability to play. Being active duty military, I am a soldier first, but I am also an oral surgeon, and last but not least my user name is my name

Hello all,
I am currently what you would call a high handicapper (28), but I am very new to the game having only been playing for 6 months.   I love how challenging golf can be compared to other sports.  I have always been very athletic but golf has humbled me for sure.  Strength without technique is useless and this challenge has me completely hooked and obsessed.  Seeing someone half my size effortlessly rip them past me gets my competitive fire going and has me committed to becoming a competent golfer.  My obsession to learn and know everything has brought me to MGS.  Sure I would like to eventually test new products because that sounds amazing, but the information brought me in.  I live in the Raleigh NC area and don't yet have a home course.  With only 6 months under my belt, I am still exploring new courses with every round.  NC has a long golfing season but the heat and humidity isn't ideal for someone like me with New England blood coursing through my veins.  I am a sales manager by profession but an athlete at heart.  Nothing beats getting outdoors and competing, nothing!  Oh, my user name that was easy, it's my name.  So much for creativity or anonymity. 

I'll start by saying this is my first pushcart. About 20-some years ago I bought a pullcart, so that is all I really have to compare to.
For Christmas, my wife ordered me this pushcart. I had expressed interest in getting a decent cart that would allow me to walk more often - I was OK with using my crappy old pullcart for 9 holes, but there was no way I would attempt to pull that thing for 18. Although price was a consideration (my wife was looking at carts in the $200 range), my primary constraint was how small the cart folded. I have a 2016 Hyundai Genesis Coupe and trunk space is at a premium. As it is, I have to remove my D, 3W, and Orange Whip from my golf bag to get it in the trunk.

From a maneuverability perspective, the fixed front wheel has an obvious effect, requiring one to tilt back to turn, but it feels natural to me. I had concerns about the small front wheel and whether it would get stuck in any holes, ruts, or uneven terrain I might encounter, but so far there has been no issue. The base is also wide enough that the cart never feels like it is going to tip when I am on a side slope.
The construction seems sturdy - nothing feels "sloppy" or loose and the cart rolls smooth and straight. Compared to the Most Wanted list, this cart is near the lower end in weight at ~15 lbs., so not a lot of extra effort is needed to push.
The braking mechanism is a lever under the right side of the handle bar. Flip the lever and a pin is pushed out and catches one of the spokes of the right wheel.
The storage compartment has plenty of room for everything I would want to stash in there, including a separate pocket with a velcro tab which is the perfect size for my phone. There is a ball pouch that will hold 3-4 balls. There are also a couple nylon straps to secure optional accessories (GPS/phone holder, cup holder, umbrella holder). The umbrella holder was included with the cart. There are removable "blanks" in holes in the top of the storage compartment for these accessories. The compartment lid is held down by small magnets, so the lid doesn't flop on bumpy terrain.

And it does indeed fold up pretty small.

Again, since I have no frame of reference, it is difficult to compare, but to me it seems like a smooth and easy move to unfold or fold the cart. It is not a one-handed operation, but certainly does not require much effort. To fold, just press a button near the intersection of all the bars and lift the handle and the cart collapses without much force required. The front wheel also has a release so it can fold back, but you don't have to fold it back as it still fits in my trunk with the front wheel extended. To unfold, set the cart on the ground and lift the handle. A second hand is usually required to push on the lower portion until it locks.
So far, it does not appear durability will be an issue, but only time will tell.
I do have a few minor issues (in no particular order):
Both bags I have are stand bags - the legs interfere with the supports, making it a little tricky to strap in securely oriented the way I would like. With my Bridgestone bag, I have found that if I leave the velcro strap that secures the legs undone, pressing the bag into place gets the leg mounts below the cart's support pads. This causes the legs to pop out a little bit, then I can pull them in and secure them with the velcro. In my reading, it seems this is a somewhat common issue and may be more of a bag design issue than cart. Obviously a cart bag makes this a moot point and am strongly considering a new bag in the near future, but I am generally not a fan of the size of cart bags. Optional accessories - I have seen a few carts that have built-in phone/gps and cup holders. Considering I need to keep my phone in my left front pocket and my bag has a bottle pocket, I don't consider this a big issue. Perhaps these become optional because of the price point? The pencil holder does not secure a pencil well at all. I lost the pencil that came with the cart during my first round. Brake durability - with the way the pin mounts and with a 3-spoke wheel, there have been occasions that I engage the brake, let go, and the cart rolls a bit until a spoke hits the pin. Given that it can be up to almost a 120* rotation before a spoke hits the pin, the cart can generate some decent momentum depending on the slope of the ground. My fear is that if I am not careful and a spoke bashes the pin a few too many times, this may become a point of failure. In summary, so far I am very pleased with this cart and it makes walking a lot more enjoyable than it has been in the past.
If anything else pops up, I will add to this thread.
Thanks for reading.
 

I always thought the lottery was a sham until I won a few years ago. Augusta National is something that truly is indescribable!

Collins Hill Golf Course was one of the first courses I ever played! That was back when it was called Springbrooke Golf Club. 

Yessir... I live in Gwinnett. Let me know if you want to play Sugarloaf.