R
2018 has brought to market a
new wave of on-course trans-
portation. Much of it is built
around the idea of one-vehi-
cle-per-player, which should
speed up play, lower golf
course wear-and-tear, and
make riding a lot more fun.
In 2016, the GolfBoard was
introduced to the golf cart
market. This no-seat electric
scooter-board is steered by
shifting your weight from side
to side just like you would a
snowboard or surfboard. The
company’s presence remains.
GolfBoard (Pictured above)
It takes only a couple seconds
to get a feel for steering and
stopping, and in no time you
will be surfing the course. But
the reality of the GolfBoard is
that it will appeal primarily to
athletic, coordinated people;
it could be an accident waiting
to happen on senior mornings
or in the beer leagues. And a
GolfBoard is expensive, too,
starting at $6,500 each.
Hawg Scooters
Lower on the rider learning
curve are two new electric
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WWW.GOLFCAROPTIONS.COM
rethinking
GOLF CARTS
“scooter” options introduced
in 2018. If you can ride a bike,
you can ride a scooter. But the
dorky word “scooter” might
be a bit misleading, as both
brands have more of a “golf
course motorcycle” vibe. And
oddly, the two companies
names and products are in-
credibly similar: Fat Tire Scoot-
ers and Phat Golf Scooters.
Both brands of scooters look
cool, travel at about 13-15 mph
on “golf course setting”, and
have wide tires that should
work great on a golf course.
Both are solid and well-con-
structed. Both have removable
batteries, meaning the bike
can go for a second 18 hole
round just by switching out the
battery — no re-charge down-
time. The kick-stand setup of
the Fat Tire scooter looked like
it would work better on mushy
turf conditions, a real-world
advantage.
Phat Golf Scooter (Above)
The Fat Tire scooter is priced at
$2,699 golf-ready, while Phat
Golf Scooter is a bit less at
$2,098 ready for golf (i.e. with
the bag rack added-on).
Fat Tire Golf Scooter (Above)
And since the speed on these
bikes can be restricted by
the owner, motorcycle racing
around the course should be
kept to a minimum.
Single-Rider 4-Wheelers
Moving up the ladder to the
next level offering is the four-
wheeled single-rider vehicle. A
solid, 4-wheeled cart is a safer
alternative to riding a board or
scooter.
One new option is a hybrid
4-wheeler that gets started by
pedaling and can be assisted
by pedaling. The Gohemian
Turf Cruiser is a motorized
four-wheeled bike that actually
has some kick to it once it gets
started. A player could very
easily use the motor for 90% of
the power but can adjust the
tension for more of a workout
if desired.
It’s an interesting option es-
pecially for players who want
the exercise, and it costs just
a little more than the scooters
above.