Women Golfers Value Electric Trolleys Ahead Of New Clubs

The technology used in the latest clubs might help you to hit the ball further, but it’s the latest electric trolleys that many women credit for helping them to play better golf.

Back in 1983 when PowaKaddy launched the first electric trolley in the UK, it was generally considered to be something that should be used by ageing or injured golfers. For a long time, even into my 30s, I was one of those golfers that thought I was too young to use an electric trolley. I was perfectly capable of walking a course or using a simple push trolley and I would have felt embarrassed to use an electric trolley regularly, but how times have changed.

Nowadays, young or old, there are few women that would be without an electric trolley and this is backed up by new independent research carried out by Sporting Insights on behalf of leading trolley brand Motocaddy. A survey among women golfers aged between 20 and 70 found that almost nine out of ten (88%) claim to use a trolley as their most frequent method to play golf, with electric trolleys being far the most popular choice among three-quarters (75%) of respondents.

No real surprise there because on the whole people have become far more conscious of their physical and mental wellbeing than ever before, especially over the last few years due to the Covid pandemic, and players now recognise the wider benefits that an electric trolley can provide.

Whilst there are many comfortable carry bags around, there’s no getting away from the fact that an electric trolley takes away the strain. It makes sense that if you use a trolley you are likely to encounter fewer injuries, a good pace of play can be maintained and as you approach closing holes, there’s a better chance of sustaining the same level of play when fatigue kicks in, especially when you’re all square over the closing holes!

Whilst it’s still the clubs that do the talking, what does stand out is that over two-thirds of women golfers (69%) rate a powered trolley as either a similar investment to new clubs or an even better one for raising their game, of whom more than one in five (21%) deem a trolley as the better purchase. Buying new golf outfits versus buying a new electric trolley might be a different story!

The thing is, with advancements in technology, today’s electric trolleys are so much more than purely a method for transporting clubs. Even the heavy lead-acid batteries that could cause injury by just lifting them are long gone thanks to the more powerful and lightweight lithium models. The latest models are packed with features and in many ways have become a personal all-in-one caddie, especially those that are fitted with an in-built GPS system that automatically takes you from hole to hole. These obviously come at a higher price, but there’s no need to invest in a separate GPS device unless you want to use one of the best rangefinders on the market for pinpoint accuracy. 

Personally, I’m a big fan of the various accessories that you can attach to a trolley like a drink and umbrella holder, as it means there is a lot less faffing around, opening and closing different pockets, so allowing more time to focus on the shots in hand. This is also echoed in Motocaddy’s research with 31% of women attributing a trolley’s ability to add accessories such as electric hand warmers that can be attached to the trolley handle as defining benefits to help their game.

In terms of comparisons between the sexes, overall a smaller percentage of men (63%) use an electric trolley (compared with 75% of women) which demonstrates to Motocaddy the importance of the female market. The company believes this is the first in-depth survey among women golfers on the subject of powered trolleys and it will help them to understand what features women are looking for in future models. “The fact that so many female golfers put an electric trolley alongside or even ahead of a new set of clubs as an investment in their game shows how important it is for us to continue to innovate and add value to our range of products for all golfers to benefit from the evident performance and health benefits,” said Motocaddy Marketing Director, Oliver Churcher.

As we all know, golf is such a difficult game, so anything that can help lighten the load and make it more enjoyable is worth the investment.