[Lou_Duran]

The new owners of my home club are about to allow privately owned push carts.  Priced within reason, what are the best electric carts with remote control and Follow technology, long-lasting lithium battery, compact/easy to fold, customer service and warranty.


This one was recommended:


https://www.rockbottomgolf.com/accessories/electric-carts/bat-caddy-golf-x8r-sport-lithium-ion-electric-golf-caddy/

[Jim Adkisson]

Lou, if already have a cart to convert, I own the Alphard Club Booster V2 and love it....I have a spare battery to "hot swap" for 36-hole days, and be sure to get the front wheel conversion kit if you have a front wheel that doesn't turn.


https://alphardgolf.com/

[Jerry Kluger]

Lou: I have owned an electric push cart for quite a few years and I recently had to replace it and I chose the MGI Navigator which is available from Costco.  My previous one was a BagBoy and this is the updated version of that and has a lithium battery.  It also has a remote which makes it much more enjoyable to use as you can send it around a green, etc. while you go up onto the green.  The other feature it has to go along with the remote is a built in gyroscope.  This is important as it keeps it in a straight line even when there is a side slope, etc.  Costco unit comes with quite a few accessories including a seat which is great as it has easy storage for a laser, etc. and is great for when you are waiting for a group ahead, etc.

[Ira Fishman]

I gave my wife the MGI Navigator as a gift because our course is quite hilly. I probably will get one for myself soon.


Ira

[Lou_Duran]

Thanks guys.  It'll probably be two or three weeks before I get the official clearance from the club, so I have time to evaluate a wide sampling.  The MIG seems to have what I am looking for, but the user feedback has a common theme of little things going bad and very poor customer service.  I hope to make a one-time purchase, so durability is important.  I am not tech oriented, but the Follow technology has some appeal.  A friend is looking at a Stewart Trolley model, but at $2700, it is too rich for my blood.

[Michael Felton]

I got myself one of these earlier this year. I got the MGI Zip Navigator from Costco. I love it. I did a fair amount of research into it before I bought it and took a look at the Stewart with the follow function. I decided not to for two reasons. One, the price. Two, I was concerned I'd forget I had it following me and walk into a bunker or onto a green and wind up with the cart being where it shouldn't be. I think the M7 is supposed to be really good too. About the same price as the MGI.


I did hear that there is a place that sells the MGI's that are returned to Costco. They're basically as good as new, but a decent chunk cheaper.

[Ira Fishman]

We bought our MGI directly from the manufacturer. We have not had to use customer service, but I hope it makes it more seamless if we do. One factor: it is a bit heavier than some of the others. My wife stores hers at the club so she just has to pop out the battery to take home. Lifting it in and out of the trunk could be a bit of a pain.


Ira

[Joe_Tucholski]

Lou, if already have a cart to convert, I own the Alphard Club Booster V2 and love it....I have a spare battery to "hot swap" for 36-hole days, and be sure to get the front wheel conversion kit if you have a front wheel that doesn't turn.


https://alphardgolf.com/

Seriously check out the Alphard V2.  I have to say I'm very happy with my Rovic RV1S combined with the V2 and optional tether (wouldn't work well unless you have a front swivel wheel). 


Last year I bought a used batcaddy x3r to see what I thought about the remote carts.  I'd previously used traditional push carts and didn't think they were any better than my sunday bags. 


The remote cart is much better than carrying or the manual push cart in my opinion.  The X3R had some things that bothered me though.  It didn't have gyro tech so was constantly pulling one direction or the other (depending how the bag was oriented).  It's also pretty heavy and large as it doesn't have a lithium ion battery.  When the battery died it was also a real pain to push.


My course has the Club Car Tempo follow caddie.  I used it a half dozen times.  It wasn't perfect as the wireless connect would loose connection with quick changes in pace and going through narrow walk ways was tough.  I do like the follow tech as steering the cart around does take some thought (it sounds silly but it does).


A couple weeks ago I upgraded to the Alphard.  Things I like:
1) Tether.  I like this better than the wireless connection of the Club Car Tempo but it's not perfect either (I don't think you can get a perfect follow).  I rarely use the remote (only around the green if the pin is out of the way from the next tee).
2) Gyro - it goes straight where I point it when using the remote. 
3) Shorter range for auto stop (I think it's like line of sight or like 50 yards and I would have thought I liked the longer range but I accidentally sent off the batcaddy on a tee and it ended pretty deep in the woods)
4) Small removable battery that is easy to switch out (it's basically like my first laptop battery)
5) You can control with your phone or the included remote.
6) It's easy to push when turned off
7) Really compact and pretty light.  Connecting it to the cart is something that is a bit more work than unfolding the batcaddy but worth it.

[Lou_Duran]

Thanks Joe and Jim,


I have a ClicGear 3.0 in good condition, but spending $900 for the Alphard plus the kits for the front and back wheels makes the carts already designed for an electric motor a more attractive option for me.


The MGI Navigator seems to be the strongest contender and at a 20% discount at Rock Bottom Golf using HALLOWEEN as the code brings the price to around $1300.   I still have questions on the battery as it uses a Lithium 24V 380WH Battery (36 holes).  The battery seems like one of the highest cost items when replacing, and the best I can find is that this battery can take 400-600 charges in its normal life cycle.


By contrast, the 12v 25Ah lithium battery in the Bat-Caddy X8R supposedly can be charged 1000 times.  If it had the gyroscope, that might be the way to go.


Anyways, I won't have an official decision from the club for at least another week, so I have time to mull over all the options.  Suggestions are greatly appreciated.


BTW, the previous consensus recommendation on the KJUS rain suit was 100% on.  It not only allowed me to survive a few days of rain, wind, and cold in relative comfort, but the suit cleaned up well afterwards and my ill-attempts to put the pants on while standing up without support didn't cause any tears and wear to the inside liner.  Money well-spent.

[Michael Felton]

Thanks Joe and Jim,


I have a ClicGear 3.0 in good condition, but spending $900 for the Alphard plus the kits for the front and back wheels makes the carts already designed for an electric motor a more attractive option for me.


The MGI Navigator seems to be the strongest contender and at a 20% discount at Rock Bottom Golf using HALLOWEEN as the code brings the price to around $1300.   I still have questions on the battery as it uses a Lithium 24V 380WH Battery (36 holes).  The battery seems like one of the highest cost items when replacing, and the best I can find is that this battery can take 400-600 charges in its normal life cycle.


By contrast, the 12v 25Ah lithium battery in the Bat-Caddy X8R supposedly can be charged 1000 times.  If it had the gyroscope, that might be the way to go.


Anyways, I won't have an official decision from the club for at least another week, so I have time to mull over all the options.  Suggestions are greatly appreciated.


BTW, the previous consensus recommendation on the KJUS rain suit was 100% on.  It not only allowed me to survive a few days of rain, wind, and cold in relative comfort, but the suit cleaned up well afterwards and my ill-attempts to put the pants on while standing up without support didn't cause any tears and wear to the inside liner.  Money well-spent.

The battery is not inexpensive it's true, but is the 12v 25Ah battery good for 36 holes? My MGI can do 36 holes and it still has three bars lit (out of four), so it will need charging less frequently than a smaller battery. So the 400-600 may well be equivalent to the 1000 on the other one.

[Lou_Duran]

Thanks Michael.


Does your MGI have the Lithium 24V 380WH Battery (36 holes)?

Do you know if there is a difference between the MGI Zip Navigator and the MGI Navigator?

[Michael Felton]

It does yes.


I don't know what difference there might be there. I know there is an AT version that has four wheels with two at the front and one that has one wheel. The one wheel I think can have some stability issues, but the AT is very stable. The costco one is the AT or at least has four wheels. (AT is all terrain).


I think MGI makes some that are not remote controlled - like Motocaddy has the M7 and M5, M3 and M1. I wonder if the Navigator is not remote controlled. The price should tell you.

[Joe_Tucholski]

This is another I was considering:
Robotic Follow You Remote Golf Caddy Bundle - Caddytrek R2 l Motogolf.com

[Ken Moum]

Since no one has mentioned it, I think, I'll add the Made in USA Kangaroo Caddy.


My wife and I have had four Clubrunners, two Powakaddys, one Robokaddy and two of the original Bag Boy Navigators.  The last Navigator she bought for $100 at a thrift store.


The Bag Boys are still functioning fine but about a year and half ago we got tired of trying to wedge two bags and the two Navigators into our Acura wagon and bought a pair of  Kangaroos directly from the company at the end of their "model year" on eBay.


Sadly I missed the $1100 floor models and ended up paying about $4,000 for the pair.


Their biggest advantage is that they come apart into three pieces, which makes it easier to get them into a vehicle.  (The Bag Boys are huge, even folded up.)


They are the only remote cart I know of that has front-wheel steering instead of separate motors on the back wheels. They are built like a tank, and weigh like one too, as there appears to be no really light parts in them. The handle and front wheel "spines" are large-diameter stainless steel tubing.


They are, however, noisy in operation.  And if you run them into a bush, they don't back up, so you have to go rescue them.

[Andrew Bertram]

The MGI navigator has been my best selling buggy every year for the last decade


We also sell Motocaddy and Powacaddy


Of the MGI Family we sell lots of the X1 (base model) and Navigator and the navigator is split half and half between Zip and AT


the Zip is good enough if play is mostly on the sandbelt courses, while I certainly push the AT if the member also plays on the Mornington Peninsula


If you play at a hilly course the AT, if not the Zip


the new Motocaddy range has started well for us with the M7 being lighter and easier to transport than the MGI models, however it does not have the miles on the board as yet to stack up against the MGI


we run a fleet of about 20 MGI buggies that go out daily and have very few issue with them mechanically even with high usage, the batteries are the 36 hole lithium and do 36 holes in a day comfortably   

[Lou_Duran]

Thanks everyone.  I jumped the gun a bit and ordered the MGI Zip Navigator AT from Costco.  It includes the "bundle" of accessories and cost $1599 + tax.  Hopefully it will save a neck surgery and pay for itself in no-time.


Rockbottomgolf has the non-AT version on sale presently for $1300, or $400 cheaper.  A friend much more sensible than me convinced me that having Costco to resolve issues was alone worth the difference.  The extra accessories did not add much to the decision, but the AT feature did.


Andrew's experience with the product on a commercial level reinforced what several others here reported.  I suspect that when my mates see me chasing this new toy, they too will be ringing the cash register.

[mike_beene]

Lou: don’t chase it too much or it might turn on you. I wonder if these will be at courses in the near future. I probably have used my own push cart twice because you have to use the ones that the course owns. I am assuming that trend will happen quickly once we wake up and realize what we have been missing.

[David_Tepper]

"The Electric Trolley Revolution"

https://mygolfspy.com/the-electric-trolley-revolution-somethings-happening-here/

https://mygolfspy.com/best-electric-cart-of-2021/

[Jay Mickle]

My MGI Navigator has 530+ miles on it and never a problem.  Not entirely true: I occasionally get distracted and find it wandering into bunkers (too many to count) and almost lost it in Lakes Bay when playing Atlantic City CC. It can also sneak up on you and take you to the ground or can also be dressed up for Halloween. The original battery is still going strong(kiss of death).

[Lou_Duran]

David,


The revolution has become the status quo at Royal Dornoch.  Motocaddy seems to have the leg up in that market.  One of the better lady players has had her remote controlled cart for a number of years and is planning to buy one of the club's rentals at the end of the year.  Apparently, the club replaces them annually and the members get a great deal.  She said that the batteries are in great shape and that they will last for several years more (she plays multiple rounds weekly).


Mike,


Greg will tell you that these things sense the fear and turn on luddites like me.  My group got quite a laugh at Southern Hills last year when my cart was rambling down #2 fairway while I was putting on 1.  Fortunately, even at my glacial speed, I beat it to the creek.


Other than not wanting to maintain and store member-owned carts at a club like yours, the only reason I can think of for your current policy is to encourage riding.  There is no need to re-litigate pace of play issues, but my bet is that this is more of the reason for riding than the revenues and high profit margins of a large riding cart fleet.


At my home club where profit is the dominant motivation, cart revenues are hugely important.  I am delighted that our new owners will be allowing us to use our own carts without a fee.  They probably understand our membership well and know that these will not cannibalize riding rounds more than the goodwill and support earned from walkers.  That they're expanding the offering of amenities to include a large, well-equipped fitness center probably works well with whatever walking ethos emerges.

[Michael Felton]

It can also sneak up on you and take you to the ground

Yup. I found this one out the hard way. Hit a drive way right, hit a provisional, walking up to look for the first one with the cart behind me and to my left. Spotter comes over right in front of me and says he's going to drive me back to hit a provisional. I said "I hit one already" and walked around his cart to keep going, but he didn't hear me so I stopped to repeat it and in walking around his cart I put myself right in the firing line. Ouch.

[mike_beene]

Lou: I am guessing the 10 dollar push cart rental makes the club more money than our riding charge. This time of year I think more push carts go out than riding carts. I am guessing they would charge double for an electric follow cart

[Lou_Duran]

Lou: I am guessing the 10 dollar push cart rental makes the club more money than our riding charge. This time of year I think more push carts go out than riding carts. I am guessing they would charge double for an electric follow cart

Yours must be a very unusual club.  Why a member-owned club which commands such high monthly dues would bother with the nickels and dimes of a push cart fleet is hard for me to understand other than to discourage their use.  Talk to most operators and they will tell you that the gross margins on riding carts are in the 65%-75% range with the added benefits that golfers prefer them and that, when used properly, they improve the pace of play.


I was talking to a Trails member recently and he says that ultra-fast golf is becoming the norm there.  He played over the weekend in a 5-ball, 5-cart group at the more leisurely pace he prefers, 3.5 hours.  We have 3 and 4 ball groups that play in 2-2.5 hours early in the morning, and we let them go off first.  No way that this can be done with push carts, manual or electric, though one of my mates is now going off by himself rather often, carrying, and typically finishing in 2.5 hours.

[Jeff Shelman]

Several guys at my club have the MGI and like it.


I have a friend who has a Powakaddy and he loves it.

[Mark Mammel]

I'm backing the Bat Caddy X3R- I have 2, and in addition to being half the price of the MGI the customer service is great. The lack of a gyro is an issue- you have to use the remote to maintain a straight direction- but it is lighter than the MGI (my wife has one), and has a wider wheelbase which makes for more side-to side stability.

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