Two Thumbs Down on the Four-Wheel Cart

Finally bought a new push-cart of the four-wheel kind. Costco was having a deal on a $99 model that looked just like the Sun Mountain one that hubby and I have been eyeing all year. At 15 pounds, it is relatively lightweight, and it does open and close like a breeze. But I tried it out on the course today, and I must give it two thumbs down. Here's why:

1) The wheels only roll straight, so to roll the cart on a curve, you have to lift the front two wheels by pushing down on the handle. After doing this all round long, my triceps are actually sore. My old two-wheeler was much easier to maneuver since I just had to steer with the handle and it would go wherever I pulled or pushed it.

2) You need to kick on the brake to make sure the cart doesn't roll away. My old two-wheeler had a brake that I never had to use since the plate where the bag rests effectively served as a brake by resting on the ground whenever you stop the cart and let go of the handle. Having to step on a brake is yet another repetitive motion that annoyed me.

3) Because it's heavier and harder to maneuver, I couldn't take the four-wheeler all the way up to the collar of the green like I can with my trusty two-wheeler.

4) Worst of all, you have to push the cart. Pulling it is doable, but awkward. The thing I like about pulling my two-wheeler is that it gives me a good stretch in the arm and chest muscles, which are essential to driving the ball long and keeping the arms straight and relaxed. With the push-cart, I felt like my arms were always bent and all my upper body muscles were constantly tensed in the pushing motion. I already spend too much time hunched over a computer, and the last thing I want to do is feel like my back is hunched over a push-cart.

So, it's back to the two-wheel push-cart for me. Maybe I'll try a three-wheeler, though I have a feeling I'd end up with all the same problems as a four-wheeler. Or maybe I will just have to save up some dough for the remote control golf cart.