At its highest levels, golf is a game played while walking. All the major tours and amateur championships worldwide forbid players to ride in golf carts. American golf courses push -- and sometime require -- recreational players to ride, mainly because of the boost in revenue gained from cart fees. If you prefer to walk, companies offer stand bags and walking caddies to make your round easier.
Pull Carts
The pull cart, or trolley as it is called in Europe, is an old standby used by generations of golfers. It consists of a long handle attached to a frame to hold the golf bag, with two wide wheels to lessen damage to the turf. Straps with Velcro or clips secure the bag along the way.
Speed Cart
A newer arrival for walking carts is the Speed Cart, brought to market originally by Sun Mountain. These carts have three bicycle-type wheels and are easy to push. With the stability of the three wheels, accessories can be added to the frame, such as small cooler bags or storage bags without affecting the cart's stability. The push cart is more upright, keeping the golfer from having to slouch as much as with a pull cart, and it takes the stress off your back that can happen when carrying a bag.
Motorized Carts
Golfers can choose from several styles of motorized carts to handle the bag while walking. Some work with remote controls so the cart can "follow" the player at a set distance. Others simply provide assistance as the golfer pushes it, mainly to traverse steep hills.
Stand Bags
Back when caddies were commonly found on public golf courses, most golf bags were heavy leather monsters that could stand upright in a stiff breeze. Golf bag manufacturers have since developed bags with lighter materials, such as nylon, and added pop-out legs, to keep the bag upright. The main advantage of these bags over carts is that carrying allows a more direct route along the course, such as when you come across an unbridged, narrow ditch or rocky terrain between a tee and fairway. It's also a little faster to get on and off the course because the carts must be folded to fit in a car.
Hybrid Bags
A newer idea is a hybrid golf bag, for players who are as likely to use a cart as carry their bag. Hybrid bags have pop-out legs like a stand bag, but the legs can be secured inside zippered pockets when strapping the bag to a cart to keep the legs out of the way.
Member Comments