Is it better to carry or trolley your clubs?

Let’s start by saying that for those who are injured, not strong enough or physically unable to carry for whatever reason, then it is, of course, better for them to use a trolley to transport golf clubs around the course. For the purposes of this debate, let’s assume our sample specimen is physically capable of carrying clubs and kit.

There’s no question that carrying will drain energy reserves faster than guiding a modified perambulator across the fairways, but it’s better for your strength and fitness to carry and that’s a key reason why many of us play this sport in the first place. In addition, you’ll do less damage to the course not wheeling a heavily laden trolley bag across the playing surface.

And there are practical reasons why carrying is better. It speeds up play as you can take your bag right up to the edge of the green, or right to your ball when you’re off the beaten track. If there’s an elevated tee, you don’t have to stand at the bottom of the steps debating which clubs you’re going to take. No matter where you go on the course, you’ll have all your equipment to hand.

If you and three friends are going away on a trip, trolleys can make the logistics complicated. If all four are using carry bags, you’ll probably be able to fit all the kit in one decent-sized boot, so you’ll only need one car. As soon as you add trolleys and trolley bags to the equation, boot space is taken up all too quickly. You’ll probably require two motors, meaning petrol money is doubled, as is the group’s carbon footprint.

The choice, then? Carry your clubs, improve your fitness and increase your mobility on the course, or take a trolley, slow down the play and hurt the course and environment. If you can, carry.

First, let’s acknowledge trolleying in the winter may not be the kindest option for your golf course or greenkeepers, especially if things tend to get a little soft and muddy. And yes, at certain times of year or on certain courses, trolleying may see you walk further as you stick to the designated routes.

But beyond that, surely this is a bit of a no-brainer, for how can it ever make more sense to lug around a heavy bag of clubs plus all your associated paraphernalia when the rules allow you to transport that burden on a set of wheels designed specifically to take the weight off your back? In the supermarket, if you know your weekly shop is going to amount to a pretty weighty load, would you ever attempt to manhandle a couple of baskets rather than one of those big trolleys?

Why is the trolley often spurned, then? Maybe some do love the greater freedom that carrying allows, especially around the greens, and yes, a trolley is another added expense. But is there a chance that slightly misplaced machismo and an outdated notion that serious golfers carry still deter some from joining the trolley brigade? That may have been the case 20 years ago, but times have changed and not only will many of them now be on wheels, but often those wheels will be of the motorised variety.

As for any calorie-burning argument, I’m sure there’s plenty of research highlighting just how many more calories you burn off carrying than trolleying – you don’t need a boffin to tell you that you’ll use up far more energy walking four or five miles with 15 odd kilos on your back than without. But ultimately, most of us are playing to try and shoot the best possible score rather than burn off the flab, aren’t we?