Make New Friends, Play More Golf
I have always carried my clubs, however, I recently decided to carry out some research to see if a golf trolley would improve my game.
The fact that I get regularly beaten by people nearly twice my age is neither here nor there, surely buying powered golf trolleys is surely pure laziness?
My local course is Trent Park which is pretty hilly, the 18th in particular, is quite a steep uphill fairway.
After miss-hitting, yet another approach shot (while panting like a 60-a-day man on a treadmill) I decided I’d at least start looking at Golf Trolleys…
I emailed two companies, asking if their was a course where i could hire their trolleys to try them out before buying them.
Meanwhile, out at Pedham Place golf course with the Gokart I was having a whale of a time.
One of the problems I have found with electric trolleys in the past is finding a speed that matches my walking pace.
This is not a problem with the Gokart – a light hand on the handle and start walking, the trolley matches your speed perfectly. You can let go until you want to steer it or stop it (another light hand on the tiller, stop walking). So, the automatic handle on this is really terrific.
If you change pace so does the Gokart. It powers easily up very steep slopes and free-wheels with no resistance when no power is applied. The fold-down is very quick and gets really small – much smaller (and quicker) than my current Clickgear. The battery clips in and out with no wires.
It’s pretty basic: there are no consoles, screens, timers, set distances, or battery metres, which is absolutely fine by me.
It’s also missing a brake, which, given its freewheeling nature, did catch me out a couple of times. It’s also very reasonably priced, starting at £269 (£299 for the automatic version I used).
Why I didn’t purchase this product
The only reason I didn’t buy one on the spot is that the centre of mass is quite high (the battery sits about halfway up instead of on a tray at axle level) and the wheelbase is narrow.
As a result, I struggled once or twice to keep it upright on paths which sloped left/right or right/left, of which there are quite a few at Pedham Place. If I’d tested it at all course I might not even have noticed this.
A few days later a Stewart Golf X5 Remote trolley came up on eBay.
I put in what I thought was a derisory bid whilst slightly drunk and won it by mistake. (I once did this with a Toyota Landcruiser so I have some form in this regard.)
I have to say I am a total convert to Stewart Golf Trolleys, if not to their customer service.
The battery in the remote control unit was almost dead which caused some amusing failures to stop before hitting fences and small children while testing in my back garden, but replacing it sorted that out.
Controlling it is a breeze, the range is much more than the 50 metres they advertise, it’s very stable, and frankly, it’s fun.
Kabir, to whom it took a shine on the 12th fairway last Saturday before being brought back under control may take a dim view of what I regard as fun.
Unfortunately, the trolley design looks a bit plastic, and as it moves there’s a squeaky sound I’m not fond of. And while it does fold down easily, it’s bulky compared to my Clickgear push trolley.
This in itself is not a major issue, as I drive a large car so this but getting in the boot of my wife’s car – a Toyota Yaris – it does not leave any room for anything else (like golf clubs).
The Stewart Golf X5 is identical to the current X7 model except that the battery is not lithium.
I am happy with my Stewart Golf Tolley.
And while they do not have a great reputation for dealing with faults, only time will tell whether this is undeserved.
In the meantime, I am enjoying my golf more and I can call it over, walk alongside it put my club back in the bag, and feel like I’m Tiger Woods.
By Steve Rawlinson
