Are powered carts/trolleys worth the money and hassle?

[golfman916]

I can't help but notice the overwhelming number of powered carts at the recent PGA Merchandise show in Orlando. I have never used one and don't intent to anytime soon. The thought of having your bag following you like a caddie sounds great but I am curious, is it worth all the hassles and money? Just sticking with my nimble Transrover for now.

[hckymeyer]

The people at my club that have them really enjoy them.  Get the benefits of walking without the hassle of carrying or pushing something around.  Not really sure how much hassle they are though if you get a good one.

I'd imagine it's kind of like buying a good tool.  Spend the money and get something good and it hurts once when you buy it.  Buy something cheap and low quality and it hurts every time you use it.

[toehold57]

On Black Friday I bought an Alphard Golf eWheels for my Sun Mountain Micro Cart.  I’ve only been able to use it for one full round but having the ability to just walk instead of pushing was a revelation.  I watched my random guy I played with push his cart, you could tell at times it was a bit of a struggle.

I just walked.

 I don’t think I’ll be going back to a regular push cart.

[Paul Hedrick]

I would think another consideration would be the amount of space they take up going to and coming from the course.  I am not sure I would have enough space in my car to hold both my bad and an electric cart. 

[MattF]

1 hour ago, Paul Hedrick said:

I would think another consideration would be the amount of space they take up going to and coming from the course.  I am not sure I would have enough space in my car to hold both my bad and an electric cart. 

Depends on the car Paul. I had a Trailblazer (old one, not the new small one) and it fit quite a lot of crap in the back. I just got a Kia Sportage in October but test fit my cart bag and cart and they fit with the seats up, no problem at all. I'm positive a BatCaddy wouldn't be an issue.

[Middler]

If you can comfortably walk with a manual push cart, I wouldn’t get an electric. But they aren’t a big hassle, they only take up a little more space than a manual cart IME. And I wouldn’t recommend the auto follow carts, a remote is better IMO with the cart is out in front of you. I see more “crashes” with follow carts than remote carts.

I’m 67 and I noticed my back was starting to tighten up after 15-16 holes when I walked, so I bought an electric cart (sig line). It’s not a revelation, but it does make a difference, my back does not tighten up before the end of a round anymore. Walking at a decent but relaxed pace instead of pushing the limit helps. So does sitting for just a minute every couple of holes. Only a couple of the 20+ regulars I play with had electric carts a year ago, now almost half the guys have them…

[Stewart Golf USA]

Walking the course with a Follow or Remote caddie is hassle-free and helps you to save your energy for those last few holes. Using a Follow caddie in particular is the closest thing to playing like a pro, as you can walk handsfree down the fairway, take a drink, check your scorecard, or simply think about your next shot instead of worrying about your bag.

Many golfers like the freedom of being able to switch between Follow and Remote functions as they please, and with our Q Follow and X10 Follow, you can switch seamlessly between both modes, depending on what part of the course you're on (Follow down the fairways and Remote around the greens, for example). 

As mentioned a few times above, the folded size of most electric caddies mean they only take up slightly more space than a manual push cart, with our Q Follow also being labelled as the most compact Follow cart ever (it will even fit nicely inside the front boot of most Porsche's!). 

Everyone has their own preference for how they play, whether that's carrying, pushing, or using an electric caddie, but if you haven't already tried using an electric caddie, we're sure you'll love it! 

[BostonSal]

Walking isn't worth the hassle from my perspective.

[chisag]

On 2/9/2022 at 6:28 AM, Middler said:

If you can comfortably walk with a manual push cart, I wouldn’t get an electric. But they aren’t a big hassle, they only take up a little more space than a manual cart IME.

 

... Imo the only reason not to get an electric cart is the cost. Virtually every golf event you see on TV the players have a caddie. Again my opinion but that is the best way to play golf and an electric cart is the closest thing to a caddie. You get all the benefits of walking, taking your time sizing up your next shot as you approach it walking freely with good posture without holding or pushing anything. Those in hot weather will appreciate being able to carry a gallon of water or more letting the EC do the work of carrying the extra weight. If you are young and fit and can maintain your posture, standard electric carts are pretty cheap. After 2 back surgeries I find holding and guiding an electric cart causes me to lose my posture, especially on hilly courses like my home course. So a remote electric cart is best for me and I would be lost without mine. 

... How often you play can be a factor as well when considering a remote controlled cart. If you play once a week, that's about $15 a round over 2 years which is usually cheaper than renting a cart and of course that price drops the longer you own your cart. But if you play 4-5 times a week the cost is about $3.50 a round and after 5 years it drops to about $1 a round so a no brainer. Personally I prefer my cart to be in front of me and would not like a follow electric cart as a lot of the terrain on my home course is tricky from green to tee with a lot of elevation changes. 

[Middler]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... Imo the only reason not to get an electric cart is the cost. Virtually every golf event you see on TV the players have a caddie. Again my opinion but that is the best way to play golf and an electric cart is the closest thing to a caddie. You get all the benefits of walking, taking your time sizing up your next shot as you approach it walking freely with good posture without holding or pushing anything. Those in hot weather will appreciate being able to carry a gallon of water or more letting the EC do the work of carrying the extra weight. If you are young and fit and can maintain your posture, standard electric carts are pretty cheap. After 2 back surgeries I find holding and guiding an electric cart causes me to lose my posture, especially on hilly courses like my home course. So a remote electric cart is best for me and I would be lost without mine. 

... How often you play can be a factor as well when considering a emote controlled cart. If you play once a week, that's about $15 a round over 2 years which is usually cheaper than renting a cart and of course that price drops the longer you own your cart. But if you play 4-5 times a week the cost is about $3.50 a round and after 5 years it drops to about $1 a round so a no brainer. Personally I prefer my cart to be in front of me and would not like a follow electric cart as a lot of the terrain on my home course is tricky from green to tee with a lot of elevation changes. 

All good points, especially in bold. I had no idea how much difference "walking freely with good posture without holding or pushing anything" would make until I got an EC - it's true IME. Again, an EC eliminated the sore/tight back I was experiencing after 15-16 holes in every round I played when I used my push cart. IMO if you're a senior, it's only a matter of time until the appeal of an EC will become clear, for those of us who don't want to resort to riding carts.

I guess I meant "If you are young and can comfortably walk with a manual push cart, I wouldn’t get an electric. But they aren’t a big hassle, they only take up a little more space than a manual cart IME." I didn't get a sense of the age of the OP...

[GaDawg]

On 2/9/2022 at 8:23 AM, MattF said:

Depends on the car Paul. I had a Trailblazer (old one, not the new small one) and it fit quite a lot of crap in the back. I just got a Kia Sportage in October but test fit my cart bag and cart and they fit with the seats up, no problem at all. I'm positive a BatCaddy wouldn't be an issue.

I transport my clubs and electric cart in the rear of my Honda CRV with no issues. I have had an electric walking cart for over two years and truly love it. It allows me to get needed exercise and I feel that I play better due to being able to think about my next shot as I am approaching it.

[Bosox04]

I have a Kangaroo Z Series, which is a remote. It’s very heavy and stable. I store it at my club, so it’s no hassle at all. There are a lot of others that are lighter, and less expensive, and are very good. I’m very happy with mine. 

[Murv]

 

On 3/16/2022 at 6:10 PM, Bosox04 said:

I have a Kangaroo Z Series, which is a remote. It’s very heavy and stable. I store it at my club, so it’s no hassle at all. There are a lot of others that are lighter, and less expensive, and are very good. I’m very happy with mine. 

I also have a Kangaroo. Bought it second hand at a bargain. Full remote. Thing is indestructible. Have friends with units 30 years old.

But I have to break mine down and haul it back and forth. The weight is wearing on me. Would switch to a different newer, lighter unit but at my age I will be riding before long.

[Bosox04]

10 hours ago, Murv said:

 

I also have a Kangaroo. Bought it second hand at a bargain. Full remote. Thing is indestructible. Have friends with units 30 years old.

But I have to break mine down and haul it back and forth. The weight is wearing on me. Would switch to a different newer, lighter unit but at my age I will be riding before long.

If I couldn’t keep it at the course, I wouldn’t have the Kangaroo. It’s a lot noisier than other models, and less agile, but it is reliable and stable. 

[Middler]

11 hours ago, Murv said:

I also have a Kangaroo. Bought it second hand at a bargain. Full remote. Thing is indestructible. Have friends with units 30 years old.

But I have to break mine down and haul it back and forth. The weight is wearing on me. Would switch to a different newer, lighter unit but at my age I will be riding before long.

I know two guys with Kangaroo electric carts (both bought used), they weigh a ton but break down into 2-3 parts (pics below). Among my regulars, MTI's and BatCaddy's don't make any noise - older Kangaroo's are noisy, older ones are so noisy you can't hit while it's running, it's that annoying. The remote is large/bulky - won't fit in your pocket like an MTI. I wouldn't have an older Kangaroo, but if you want cheap (used) and built like a tank (though there are some plastic parts?), Kangaroo is an option. [I looked at the Kangaroo website and new ones don't look anything like the one below that my buddies own]

Again, I love my MTI Zip Navigator AT - and it will pay for itself after 88 rounds, a little over a year for me.

[DStar]

My home course is pretty hilly so pushing a trolley up & down hill can take it's toll over 18 holes.

I've noticed that I generally play better and feel less fatigued than I did when using an old push cart. It was also given to me for free, just needed a new battery, so win-win for me  

[hohjoe]

I have a BatCaddy X8R and it folds down almost as small as the three-wheeled pushcart I used to own. I have no problems getting my bag and the X8R in my hatchback.

 

I would not want a cart that followed me because I want to either keep the cart in front of me or I want to keep my hand on it.

 

I enjoy walking the course and with the BatCaddy I can walk 2-3 times a week.

[frazzman80]

On 2/8/2022 at 2:10 PM, golfman916 said:

I can't help but notice the overwhelming number of powered carts at the recent PGA Merchandise show in Orlando. I have never used one and don't intent to anytime soon. The thought of having your bag following you like a caddie sounds great but I am curious, is it worth all the hassles and money? Just sticking with my nimble Transrover for now.

I got my Transrover for Christmas and I absolutely love it! It's so easy to use that I set it up in 1-2 minutes in the parking lot and walk it to the clubhouse ready to go. If I walk awesome...the wheels stay out. If I ride, awesome, 45 seconds and it's on the cart. I played a round a few weeks ago where my dad was late to the course, so I walked the first 7 holes and then when he arrived and picked me up in the cart on 8, I just converted it to a cart bag, strapped it in and off we went in literally 2 minutes.

It's phenomenal for it's versatility and fits perfectly in the hatchback of my Prius. If you walk, or ride, I highly recommend it. Did I mention the design of the club holders is amazing. No clicking/rattling clubs regardless of configuration. They don't even click or rattle while driving in the car!

Edited March 31, 2023 by frazzman80