Motocaddy S5 Connect Electric Trolley

Motocaddy S5 Connect Electric Trolley Review - We review the new S5 Connect, which pairs with a smartphone app to provide distances and phone notifications

Motocaddy S5 Connect Electric Trolley Review

Aimed at The S5 Connect is aimed at golfers that like to stay connected on the course but want quick, at-a-glance-distances.

Key technology After connecting to a free Motocaddy GPS smartphone app via Bluetooth the trolley will display front, middle and back distances as well as call, text, email and app notifications. Over 40,000 courses are preloaded and there’s other useful features including a clock, round timer and shot distance measurement function.

How we tested We took the S5 Connect to Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club and tested it over 18 holes, trying out all the various features.

Features The GPS distances are quick to display and update and while the Power Save mode will be enough for most, the aerial views on the app with the moveable pointer came in handy on blind shots and unfamiliar courses.

The smartphone push notifications are excellent. You can choose the type of alerts you want to receive and that multiple alerts will stack chronologically, displaying the most recent alert first. Plus, the trolley will only display missed calls rather than incoming calls so as to not distract you as you play.

Ease of use The pairing of the app to the trolley is a simple process that takes a few minutes but doesn’t need to be repeated every time you play. The screen is easy to read despite its modest size and the reliable S-Series frame makes assembly of the trolley a breeze.

You’re probably wondering why the GPS technology isn't built into the handle, like the PowaKaddy FW7s GPS model. Motocaddy say the main one is down to portability - because it uses a partner GPS app, you can take the distances to places you cant take your trolley, for example on back tees on par 3, on overseas trips or when there's a trolley ban in place during the winter. It also allows the S5 Connect to come in at a lower price point.

Verdict The S5 Connect strikes the perfect balance of keeping you connected with the outside world without being intrusive and affecting your concentration or pace of play.

The only time-consuming part of the process is setting the S5 Connect up for the first time – once you’ve paired the app and trolley together and configured the notifications you want to see, it really is as fuss-free as you’re going to get.

With this trolley, there’s no real need for a separate GPS device and we even found the need to use a laser reduced also. In power save mode only around 15 per cent of battery life was used up and having the separate app to the trolley gave us more portable distances to more remote parts of the course after an errant drive.

When you consider the price point, the over-the-air updates and the amount of information and features at your disposal, the S5 Connect delivers a staggering amount of value for money.

We’ve not even touched on the other features that comes with this S-Series frame like the Quikfold mechanism and easilock base that make this trolley quick and easy to assemble and the adjustable distance control that sends the trolley off at one of three chosen distances.

Don’t forget the S5 Connect does come in a DHC version for an extra £50 it will maintain the same speed down slopes and has an electric parking brake, ideal if you tend to play hilly courses.