As Tiger Woods separates himself from the field at the British Open, I pay tribute to something they call a “trolley” across the pond. Though we call them “pull carts” or “push carts” here in the States, trolleys are a staple in the home of golf – a way to relieve players of the burden of carrying clubs without the necessity of a caddie.
Out With the Old
I’ve been lugging around my old two-wheel pull cart on the golf course for several years. It’s old but reliable. Every round, it seems to get heavier and harder to drag. Casting my old cart aside, I felt it was time to enter the 21st century and try the latest in trolleys. My old cart was a pull cart. My new one? I push it like a baby stroller.
What better product to try than a push cart created by an innovative company like Bag Boy? With excitement, I opened the box to my new EZ Fold 12 Push Cart. I’m not particularly handy and leave all areas of assembly to my husband, but I heard that the EZ Fold was simple to put together. I told Barry to leave it to me.
Directions really weren’t necessary. Inside the box I found a one-piece frame “constructed utilizing high modulus ultra lightweight aluminum tubing along with a reinforced center section for enhanced durability” and “quick release bicycle-style 12-inch wheels with sealed ball bearings.” Long story short: I was up and rolling within five minutes.
My EZ Fold 12 Cart is silver, but fashion conscious golfers can choose between red, navy, or black to coordinate with your own style (or your golf bag). Bag Boy offers a padded cart seat (which fits all Bag Boys made after 1999). It attaches to one wheel (or the other) and offers a place to sit. I think I’ll purchase one for those five-hour rounds on the public links (image below).
It was also a kick pulling on the carry handle that says “fold” for the really unaware which quickly squeezes the cart in half and eliminates bending down to grasp the front wheel when folding. Bag Boy picked up this nifty one-hand folding system patent from the Baby Jogger Company, the same company that revolutionized the stroller industry. Just in case you want to see the Bag Boy EZ Fold 12 in action you can catch a video created at the Bag Boy website.
With my old two-wheeler I can leave my bag on the cart, tilt down the small adjustable handle and place the whole set of clubs and cart in the trunk of my Benz along with my husband’s set of golf clubs. The larger, ergonomically designed one-piece handle of the EZ Fold 12 is more comfortable for my wrists to rest upon but you cannot adjust the grip nor tilt the one-piece assembly for more comfort. You can remove the bag from the push cart and easily fold it but that’s just one more step when you’re looking to make a hasty departure after your round.
Take it Apart, Put it Together
The new EZ Fold needed to be disassembled and placed separately in my trunk. The two rear wheels release with difficult-to-push metal spring releases. I literally had to balance the cart on my legs and press with both hands on the release to get it to bend. Then you have to put the cart in awkward positions in order to remove each wheel. I found the difficulty in collapsing the cart disappointing, but the real test would be pushing my clubs around the golf course.
I took my new Bag Boy out to a local, hilly golf course to put it through its paces. The wheels popped on more easily than they came off and my large Burton cart bag found a comfortable position in the adjustable brackets. The deluxe scorecard holder was handy and easy to access. The pencil holder actually held the pencil in place and was located conveniently above the scorecard.
The plastic storage compartment was useful enough to store my Nutrigrain snack bars, though it was a little small, flat, and difficult to open using the small finger grip. The built-in beverage holder was large enough to carry a midsized (20oz) blue Gatorade. An optional insulated 12-pack cooler bag features an adjustable handle, tee holder pouch, and accessory pocket and is a great conversation piece to carry along when playing with a foursome.
Throughout the round I wheeled the Bag Boy EZ Fold 12 everywhere (believe me, my golf game gave me plenty of opportunity to visit all kinds of places). When I gave the Bag Boy a little push, it rolled all by itself. Once, when I pushed it downhill, it curved to the right and eventually toppled over, spewing my golf clubs along the fairway – not good! However, I must admit that it was simpler to push the EZ Fold up a hill than to pull my old two-wheeler behind me and I was less winded to boot!
I finished my round and removed the bag from the push cart. With an influx of Canadian geese occupying my golf course every year, removing the wheels became a dirty event. I couldn’t clean the wheels enough before touching them and found this to be really disgusting. At least with my old pull cart I could clean the wheels just enough before placing the entire structure onto a towel and into my trunk.
My husband gave the EZ Fold its next test. Barry loves to walk but has been sitting in an electric cart recently because of an injured knee. Wanting to walk the course with his usual foursome, Barry asked if I could loan him the Bag Boy. I eagerly agreed asking him to give me his opinion for this review. One of his golf buddies recently purchased the 2005 Sun Mountain Speed Cart V1, which would serve as a nice comparison.
Barry found the Bag Boy EZ Fold 12 easy to open and not too difficult to insert the wheels. Pushing the Bag Boy was considerably easier than carrying as he usually does and at times he said he felt like he had a personal caddy!
However the EZ Fold 12 had some drawbacks. As his friend let the Sun Mountain travel freely down a hill to a safe landing the Bag Boy, having a narrower wheel base, fell over very easily. Sun Mountain also has an adjustable height handle which accomodates people of different heights. The Sun Mountain V1 also has a more convenient cable-driven brake lever near the top of the handle versus the foot brake in the middle of the axle of the Bag Boy. The Sun Mountain is lighter, easier to push, and most importantly, folds to a convenient size with all wheels attached so that you don’t have to completely clean the wheels before storing the cart in your trunk. In addition the tires on the EZ Fold 12 are hard rubber versus the air-inflatable tires of the Sun Mountain which gave the Sun Mountain a softer feel.
Conclusion
After listening to Barry’s comparison and trying the Bag Boy for myself, dollar for dollar, the better value goes to Sun Mountain over Bag Boy. Club Glove has also improved their own line of push carts introducing the Kaddy Stroller in response to the EZ Fold 12. The Kaddy Stroller has options similar to Sun Mountain including both hand and foot brakes, a quick-release system and a lightweight frame understanding the importance of these items to their customers. Although Bag Boy has several other designs in both pull and push carts the EZ Fold 12 is their top-of-the-line cart. Perhaps with a little more innovation and creativity, Bag Boy will create a formidable option in response to these upgraded models introduced by their competitors.
If you are under 40 years of age you have no excuse to be using this outrageous contraption..good job Casey..either lose some weight or go to the gym.
LOL..I always *laugh, *smirk, at anyone who buys one of these things. I honestly thought, before I read what you bought, that it was some oxygen tank carrier. That thing is hideous, probably like your swing, I assume. Instead of buying something like this behemoth, invest in some lessons so you don’t have to walk off into the woods where you’ll end up lugging this thing anyhow..LOL..
It looks as if these two commenters were reading a different review. Perhaps this “contraption” will help their games…lol
Actually I saw a cool video of the BB EZ Fold 12 and it looks unbelievably easy to operate..basically you lift up on the carry handle and the thing collapses. Now I’m torn to either get this or the SunMountain Speedcart V1..geez
There is a brand new BB Easy Fold on the market which includes a handbrake. I’m not sure if they also increased the size of the wheelbase but that would be a big consideration because when you give it a push it should roll without falling over.
Sun Mountain seemed a bit sturdier and both are comparably priced.
For those tough guys out there who don’t need this contraption, you go on and laugh, but when you get old, you won’t be able to play golf anymore cause your back is going downhill. People of all ages should enjoy new creations, whether it is a golf cart or something else. The key is (blockquote> don’t spit first , because you may have to slurp it back. Anything that will help golfers improve their games instead of worrying how the heck you are going to the fourth hole up the hill carrying your oversize steel shafted golfclubs, balls and all.
So relax, this golf cart is good for you, I have used them for years now, and I am a 4 handicapper golfer. I can concentrate on my driving 300 yards or more, and my putting, to make myself even a better golfer.
I bought 2 of these for the wife and I to walk together on the course. Both my carry bag and cart bags fit on this nicely and the thing works w/ precision ease. When you’re out for a day, the cart certainly overrride the carry bag, because you can pack a lunch plus a least a six-pack and ice w/out feeling like a pack mule or paying course prices for food and drink.
Anyway, they are a nice piece of equipment that my back certainly likes. I just don’t understand why the lady wanted to remove the wheels to put in her car…
I bought one because I figuered I could use it as a walker when I got older. It is durable. The only issue I have with it is that the two side bars get in the way of the zipper pockets on the side of my golf bag. Other than that, I figure it will outlast me.
Wow, I usually do not respond to things like this, but in this case, I must.
Obviously some of the responders have a problem using a push cart to get around a golf course. One could only imagine what their handicap is. I know mine, it’s a big zero, and I use a push cart when I play, just as every pro does out there in the form of a caddy.
Tell you haters out there what, you guys keep carrying your bags, playing without skycaddies and push carts, and keep those handicaps as high as you can so you can cheat in your mens club tourneys. The rest of us will be out enjoying our days playing the best golf we can. I would definately change my mind about it when Tiger starts playing without his caddie who carries his clubs and gives him yardages.
For the record, I have the Bag Boy 180, and it is awesome. A friend of mine has one of these types and it is just the same.
🙂
I’ve had my EZFold 12 Bag Boy for 3 year’s and I love it. I pull one strap and it unfolds and I lay my clubs on it and I’m off. I’m looking for another one just like it since it’s becoming obsolete and I want to make sure I have a back up. They shouldn’t have changed the EZ Fold 12 Bag Boy but of course they did to make it like the Sun Mountain which is too much work putting it together.
Where could I purchase the wheel for ez fold 12
I’am looking for the plastic cover for the bad boy ez fold 12 storage compartment.