For golfers who like to get exercise by walking the course but aren't crazy about carrying clubs or pulling them on a cart, a remote golf caddy might be the answer. A remote golf caddy is either a battery-operated mini-vehicle or a cart-style caddy that follows discreetly behind, carrying your bag of golf clubs for you. The mini-vehicles are hands-free models, while the cart-style caddies are remote control models.
To use a hands-free remote golf caddy, the golfer wears a small transmitter on his or her belt. The caddy uses the transmitter as a guidance beacon to follow the golfer without user intervention. There is no handheld control to wield, and no manual steering or guiding. Just walk the course and let the caddy follow behind.
The hands-free golf caddy is programmed to stay about six feet (two meters) behind the golfer, whether traversing uphill or down. Electromagnetic brakes ensure the caddy stops or slows when needed, eliminating the risk of overtaking the golfer on a downward slope. Generally powered by two 12-volt deep cycle batteries, the remote golf caddy has plenty of juice. Dual omni-directional horsepower electric motors are fitted with proprietary gear heads to maximize the torque to weight ratio. This not only provides efficient pull, but also allows the vehicle to move sideways as well as forward or back, shadowing any movement the golfer makes.
The remote golf caddy belt transmitter is about the size of a pager. Communication between the transmitter and caddy is steady over bridges, through tunnels, or in any kind of weather, including cloud cover or rain. The remote golf caddy is pre-programmed to perform flawlessly, but some parameters are adjustable, such as trailing distance.
The hands-free remote golf caddy accommodates one golf bag and has various storage compartments and holders for accessories like tees, balls, scorecard, pencil, and beverages. It also has a compartment for a purse or backpack, and a built-in seat for taking a rest while waiting for the party ahead to play through. A push of a button on the transmitter stops the caddy so you can pull a club out or take a rest.
While the hands-free remote golf caddy is a three-wheeled mini-vehicle with a "side-car" type shape, other remote golf caddies resemble simple pull carts fitted with motors. This style of remote golf caddy has an antenna near the handle, and is controlled by a hand-held device that must be pointed at the antenna to move the cart.
There are trade-offs to choosing either model. The hands-free remote golf caddy weighs in at over 100 pounds (45kg) and does not "fold away" or collapse. A small trailer with a drop gate might be required to transport it to the course, though you can roll the caddy into and out of the trailer by engaging the transmitter and adjusting the trailing distance.
The cart-style remote golf caddy folds away like a standard golf cart and can fit in most standard size trunks or the back of a SUV. The motors add weight, as does the battery, which has to remain upright. This style of remote golf caddy weighs about 25 pounds (11kg).