Electric Golf Trolley

I'm in the process of buying an electric golf trolley for the first time and would like advice on which brand and model to purchase.

Powakaddy appears to be the market leader and the most expensive.

Are the other brands as good as or better than powakaddy? or is powakaddy the only way to go?

Cheers!

Powakaddy is the way to go

Hi Phenom

Money permitting, there are basically two options, powakaddy or motocaddy. They are fairly similar in price and far and away the best trolleys on the market. You'll find lots of alternatives on the internet but if you want a quality product with good aftersales service then stick to these two. I have tried various cheap ones, now have a powakaddy and it's been faultless in the 2 years I've had it.

Patiently awaiting SR's comment on this one!

I know some people hate them but I think the Go Kart trolleys look pretty good and seem to be good value for money. Looking at their website you can also do a free 28 day trial, no strings, cant say fairer than that really.

JD, I split between carrying and a trolley. More to do with posture though. I play a lot and over the course of time I wouldn't want to develop back problems.

I understand that, but I seem to recall a similar thread when you went off on one of your anti-obesity rants.

Trolleys are a good alternative, particularly for 36 hole evnts and of course to prevent back problems

Don't go electric trolley - Go Clic Gear trolley.

You use little more energy pushing it, yet save considerably on the price, plus it is very small in your boot of your car.

I haven't got one, but friends have and I was amazed at how little energy was needed to push them.

http://www.clicgear.com/

Surely Stewart are the most expensive? Does anyone else do the remote control?

SJ

I think the Stewart ones come in around the grand mark. Only posey Essex scaffolders would be seen dead with one of them

SmithersJones wrote:Surely Stewart are the most expensive? Does anyone else do the remote control?

I've got a Pro-Trolley with a Remote Control, but rarely use it.

JD, It wasn't me who went off on a rant about them. I've used one long before I joined any golf forum. I might have been involved in a rant, but I've always defended their use.
I am however against the use of buggies as I can never envisage any situation where walking isn't preferable.

On the trolley situation, i've got a Powakaddy but come replacement time I'll probably get a push one as they are lighter, don't require a battery and are virtually frictionless.

If anyone suggests that using a trolley is an old-man thing, I point out to them that the Pros don’t carry their own clubs for a reason.

I think the push trolleys are a decent alternative if you play on a flat course but would be a total waste of time round my track which is quite undulating. I've never seen anyone other than visitors with one.

I have a push trolley Powakaddy make but not an electric one. They are perfect for most courses but are a bit of a shove when you are going uphill. I console myself that
a) it's better for the planet (Mac will approve)
b) We are meant to expand energy when taking part in sport

Buggies are sometimes the ONLY way that hitherto healthy golfers can continue to play....what harm is in that if it keeps a person in the game

That's always brought up and I would have thought that was a given, but a healthy person ought to be able to walk for 18 holes without being unduly troubled.

Ah yes, that's right, it was buggies wasn't it!

Take it back..... and you are right any normal human being should beable to walk 18 holes whilst carrying.... I reckon even Shane Lowery could

JD, he'd be like the Bisto kids though if he got a wiff of a distant burger van.

A never ending debate here in the states. I'm of the opinion that golfers play better when they walk, play more quickly and obviously also derive some additional health benefits. (I belong to a club with an excellent caddie program, walking option at all times, and carts ONLY available if there's a medical need.)

But -- the REALITY is if you are an owner of a public course and wish to feed your family with the revenue the course generates you better have a cart program. (Did you see the temperatures in most of the US this past week?) Bottom line, the paying public will pay up for the service of a cart.

Shotrock, I take it carts are pretty endemic in the states, no doubt a symptom of the lack of local public transport and general unwillingness to walk any further than the end of their driveway?
No surprise that they make Shane Lowry look like a skeleton.

I have a Powakaddy freeway2 ive had it just over 2 years and its been back to powakaddy 3 times. Burnt out motor once and the control panel twice. If you go for a Freeway make sure you keep the on/off switch and display panel nice and dry in the rain. To be fair Powakaddy did fix each problem but it was hardly convenient. I'll be trying Motocaddy next.

I agree with the sentiment about walking (and I much prefer to myself) there are courses where it actually is more practical to have a buggy due to green to tee distances and gradients. I can rattle off a few courses that I wouldn't want to walk.
Aphrodite hills
Kapalua Plantation
Castle Combe
Ashbury Manor - Kigbeare

We had a guy of about 85 who could only get round with his buggy which was of the small fold up 3 wheel type. We allowed it but since he passed away we don't allow buggies now due to health and safety regulations (due to a couple of slopes on the course which were rated unsafe by the SGU). It caused a few problems with guys who had bought them but that was that. I myself have a touch of arthritis in my hip and after about 9 holes I would love a buggy. I sympathise with people who cannot walk 18 holes.

I don't see the problem if you need it, there's a few coffin dodgers at the club who use them, and from a health and safety point of view I've seen 3 very serious "accidents" from the use of the two seater variety. I think one guy actually fractured his skull and was in a very bad way, whilst a woman fell out and got run over by her own buggy and another fell out and broke their ankle. No doubt drink was taken.

S_R - You are making a silly leap of logic (IMO), and feeding into a typical stereotype. Lack of public transport is due to many factors, not the least of which is the size of this country, the pockets of industry/workers, and the build up and reliance on the automobile.

Carts are "endemic" in the states because they meet a market demand. Wheels of capitalism turning my friend.

Trolleys are a personal thing and if you want value for money and quality, with great after sales service there are only 2 choices for me. I discounted Hillbilly, Powacaddy as too many times have I seen mates struggle with dodgy batteries, broken bits ......

Cheap and cheerfull, with fantastic after sales, and not bad looks, is the GoKart. Simple, sturdy and cheap. Top end has to be the Revolution. I invested in one last year, and its brilliant, 2 of my mates have also now taken the plunge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIgxS5-pHsM Fantastic bit of kit, which will never break because the build quality is exceptional, and after all the people who make it (UK) do most of the repairs on Powacaddy etc becaus ethey know electric motors better than anyone else. So designed and built something to counter all the repair problems they were getting with other competitors kit.

I know how much I love the game and would hate to think that when the time of declining health comes, either through age or misfortune, I could not play the game because of prejudices on how my clubs should be transported round the course.

At the moment I would never ride a cart, and don’t think any able bodied player should, but if a player has no other option then so be it. One thing is for certain no course should be constructed with cart parts or so that carts are a necessity to get around the course.

As for electric carts again if able bodied I would say carry as many clubs as you can. I have a long term back issue, what golfer doesn’t, so just carry 10ish clubs in a light bag. If I am playing 36 then sometimes there is no option other than a trolley.

Mac, As people have said ad nauseum no one has a problem with people using a buggy if they aren't able to walk 18 holes, and while I can easily carry my clubs no problem as I often do during weeknight golf, I like to use a trolley whilst playing competition as it helps to save that little bit of energy and stops my shoulders slumping late on in the round. I think with carrying you can get that little bit of almost imperceptible weariness that you don't realise until you finish, especially if you're carrying in expectation of poor weather.

Mac - I agree with that! Unfortunately, there are many courses in the US that are near impossible to play without a cart. Trump National just outside of Philadelphia is a good example. I think it must be near a quarter of a mile from green to next tee on at least on of their holes. Lazy routing? Owner mandate? Who knows.

Agree about Castle Combe, JAS. A friend is a member there, and I've only ever played it in a buggy. I normally carry, and one day I will carry round there. He uses a Stewart.

Shotrock

That is the other side of the argument is it not. It is all very well for me to say it is the ideal to design courses that do not need carts, and for others to agree, but if those building the courses do not desire such courses then where do I stand. Would I rather see no new courses built or those with cart paths?

One thing I think is for sure if you are an architect putting together a routing knowing there will be a cart path super highway then any small imperfections in the land can be ignored and the next hole placed wherever you want. I wonder how many of the great holes are a result of having to use what the land presented and having to make do with that as opposed to picking the 18 best hole sites.

I give The Electric Golf Trolley credit for one thing only, Slow Play !!

Over the last 10 years or so ive seen a dramatic increase in slow play due to the increasing number of people using Electric Trolleys / Buggeys. Far to many people have the thing set to amble mode, and automatically head for the wrong side of the green. Anything that can be set to less than walking pace is a bad idea !!. I know people need them / Rely on them much like the GPS / SAT nav devices. The thing is i don't mind people taking time over the shot, but you still need to get to the ball within a reasonable time !!. Is the reliance on these outside aids coming at the detrement of the spirit of the game of golf ??, i aslo see no need for the people who run round the course. We all no thats so you can squezze in an extra 2 pints before the missus turns up !!

Peeps,
Trolleys have been around for decades, they are no more responsible for the pace of play than any of the other reasons (of which there are many) which contribute to slow play.
The fact that they are electric is irrelevant, as a push trolley can be pushed at a snails pace too, just as someone carrying a bag can often walk as if they are heading to the gallows.

There is no one thing in particular which is the root cause of slow play, it is a comibination of many things.

dr_peeps wrote:I give The Electric Golf Trolley credit for one thing only, Slow Play !!

Over the last 10 years or so ive seen a dramatic increase in slow play due to the increasing number of people using Electric Trolleys / Buggeys. Far to many people have the thing set to amble mode, and automatically head for the wrong side of the green. Anything that can be set to less than walking pace is a bad idea !!. I know people need them / Rely on them much like the GPS / SAT nav devices. The thing is i don't mind people taking time over the shot, but you still need to get to the ball within a reasonable time !!. Is the reliance on these outside aids coming at the detrement of the spirit of the game of golf ??, i aslo see no need for the people who run round the course. We all no thats so you can squezze in an extra 2 pints before the missus turns up !!

Surely the type of person who is going to amble around the course will do so whether or not they have a trolley. A human programs there own walking pace just like you can program a trolley, different people have different settings.

I have a Hill-Billy with great support service.
Phone before noon & the part you need is delivered the next day.

Can't fault it.

From what i can see because the effort of carrying or pulling the clubs has been removed people inherantly use less effort to get round the course, hence slowing them down. Not everyone i may add, may have a lot to do with the age of some of these punters also. I guess the same people would be just as slow if carrying or pulling. Golf never used to take this long 10-20 years ago. I mean juniors taking 4 hours in a 3 ball with power trolleys, makes me sick !!. 6 years time i will join the masses i guess. oww the pain !!

I'm in my sixties so I am not yet old enough for an electric trolley.
Strangely enough I can still manage to get round 18 holes in less than 3.5 hours.
I use a Powacaddy push trolley which is excellent, nae bother with batteries, leads, breakdowns etc.
As for buggies, well, the lazy Americans use them and look at thier average girth.

Courses like Castle Coombe design thier courses like that so thier visitors and members have to pay for a buggy hire.
Another great piece of American free market thinking.

I need a new trolley, the clip looked good, I do like the fact it folds that small and batteries are a but of a hassle.

I've only seen a Golfstream Revolution once, and it was on the back of a buggy being returned to the clubhouse having broken down. I must say they do look great though, and if they are reliable then they'll be fantastic.

For most people, it's a choice between Hillbilly and Powakaddy. They are both the same company though, so it's a bit of a monopoly really.

Both are reliable, hard wearing, and best of all there are hundreds of places to get spares and repairs done.

Most people who don't buy a Powakaddy first time around do so about 2 years later.

I can't really see a problem in using a buggy - carrying clubs/pulling a trolley is hardly the type of workout that will burn off most golfers' penchant for bacon sandwiches before and pasties during a round!?!

I've played a few courses where buggies should be compulsory because the green to tee walks are so far that a 5-6 hour round is possible without. I have no problems in using a buggy if I want a quick round but do find walking the course better for my game.

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:I have a Hill-Billy with great support service.
Phone before noon & the part you need is delivered the next day.

Can't fault it.

Quite agree - I've had my Hill Billy for years and love it. Bought it before Powacaddy bought out the company but the service is still excellent as SetUp says.

I really hate using buggies but its not because I have a problem with people being lazy, I just enjoy walking a course more (preferably wit ha trolley if its hilly). But totally agree that some courses its just not practical, think it was Gleneagles new course I played last year where a buggy would have been a lifesaver.
I remember playong a course in Estoril where you could walk and there were buggies waiting to carry you between the holes if the distance was a bit of a trot, I liked that idea.

Doon - Lazy Americans? You don't seem to have an understanding as to carts, the revenue they produce and the market demand for such here in the states. As long as you're lobbing stereotypes, I guess this is where I start lobbing back comments about the cheapskate Scot who won't spend the money for a cart ... Enuf already ...

Shotrock's right, all those carts subsidise my greens fees as I always walk and carry my clubs; can't stand it when I'm playing a course that mandates carts. Though those courses usually have a drinks cart coming round so there are compensations.
Can still never understand the British obession with trolleys, always seem more trouble than they're worth.

Shotrock wrote: Doon - Lazy Americans? You don't seem to have an understanding as to carts, the revenue they produce and the market demand for such here in the states. As long as you're lobbing stereotypes, I guess this is where I start lobbing back comments about the cheapskate Scot who won't spend the money for a cart ... Enuf already ...

Shotrock, it's not a stereotype to say that Yanks don't do much walking when compared to those in the UK. Whether that's down to cheap fuel, poor local public transport or the car culture in America I'm not sure, but selling buggies to American's is easier than selling to Britons because American's are inherently more idle. You just have to be seen walking anywhere in America to get some very strange looks.

I'd have to agree with SR there whenever i play in the states I get some seriously weird looks for walking when most have buggies even playing partners have buggies and wonder why i'm walking and seem even more amazed that I make it to my ball before they do in their carts. When I played Doral earlier this year I went out of the complex for a general wander and got stopped by one guy saying why you walking when you got a perfectly good hire car, the look on his face when I said I fancied a stroll was one of astonishment

s_r,
Your sweeping generalisations are often inappropriate and think you'll find that there are regions in the States where walking or cycling is more common than in Britain, certainly much of New England, the North-west, Colorado.

But agree that your "root causes" are all spot on.

Don't judge the USA by what you see in Florida, Maverick, an exception to almost every rule, thank goodness. Some parts of the States are really quite civilised.

Fortunately Kwini i've travelled all over the states for work and been fortunate enough to play in all of those locations and must say the Florida bunch really are odd bread. Have to say best place I've been for being able to get out and about and enjoy outdoor pursuits would be one of three places Scotsdale due to climate and fact was great for cycling,Washington though it's everyones cup of tea I loved the place and enjoyed walking round and seeing some of the sights!! or Philly was another place I enjoyed but everywhere else has fell into stereotype city for me

New York has to be one of the great cities to walk around in the world. Ive also had a great time walking around San Francisco and even Vegas. Plenty of Americans were doing the same thing.

Agree with NYC and SFO (don't really know Vegas) Digs, on a smaller scale Charleston (SC) and Savannah are also gems, designed for walking (horses more likely) really. Plus most University towns are great for getting around on foot or two wheels.