Product Reviews
 

Sun Mountain Speed Cart V2
By BRUCE VITTNER

I’ve always been a puller, but now I’ve found the light. For 50 years of golfing I’ve always had a pull cart.

When I started at age 12 the bag and clubs were too heavy to carry, so my father got a cheap pull cart for me. Had one ever since. Sure, there were a few years when I felt macho and put the bag over my shoulder, but walking up the last few holes, especially at Triggs Memorial, seemed to beat me up and my scores showed it. The wheel was a great invention, allowing things to move more easily. It felt smarter to let the pull cart do the work.

I enjoy walking while playing golf. It gives you more time to think about your shots and enjoy the scenery. There is certainly less damage to the course with a pull cart than an electric or gas cart, and I need the exercise.

Sun Mountain, the progressive company from Montana, developed a speed cart in 1999. Gone were the two wheels with the golfer pulling from in front. Now there were two wheels near the back and a wheel in the front, just like a tricycle. I started seeing golfers pushing their bags rather than pulling. What a novel idea.

At the PGA Merchandise Show in January I met representatives from Sun Mountain who were touting their Speed Cart V2 as well as their motorized Speed E Cart and their newest carry bag. Carry bag was out—couldn’t do it as a teenager, wasn’t going to do it as an old fart. Didn’t want a battery, seemed unnecessary. That left the V2 as a model to try.

What a wonderful choice. The cart is a little heavy, the V1 is a lighter weight version, but it sure works great. The weight is the result of top-of-the-line components. The three wheels are bump-absorbing pneumatic (they even include a tire pump), the frame is strong aluminum tubing, and the accessories are more than I have in my car. There is a box for valuables near the handle, and an adapter to hook on your umbrella to keep you and your clubs dry while walking. It folds easily and fits comfortably in the back of my trunk next to all the papers that must be delivered.

“This cart will last you a long time,” said Steven Snyders a representative from Sun Mountain. As he gazed at my gray hair, did he want to say a lifetime? The cart is so easy to push. The ergonomic handle can be angled at any height you wish, and the wheels are so well aligned that the cart can roll down a large hill and not tip over. My granddaughter tried that, and it worked. She is four, and she pushed it for nine holes before deciding to take a break.

I’m now a pusher. Where were these carts 50 years ago? I’m sure my arms and back would be much stronger, since this cart takes practically no effort to use. The carts are available at all local retail stores or you can reach the company at 1-800-227-9224 or visit their website at www.sunmountain.com.