Thomas Tanner

Aug 05, 2021

12 minutes

If you've carried your golf bag for years, you might be thinking it's time to take the weight off and get a trolley. Carrying your golf clubs (although better exercise) drains you of valuable energy you could be putting into your golf, especially towards the end of a round and definitely in the winter when the ground becomes heavier to walk on! Added to this are the additional benefits of taking stress off your back, which will only help you in the long run!

All of this means a trolley can be a genuinely prudent investment.

What we'll cover

This guide has been constructed to act as a complete guide on the decision making process for buying a new trolley. We've kept specific brands and models out of it deliberately to focus on the features and benefits available.

We'll cover budget, size, wheels (size and quantity), best for hills, built-in technology, which battery you need, and if you even need a battery?

But I already have a trolley?

It could be the case that you already have a trolley, and it's just time to upgrade and take advantage of some of the latest features and technology that's available now that wasn't before. If that's the case, carry on reading as there might always be something you've not thought of before!

First, set a budget and (try to) stick to it.

The only place to start is to set a budget for yourself and try to stick to it. Remember, you can also split your payment over three months with Klarna for no additional fee.

The great thing is that from as little as £100, you can get your hands on a trolley. You can also spend over £1,000 - so there is a trolley for everyone.

Manual trolleys that you push along yourself are generally more budget-friendly. In contrast, electric trolleys that require little or no energy on your part are more expensive as they have integrated technology and can have lots of extras.

So back to your budget, if it's high, will leave every trolley option open to you or immediately eliminate a whole section of your options if it's less.

Manual or electric?

The main difference between trolleys for sale on Golfbidder is whether they have a battery or not. Will they roll on down the fairway by themselves, or will you have to push them along?

An electric trolley will undoubtedly save you even more energy on the golf course, leaving you to focus entirely on your game. How many times have you had a good score going only to finish with a couple of 1-pointers?

They are also going to be excellent as a result on hilly golf courses.

But one of the underrated benefits is in more challenging golfing weather conditions where you want to keep your clubs, hands, and gloves organised and dry. With no trolley to push, you can concentrate on holding an umbrella maybe or slip your gloved hand into a dry mitten or pocket.

The only input you need is to steer.

On the other hand, manual trolleys are generally more straightforward in design, and the models all have similar features. The difference between cheaper and more expensive manual trolleys boils down to build quality or specific design features like one stage folding.

Is size important?

The next significant decision is how small your trolley needs to fold to store and transport it easily.

It's amazing how small the manufacturers have made their trolleys fold, but there is still a contrast between which way they fold. Some folding very flat but spread wide, while other fold more into a cube shape.

If you have limited space in your car boot, then lookout for a trolley that folds down as small as can be.

The great thing is that the folded size does not compromise any other features available to you. How hilly is your golf course?

Now we're moving into trolley specifics, where your choice will start to narrow more quickly.

If your home course (or the courses you tend to play most often) is quite hilly, then safety on downhill sections needs to be considered.

Manual trolleys will have a brake lever (similar to a bicycle) to lock the wheels and keep the trolley safely in place. Electric trolleys will tend to hold their position thanks to their gearing system - but best to park across slopes at all times.

There are trolleys built specifically will hills in mind, which have automatic braking built-in. The trolley will remain at the same pace whether you're going up or down hills, rather than gravity overpowering it. So if you're golf course is hilly, think about safety and consider a trolley with automatic braking.

How many wheels, and what size?

How many and what size wheels is predominantly a decision if you're going down the push trolley route. Electric trolleys (thanks to heavy batteries) have a low centre of gravity and are very stable.

But as for manual trolleys, the general rule of thumb is that more wheels mean more stability, so for instance, if you play on a hilly golf course, you should consider a 4-wheel manual trolley.

Wheels on manual trolleys also vary in size. Wheels with a bigger circumference are easier to push, so if you play on a flatter golf course, consider bigger wheels to make your life a little easier.

Once you've made this decision, you should have narrowed down your choice of a manual trolley to a single model (or maybe two). However, if you're looking for an electric trolley, then there are a few more decisions to make.

Battery capacity: Two options

Even with phones lasting days, electric cars doing hundreds of miles, "How long does the battery last" is still a common question people ask themselves when buying an electric trolley.

Recent years have improved battery technology, size, and charging speed, but you still have two options - standard or an extended/ultra battery.

A standard battery is designed to do one round of 18-holes before needing a charge. If you're a Sunday golfer, i.e. play once a week or don't mind charging after the round, a standard battery will be fine.

If you often play two rounds in succession, maybe away from home, an ultra/extended battery will be more suitable for you as it will be capable of covering 36-holes before needing a recharge.

It's worth noting all the batteries which come with the trolleys on Golfbidder are Lithium, the latest and greatest in battery technology.

Technology: The bells and whistles

At last, the cool stuff!! With every season that goes by, technological advances keep coming.

GPS

One of the specific areas where you'll see significant strides is GPS and mapping. This technology is now (literally) at your fingertips with electric trolleys having GPS units built into the handles with detailed information displayed clearly on touch screens.

If you want to look at a complete detailed map of the hole you're playing on the screen, you can, and if you want a more simplified version with yardages to the front, middle, back of the green, you can get that too.

Device charging

Most electric trolleys also have a USB port to allow you to charge your mobile phone or another device whilst out on the course. Great if you use your phone as your GPS.

Distance Control

Automatic distance control lets you set a specific distance for the trolley to travel before shutting itself off. Great, if you're heading into the trees to looks for a playing partners ball and you're down the fairway.

Even a Remote?

Remote controls are becoming more popular and are available in the top-end models for the ultimate hands-free experience.

There is great technology out there in trolleys, but it does come at a price.

Additional items

If you're not opting for built-in technology, loads of accessories are available which easily bolt onto your trolley to make life just as easy.

The first is umbrella holders, which will act as a third hand on wet days. You can slot your umbrella into the holder to keep you and your clubs dry under the canopy.

We mentioned already that trolleys could have built-in GPS displays, but if you use a separate device for your yardages, you can get a holder which clips onto your trolley.

Drink and scorecard holders are also available and handy to have.

And finally, a travel bag to keep the boot of your car clean and free from grass clippings.

Finally, what about your bag?

The final consideration when choosing a new trolley is will it work with your current bag or will you need a new bag as well?

Your new trolley will come with straps to secure your current bag in place, so it will work, albeit not seamlessly.

If you only have a stand bag, you might want to consider a specialised trolley bag. Cart or trolley bags are designed with a flat back to sit squarely on the trolley, with pockets on the front and sides. They are generally a bit bigger, the club section has more dividers, and they are more sturdy as being lightweight to carry is not a consideration.

Conclusion

So there you go, some of the options you might need to consider when buying a trolley.

Remember, the two main decisions to make first are budget and manual or electric. From there, you can follow our guide to find the most suitable trolley for you.