On Wednesday 27th July, The Links at Union Vale unveiled its fleet of 12 GolfBoards.
The boards comes in as an alternative to the traditional golf cart. They are one-person, battery-powered vehicles that can hold golf bags. They’re designed like scooters but move like snowboards or surfboards.
“It’s a lot like skiing. You go swishing down the fairways like ski slopes,” Chuck Clifton who has had an affinity for skiing when he was young said. “Then you get to play golf! It’s a great combination.”
For one to steer the vehicle, the rider releases the thumb throttle located in between the handle bars, then shifts their body weight to either the right or left. An on-board computer monitors speed and controls braking. It can reach up to speeds of 12 mph.
“The best thing about the GolfBoard is just that it makes the game more fun,” Cochrane said. “We like to promote the fact that it makes the game a little bit faster, but we do love the fact that everybody has a lot more fun playing golf.”
Golf bags are placed in front of the handle on GolfBoards, and some feature baskets on the back to store coolers. Michael Cochrane, GolfBoard’s central New York sales representative, said this could be the future for golfers who are growing tired of using regular carts.
The Links at Union Vale is one of three courses in New York that feature GolfBoards. Saratoga Lake Golf Club and The Vineyards Golf Club in Riverhead are the other two courses in the state that have them.