Carrying vs Push Trolley vs Electric Trolley: What’s the Best Way to Get Around the Golf Course?

Should you carry your golf bag, use a push trolley or choose an electric trolley?

There is no universal winner. The best choice depends on whether you prioritise convenience, perceived effort, physical activity, course conditions or preserving energy for your golf.

I compared the three options on the same hilly course using WHOOP, then looked at how my observations compared with published research.

Watch on YouTube Here: https://youtu.be/FmS6XryFtBU

My on-course comparison

These were real rounds rather than a controlled scientific experiment. Pace, weather, golf performance and wearable estimates can all vary, so treat the numbers as personal observations rather than proof.

Electric trolley

• estimated energy expenditure: 560 kcal;

• average heart rate: 100 bpm;

• WHOOP strain: 9.4.

This produced the lowest readings and felt the least physically demanding.

Carrying

• estimated energy expenditure: 984 kcal;

• average heart rate: 107 bpm;

• WHOOP strain: 12.7.

Carrying increased the readings substantially compared with the electric trolley on this course.

Push trolley at a fast pace

• estimated energy expenditure: 1,275 kcal;

• average heart rate: 115 bpm;

• WHOOP strain: 13.9.

This was the highest-demand round, but the pace was also faster. That made pace an obvious confounding factor.

Push trolley retest at a slower pace

• estimated energy expenditure: 951 kcal;

• average heart rate: 109 bpm;

• WHOOP strain: 12.4.

The slower retest moved the push-trolley result much closer to carrying. That is a useful reminder that the way you play can matter as much as the equipment choice.

What published research found

A study of 16 low-handicap golfers compared three competitive rounds: carrying, a manual trolley and an electric trolley.

Mean activity energy expenditure was reported as 688 kcal for carrying, 756 kcal for the manual trolley and 663 kcal for the electric trolley. The researchers described the differences as small or less, although heart rate and perceived exertion were lowest with the electric trolley.

The study supports a sensible conclusion: walking golf contributes meaningful physical activity whichever of these three methods you use. Read the published study on PubMed.

What the comparison does not prove

My wearable cannot measure calories with laboratory precision. The rounds were not identical, and a result from one golfer on one course cannot establish what will happen for everybody.

It also does not prove that one method is automatically better for your back, posture, hormones or golf score. Those outcomes depend on far more than how the clubs are transported.

Which option should you choose?

Choose carrying if:

• you enjoy it;

• the bag is comfortable and manageable;

• it does not aggravate symptoms;

• you are happy with the added effort.

Choose a push trolley if:

• you want to walk without carrying the load;

• you prefer a simple, lower-cost trolley;

• the course terrain suits it.

Choose an electric trolley if:

• conserving perceived effort matters;

• hills or the bag load make pushing less appealing;

• you want to focus more of your physical and mental energy on the golf.

Using a trolley is not cheating your fitness. You can develop physical capacity through purposeful training and still choose the option that helps you play your best golf.

The practical answer

Use the method that allows you to walk consistently, manage any health considerations and perform the way you want. If you are unsure, test each option on similar rounds and record effort, symptoms and golf performance rather than calories alone.

Want to see how your physical capacity and on-course performance fit together? Complete the free Match-Up Audit.