Best Golf Push Cart

What are Golf Push Carts?

A golf push cart is a stand that you can put your golf bag on to transport it between holes more easily. A push cart usually has three wheels, with two being at the back near the handle for increased stability.

Golf push carts are not the most common piece of equipment for golfers. Most golfers forego a golf push cart in favor of the more straightforward, less strenuous motorized cart to get across the course.

Instead of putting your bag on the back of a golf cart or having a caddy carry it, golfers who use push carts transport their equipment on these wheels.

Stability is accounted for, as well. Most golf carts have very secure straps to ensure that your golf bag doesn’t roll off of the push cart and damage the valuable equipment inside it. Golf equipment is a significant investment, so you want to keep safety in mind when purchasing a push cart to ensure you’re not making a decision that could endanger the resale value or quality of your equipment.

Ways to Transport Clubs

While you’re looking at golf push carts, you might also want to consider other methods of transporting your clubs. Reading our in-depth analysis of the various techniques for golf club transportation will either sway you towards golf push carts or away from them, but at least you’ll be informed either way.

In this section, we’ll cover the most common ways to transport your golf clubs from the first hole to hole 18 – or the clubhouse! We’ll also include the benefits and drawbacks of each method to determine how they stack up against one another.

Motorized Golf Carts

This is probably the most common way to transport across the course. You’ve probably seen a golf cart before, but if you haven’t, we’ll provide a brief explanation.

Golf carts are motorized carts that typically carry two people. They’re popular amongst golfers because they’re quick and easy-to-use.

Most people will use a golf cart, especially when they golf 18 holes. However, there is a solid case to be made against using a golf cart when you go golfing.

The most pertinent argument against renting a golf cart is the financial cost. Golfing is already an expensive sport, and it becomes more costly when you decide to rent a golf cart from the course.

If you don’t choose to rent a golf cart, you can save your money and use it for the next day’s golf outing or save up for a rainy day. These savings might not seem significant at first, but they certainly add up for the frequent golfer.

When you’re on a motorized cart, you often don’t get a chance to soak in what is often beautiful scenery and enjoy the fresh air. You are always in a rush to get to the next hole, and we think that golf carts might hinder your ability to enjoy the course and your company as much.

Overall, golf carts are a very convenient method of getting around the course, and that’s why they’re so popular. They certainly aren’t the most affordable option, nor are they conducive to appreciating the course and its surroundings, so we don’t recommend them for someone on a tight budget or lovers of nature!

Carrying Your Clubs

If you’re trying to save money, or want a more leisurely experience, you might choose to carry your clubs, this considered as the least popular way to get your clubs from the beginning of the course to the end.

That’s because it can be a pretty miserable experience, particularly if you’re not in the best physical shape. Golf clubs are heavy, and on a hot day, you can find yourself taking hours more to finish a course than usual, as well as sweating a substantial amount.

Though you will undoubtedly get used to this as you do it more frequently, it’s not the most pleasant way to golf a round.

Carrying your clubs involves using the strap that comes with your bag and slinging it around your shoulder. Not only do you have to walk from the start of the hole to the end of the hole, but you have to walk to each spot that your ball ends up to prepare for your next shot.

As you can imagine, this can become inconvenient pretty fast. It might not be so bad if you are only golfing nine holes, but most people don’t want to do it throughout 18.

Though carrying your clubs is not the most desirable option out there, there are some benefits to it.

If you love playing golf but also want to get some additional exercise aside from your shots, carrying your clubs can be a fun way to enjoy the sport and burn a ton of calories at the same time.

Walking is a fantastic exercise, and when you add the weight of a golf bag, this sort of exertion can contribute towards positive health benefits.

That’s not to say that walking and golfing should constitute your entire workout routine, but it’s a pretty good start if you’re trying to increase your physical activity.

It’s essential to consider the strain that carrying golf clubs can have on your posture. Having a heavy golf bag resting on your shoulders can cause significant stress on your neck, back, and shoulders.

If you already have strain or tension in these areas and want to avoid causing further damage, you should speak with your doctor before carrying a golf bag for long distances or invest in a motorized golf cart.

The Case for Push Golf Carts

There are a few reasons that push golf carts are becoming increasingly popular as golf becomes a more approachable sport for those who don’t want to spend too much to participate.

The primary reason that people choose push golf carts is that they are more affordable than motorized. They do require an upfront investment for the purchase of the pushcart, but after that, they are yours to use forever, unlike motorized carts.

When contrasted with this cost of renting a motorized golf cart, the savings, in the long run, are astronomical and make push carts a no-brainer if you are trying to save money. You can save thousands by investing in a good quality push cart.

Another considerable benefit of push golf carts is the exercise that you get. We’ve already mentioned that carrying your clubs in hot and humid weather can be pretty grim, but purchasing a push cart allows you a lot of the same exercise while making the whole experience much more pleasurable.

You’re still getting the same amount of steps in as you would be if you were carrying your golf bag, but you’re making it much easier on your body by not having to haul around the weight of your clubs to each shot and hole.

For many golfers, one of the best things about playing the sport is that they get to be outside in nature and get a lot of fresh air, something that investing in a push cart facilitates.

Using a push cart over a motorized cart might even benefit your game because you’ll be able to take things at a walking pace and adequately examine the terrain to strategize your shots.

Drawbacks of a Push Golf Cart

So far we’ve only touched on the positives of using a push golf cart, but it’s only right that we acknowledge the drawbacks as well. We feel that it’s vital that you’re fully aware of these drawbacks so that it’s easier for you to understand what you’re getting into when you purchase a push golf cart.

One of the main drawbacks of using a push golf cart is that your speed of play will be profoundly affected; this is one of the most significant benefits of using a motorized cart.

When you use a riding golf cart, you can move quickly from hole to hole as you wish. You’re also able to reach your shot earlier, which means you complete each hole quicker.

Realistically, the time that it takes to navigate a course on foot, you might be able to squeeze in an extra round if using a motorized cart, but ultimately this boils down to personal preference.

Time might not matter to some people who don’t care how long they are out on the course, but for those who don’t want to spend several hours on one round of golf, a push golf cart might not be the best option.

Another factor to consider is that even if you don’t mind how long you are out on the course, those playing behind you might.

Most people use a motorized cart, so if they get stuck behind someone who is walking the course and they are in a hurry, they might become frustrated.

If you realize that this is the case, it’s considered proper golfing etiquette to let the group behind you play the next hole before you play it so that they can get through the hole quickly.

Courtesy dictates that they don’t bother you or infringe upon your playing, but you might feel obliged to allow them to leapfrog you on any given hole.

That said, if you choose to hold up other players, you might feel the pressure of them waiting behind you, and this could affect your game and put you under additional stress, creating a less than ideal situation for both parties.

Another drawback to a push cart is the obvious one, and it’s the fact that you have to walk entire golf courses without the assistance of a motorized cart that can ultimately get you where you want to go in a more convenient and timely fashion.

Quite a common mistake that golfers make is buying a push cart solely for the affordability without considering that they will need to exert considerable effort to use them.

So, if you are considering a push golf cart, you need to make sure that you meet the criteria. Firstly, make sure that you are happy with the slower speed of play that you’ll be experiencing given your selected mode of club transportation.

Secondly, be sure to acknowledge the incredible amount of exercise that you’ll be getting by pushing your golf carts around the course as opposed to using a motorized cart which entails considerably less effort.

Though both of the inconveniences that we have described for push golf carts are insignificant to anyone wanting to shape or the or the golfer who prioritizes frugality, we felt that it was vital that you understand the drawbacks of push golf carts right from the get-go.

Understanding these factors will also allow you to better select a push golf cart from the list that we provide or choose a different mode of transportation since you will have a better understanding of your own needs and desires.

Push Carts vs. Carrying Your Clubs

If you are aiming to be a frugal golfer, carrying your clubs and using a push golf cart might have crossed your mind at one time or another. However, rarely do people assess how they compare.

So, we’re doing just that! We’re going to tell you exactly why, in our opinion, carrying your clubs is a worse solution than investing in a pushcart.

Safety

The first area that carrying your clubs falls short in relates to your safety.

Carrying golf clubs is not an easy thing to do.

It’s highly stressful on your body and can cause you to strain yourself and take on more than what you can handle. Many golf-related injuries happen because players were trying to carry their bags and becoming off-balance or throwing out their back in the process.

Balance is an especially pertinent issue for senior citizens, who make up a large part of the golfing community. If safety and injury prevention are essential factors for you when figuring out how to get your equipment from start to finish, carrying your clubs might not be the best option.

Focus & Energy

If you’ve ever dragged around a golf bag for nine or 18 holes, you know how much it can drain your energy and get in the way of your effective swing. As a golfer, you also know that focus is one of the most crucial elements in the game.

If you’ve spent all of your energy on carrying your bag, you are doing yourself a disservice as a golfer by unevenly distributing your power across an aspect of the game that isn’t directly related to performance.

Although you still need to exert some energy when using a push cart, it bears the weight of your equipment for you.

The very last thing you want is to step up to your ball and be too tired to drive it with power or fall short of the stroke that you wanted to achieve.

Hauling your equipment on your person can undoubtedly cause this negative outcome which could, in our opinion, create a huge disadvantage for any golfer.

Storage Capacity

One thing that many people neglect when deciding between the two options is storage capacity. The modern game dictates that you have several clubs available for increased versatility.

You should have the ability to use a variety of clubs so that you can golf in a variety of situations and hit the shots that you need, working against several tricky terrains.

If you are carrying your bag, you have fewer storage options. A pushcart provides you with additional storage options that you can use to carry more equipment. They unquestionably come in handy if you want to bring an even wider variety of clubs, an umbrella, or any extra gear that you think you might need such as a rangefinder.

Carrying your bag doesn’t necessarily eliminate your ability to bring all of this gear with you, but the more equipment you add, the more unpleasant traveling across the course is likely to be due to the extra weight. If you want to bring additional equipment to carry, you either have to invest a bigger bag or be willing to carry it in your arms.

Affordability

How much your golf trip costs undoubtedly weighs heavy on the mind of anyone who is concerned about ensuring that they live and golf economically. Fortunately, both of these options are quite affordable. If you decide to carry your clubs, you immediately reduce the monetary cost associated with golfing, which is excellent!

However, when considering affordability, it must also be taken into consideration how much more additional time you’ll be spending when you carry your bags. You’ll also be exerting a lot of energy and likely experiencing discomfort, which you could say runs the risk of coming at a real cost.

You have to be able to put a price tag on your time and come to a conclusion on how much you are willing to spend to save time. While push carts aren’t free, they are very affordable. You can easily spend under $200 on a pushcart and get hundreds of uses out of it.

If you play 100 rounds with a push cart, that would mean it would generally only represent a cost of less than $2 each time that you use it: that’s assuming that you only use it 100 times!

All in all, walking without a push cart is more affordable, an ever-increasing number of golfers are choosing to spend some cash on a pushcart to add a ton of convenience to their round.

Ultimately though, nothing can beat free, and that’s why we must say that not using a cart at all would be the more affordable option.

Which Method Wins?

We think that it’s much more practical to purchase a push cart rather than carrying your clubs to each hole. Not only will you save time and energy (both of which are crucial for success when golfing), but we do think that spending some capital on a push cart is worth it, rather than carrying your clubs.

Everything is relative, and if you are trying to be financially-conscious and spend less money on your golf excursions, we certainly recommend that you get the best golf push cart as opposed to a motorized cart.

You’ve got to weigh up the benefits and make sure you’re making the right move for yourself and your game.

How to Pick the Best Golf Push Cart

If you’re settled on getting a golf push cart but have never purchased one before and don’t know what you need to look for in one, you might be in a bit of a tight spot.

Shopping for things can be tough when you’ve never had to purchase one because of the lack of knowledge that you have in that subject.

That’s why we’ve compiled this next section, which should help you to determine which features and characteristics are essential to you in a golf push cart. Some of these factors might be obvious, but others might discuss factors that you never thought to consider.

Either way, by the end of this buying guide, you’ll feel confident knowing that you know what to look for when you’re shopping for your pushcart.

Ease of Use

If you’re going to get a push cart, you need it to be easy to use. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to struggle to open and close your push cart when you’re trying to work your way around the course.

Walking a course already takes long enough without the added frustration of having to deal with an uncooperative push cart.

Before you purchase a push cart for your golf trips, you should make sure that the mechanism that you use to open and close the cart is easy to operate and doesn’t have a reputation for getting jammed.

Compact Size

If you are getting a push cart, you’re also going to want it to be able to collapse to a small size when not in use.

If you can fold the cart down to small size when you’re not using it, it will be much easier to store and won’t be such an inconvenience in the winter months or during other long stretches when you don’t need it.

Compact push carts are also much easier to fit into your car when it’s time to go to the course.

Most golfers are not known for traveling to the course in a huge van, so you’re going to want to make sure that it folds down small enough to fit in your car or trunk along with your regular golf gear like your bag, clubs, and balls.

 If all other components are equal between two carts, the size that it folds down to can become a hugely important factor.

Ride Smoothness

If you’re going to be walking a course, as you will be with a push cart, then you want there to be as little inconvenience as possible.

When you’re walking through rough terrain or over hills and bumpy ground, the constant jostling of your clubs can cause damage to them as they smack into each other repeatedly.

You should have head pads for your clubs, but it’s still not a good idea to be putting constant stress on them in this way.

Also, it’s just not pleasant to have an extremely bumpy cart while you’re trying to walk. Golfing has a lot to do with rhythm and serenity and having to deal with constant rattling and bumpiness isn’t the ideal situation for a golfer who is trying to focus on the game.

Your clubs and cart should be tools to help you succeed in your golf game, not distract you from playing the best round you can.

When you are selecting a pushcart, be sure to pay attention to any features that might contribute to or detract from the smoothness of the ride. These include wheels, tires, shock systems, and the flexibility of the frame.

It’s impossible to have a cart that doesn’t bounce at all, but you can certainly make it easier on yourself by finding one that will jostle as little as possible over bumpy terrain.

Durability

Though a pushcart probably represents one of the smallest investments you will make when it comes to golf gear, you still don’t want it to be a waste of money.

Getting a cart that is known for durability can help to reduce the chance that you buy a cart that doesn’t last.

There are a few things to consider when examining the material of the cart.

Manufacturers will often make it very clear whether a product has been made using plastics or other materials such as metal or composites.

Although plastic is considerably lighter, it is much less durable, and you can almost always expect a stronger, sturdier golf cart to outlast a plastic one.

It comes down to personal preference and how often you’d be willing to replace a cheap cart.

We’d generally recommend opting for a more expensive cart that you can rely on because that will save you more money in the long run even if the initial cost is a little higher.

Brakes

Many golfers have reported issues with braking systems on push golf carts. When shopping around for your golf cart, make sure the model of the cart you choose has strong and sturdy brakes.

Without the right brake, your push cart can roll away and cause damage to your clubs or add significant time on top of your round as you try to retrieve it.

The last thing you want to be doing in addition to walking the whole course is to be continually chasing around a cart that won’t stop rolling away from you.

That’s why you should look specifically at what braking system your cart has and determining whether it will be useful on the course: aim for a reputable company or brake manufacturer here!

Stability

Stability is going to be affected by the number of wheels that your push cart has. Older carts typically have two wheels, but newer carts generally come with three wheels as standard and sometimes even four for additional stability.

It’s not often that people have problems with these carts falling over, but you should ensure that your cart has at least three wheels to minimize the risk of damage to your equipment.

Storage

One of the best features of a push cart is the expanded storage.

There are added pockets and racks for you to bring along extra supplies that you might need while you’re out on the course such as sunscreen, first aid materials, or an umbrella.

Golf bags have some pockets, but not nearly enough to carry all of this equipment. Also, if you are bringing extra supplies, you will have added weight, which we know will make your walk more strenuous.

A basic, affordable push cart might not have any added storage options at all while a high-end push cart could have dozens of additional pockets to put your extra supplies.

How much storage you need is something you should consider when shopping for a golf push cart. Make sure that whichever one you buy will give you the space you need to bring the supplies that you desire.

Warranty Information

Another way that you can ascertain the quality of the cart you buy is by what kind of warranty is offered.

Not only does a warranty give you peace of mind in case of a defective component in the product you buy, but it can also give you a useful insight as to how confident a company is in their product.

For example, if they only offer a 3-month warranty, you could interpret that as the company is not confident that the product will last beyond three months.

 Always check the warranty information before purchasing your push cart.

Best Push Golf Carts Buying Guide 2019

Now that you know everything that there is to know about push golf carts and how to select the one that’s right for you

You equipped with all the necessary knowledge to find and buy your next push cart.

Recap

Now that you’ve seen a couple of options and have learned a ton of information about push golf carts, you want to know which one is the best.

We have reached a conclusion on our favorite cart by looking at all of the factors that we’ve discussed in this article, figuring out which product most completely satisfies those requirements.

With this in mind, we feel that the CaddyTex One-Click Folding Cart offers the best value for money when compared against the other products we have reviewed.

The CaddyTex One-Click Folding Cart has a ton of features, is easy to collapse, and is made from strong, durable materials. 

Although it’s not the most affordable item in our roundup, it’s not the most expensive either, which is why we feel it would be an excellent option for most golfers who are looking for a push golf cart to save money and get more exercise.

Be sure to use this article as a useful tool when assessing precisely what kind of transportation method you want to be using for your equipment.

If a push cart is what you want, you’re now equipped with all of the tools to evaluate your options based on their cost and how much they can benefit you and your game.