US golf club has golfers ‘surfing’ fairways between shots

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir June 29, 2015 10:18

An American golf venue has introduced a completely new way to get golfers to quickly play the course and in the most enjoyable way possible.

West Bolton Golf Club in Vermont has purchased four ‘Golf Skate Caddyes’, described as ‘part skateboard, part Segway and part buggy’, which allows golfers to ‘surf fairways’ between shots.

“You get to go your own way, carve down the fairway, it’s just a fun way to get people to get out and enjoy golf,” said club spokesman Jeff Brown.

After seeing them at the PGA trade show, Brown purchased four of the electric-powered machines for the course this year. Each device costs the about the same as a golf cart, and is hired out per round for similar amounts, and both take up and interest has been positive.

“After a quick training video, skate caddy riders go for a quick practice run before teeing off,” said Gina Bullard, a reporter for wcax.com, a local media channel.

“If you skateboard, surf or snowboard you may have an advantage here. To steer, you lean to one side or the other and you can only hold on with one hand because you’ll need your other to operate the cart. A wireless remote that looks more like a water gun starts and stops the cart.

“You can go up to 20 miles per hour while a regular golf cart goes about 10 miles per hour.

“And it’s a lot of fun. You almost forget you’re there to play golf. It’s a speedier way to get around the links this summer that’s energising the game.”

 

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir June 29, 2015 10:18
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4 Comments

  1. Mile End Golf Club July 3, 09:16

    Isn’t this just the same as the GolfBoard which has been around for ages? As said elsewhere could be great at right time of year but just not in average UK Winter conditions

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  2. pensioner pete July 2, 17:17

    No prize for guessing what I think of it 🙁

    Reply to this comment
    • Bob Braban July 4, 23:02

      Tell us what you think of it Pete. I suspect it will not be a lot different from what every serious golfer thinks, but you can’t leave people guessing, prizes or no prizes.

      There is one certainty. Any UK club that introduces it will lose more members than it gains. Why not use ‘go carts’ and zoom around the course whacking the ball without getting out. It would be quick and high enough up the ‘stupid’ rating to get consideration in some places.

      Bob Braban
      http://Www.golfclubmarketing.org

      Reply to this comment
  3. Bob Braban July 2, 16:02

    Now this could be fun. In UK it’s not going to increase participation in golf, but in the USA I can see the guys I play with zooming around the course, taking their mulligans and have a high old time before entering their scores in the computer to upgrade their handicap. Can’t see the same attraction on the UK east coast in winter though! Has it been considered by the committee at places like Wentworth yet?

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