How to choose a golf trolley... Power or push? Feature-packed or streamline? 18-hole or 36-hole battery? Remote control? There's much to consider
How To Choose A Golf Trolley
There has been a sea change over the last 30 years in all golf equipment categories, but perhaps none more so than the golf trolley.
The best golf push trolleys on the market are now a far cry from the rudimentary two-wheel affairs you had to drag along awkwardly behind you.
And the best electric golf trolleys are in a different league altogether from the heavyweight, cumbersome and unreliable beasts of yesteryear.
You can even get, admittedly expensive, remote control golf trolleys that will tag along behind you at your beck and call.
Here, we pick out the main things you need to consider when looking to buy a golf trolley for the first time or upgrade your existing one…
Power or push?
The first consideration is whether or not you need, or wish for, motorised assistance.
Cost will be a key factor in this decision. But although non-motorised push trolleys are generally the cheaper option, there will be a degree of overlap between the most expensive three-wheel push trolleys and the cheapest power trolleys.
Will a push trolley like Motocaddy’s Z1 be enough for your needs, or is power assistance required?
You also need to factor in whether or not you’re up for the extra effort and organisation required to get an electric trolley recharged and ready for the next round, although this is now a considerably easier process than in days gone by.
Finally, do you really need a power trolley? If you mostly play over hilly courses or undulating terrain, then yes, it will take more of the strain for you.
If you play your golf over hilly terrain a power trolley could be a god-send (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
But if you play most of your golf on flat courses, it may not be such a pressing priority as today’s three-wheel push trolleys (or even four-wheeled in the case of some, like the Big Max Blade Quattro) are lightweight and blissfully free-wheeling.
Remote control
If you decide to go for an electric trolley, the next consideration is whether you want to go down the remote control route.
Remote control golf trolleys from the likes of Stewart Golf and others have been around for a few years now and are well beyond the mere novelty stage.
Price is, of course, a huge factor here with the Stewart Golf Q Follow setting you back a princely £1,750! And at certain clubs, having a trolley follow you around hands-free may sometimes leave fellow golfers just itching for you to come a cropper somewhere!
The Stewart Golf Q Follow will literally follow you hands-free around the course
But as with all things in life, if you want the best of the best and have the necessary funds, then why not?
Battery capacity
If you do go electric, what kind of battery capacity do you need?
Simple plug and play systems like Powakaddy’s, plus the scope to charge batteries in situ on the trolley, have taken away much of the former faff of battery charging.
Modern slimline lithium batteries are a far cry from their lead-acid, car battery-style predecessors
Batteries have come a long way in recent years, with lighter, more powerful lithium options arriving on the scene. Motocaddy says that over 90% of golfers now opt for lithium batteries over the heavier lead-acid models.
You still need to decide whether you only need an 18-hole battery or go to the added expense of an extended or 36-hole battery – typically £50 to £80 more.
Weight
Whatever trolley you opt for, you’re going to be manoeuvring it in and out of your garage, car boot or golf club’s trolley store every time you use it.
So, make sure the trolley you purchase will be suitably manageable, especially if you have a dodgy back.
Don’t forget to check the overall weight before buying
Check the manufacturer’s website for weight, and ideally try handling one in store before you buy or get a friend with the same model to let you check it out.
Size and storage
On a similar practical note, you need to make sure that the trolley’s size and shape will fit comfortably in both the car boot and where you intend to store it at home.
Therefore it is definitely worth considering some of the most compact golf trolleys on the market too because they can fold down so well without taking up much room in your garage, car, or wherever you keep your golf gear.
Check out the Big Max IP Blade push trolley, for example, or the Powakaddy CT6 electric trolley.
Powakaddy’s CT6 electric trolley folds down to an incredibly compact size
If size and storage are important issues for you, check out our guide to the most compact golf trolleys on the market before making your decision.
Handy features
Now we’re into the realms of personal preference.
Electric trolleys in particular are now packed with all sorts of extras, little and big, so you need to decide what sounds genuinely useful, and what may sound great, but in reality you would never use.
We’re not going to go into every little feature available on a trolley somewhere here, but do you need: a handy pouch for all your bits and pieces; a USB charging port; a function that lets you send it set distances on its own; a colour screen to display GPS distances and info?
The answers may be yes to all of these and more, but it’s worth deciding what your essentials are so you don’t end up potentially paying for features you will never use.
GPS and connectivity
A number of electric trolleys, such as Motocaddy’s M5 GPS, now come with fully integrated GPS functionality built in.
Such models will come at additional cost – PowaKaddy’s FX7 GPS is likely to set you back an extra £80 compared to the non-GPS version. So the question is, do you really need or want it?
If you like the idea of having it all there in front of you with no further faffing required, then it might be for you.
If you really like what you’re already using for distances and yardages, then maybe it’s an unnecessary extra expense.
Equally, some trolleys allow you to receive smartphone notifications and alerts through the trolley’s screen.
All of this info is potentially available at your fingertips on Motocaddy’s GPS electric trolleys
Would that be useful to you or would you rather your four hours away from it all on the course were free from work and/or family distractions?
Either way, you might find the USB charging facility on some trolleys a useful opportunity to recharge your devices for when you do return to the world of work.
We hope you have found this article on how to choose a golf trolley useful.
For all the latest gear news, check the Golf Monthly website and follow our social media channels @golfmonthlymagazine on Facebook and @golfmonthly on Twitter and Instagram
This article How To Choose A Golf Trolley appeared first on Golf Monthly.