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

Golfers often debate the best way to move around the course. Should you carry your bag, use a manual push trolley, or invest in an electric golf trolley?

I decided to put this question to the test with a real-world study, tracking multiple rounds using WHOOP to measure heart rate, calories burned, and strain. I also compared my results with an academic study supported by Stewart Golf, the British manufacturer behind the VERTX Remote.

The findings might surprise you.

Why This Test Matters

Golfers have different priorities:

• Some like to carry their bag because it feels like a workout.

• Others use an electric trolley to conserve energy and stay fresh.

• Many prefer a push trolley, thinking it’s easier on posture and back strain.

Until now, most of this debate has been anecdotal. Controlled scientific studies exist, but they often equalise conditions — using identical bags, weights, and pacing — which doesn’t reflect how golfers actually play.

So I wanted to know: what really happens on the course?

How I Tested

• Course: A hilly parkland track with steep inclines.

• Conditions: Similar times of day, summer weather for consistency.

• Methods tested:

  1. Carrying a bag

  2. Manual push trolley

  3. Stewart Golf VERTX Remote (electric, hands-free)

  4. Push trolley retest at a slower pace

• Tracking: WHOOP – for steps, distance, elevation, heart rate, calories, strain.

Importantly, I played the rounds the way most golfers would:

• Carrying: lighter bag, fewer extras, sometimes leaving the bag at the side of the green.

• Push trolley: heavier bag with snacks, water, spare clothes, and always taken closer to the ball.

• Remote trolley: used hands-free functions, letting it travel beside me to mimic real-world use.

Results

1. Stewart Golf VERTX Remote

• Calories: 560

• Average HR: 100 bpm

• Strain: 9.4

Easiest by far. No surprise here — not carrying or pushing meant my posture stayed upright and my body felt fresher throughout the round. This is the clear winner if your goal is conserving energy for performance.

2. Carrying a Bag

• Calories: 984

• Average HR: 107 bpm

• Strain: 12.7

Carrying was tougher on posture and shoulders, especially on hills. My heart rate and strain were higher than with the electric trolley, and it definitely felt the hardest physically, even if not the highest calorie burn.

3. Push Trolley (Fast Pace)

• Calories: 1,275

• Average HR: 115 bpm

• Strain: 13.9

This was the shock. Pushing a trolley actually burned the most calories and raised my heart rate the highest. Why? I walked faster, my bag was heavier, and I took it everywhere on the course. Although it didn’t feel harder than carrying, the WHOOP data showed otherwise.

4. Push Trolley Retest (Normal Pace)

• Calories: 951

• Average HR: 109 bpm

• Strain: 12.4

When I deliberately slowed down, the numbers came closer to carrying. This matched results seen in the Stewart Golf study, which showed pushing and carrying to be very similar when conditions are controlled.

Why the Push Trolley Surprised Me

• Walking speed: I naturally walked faster when pushing.

• Bag weight: Heavier with snacks, water, and extras.

• Course behaviour: With carrying, you often drop the bag and just walk with a club. With pushing, you take it everywhere.

• Posture: Both carrying and pushing round the shoulders. The remote trolley was the only method that kept me upright all round.

Study vs Real Life

The Stewart Golf study (European Journal of Sport Science, 2022) found:

• Carry: ~688 kcal

• Push: ~756 kcal

• Electric: ~663 kcal

Their results were close across methods because bag weights and conditions were controlled.

My real-world test showed bigger differences — especially with the push trolley — because that’s how golfers actually use their gear.

Posture Matters Too

Beyond calories and strain, posture is crucial:

• Carrying rounds the shoulders and compresses the spine.

• Pushing does the same, whether manual or electric.

• Remote trolley lets you walk upright, breathe freely, and stay loose — important for energy, focus, and even hormone balance.

Final Takeaways

• Best for performance: Electric remote trolley (e.g., Stewart Golf VERTX Remote).

• Best balance: Push trolley at a controlled pace.

• Most demanding: Carrying a bag, especially on hilly courses.

If you want to burn calories, push or carry.
If you want to save energy for your swing, electric wins every time.

Over to You

What’s your go-to method? Do you carry, push, or use an electric trolley?
Has this changed how you think about energy on the course?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below — and if you want to see the full WHOOP data breakdown, check out the video on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/FmS6XryFtBU