With winter and cooler temperatures on the horizon, now is the time to look after your golf equipment, especially those running on batteries. There’s no denying that some of the best push carts do a fantastic job at wheeling your clubs around the golf course and take some stress off your back, but it’s hard to beat some of the best electric trolleys with the level of tech now included in most models. While electric trolleys were initially introduced into the market with lead-acid batteries, the majority of these trolleys now come equipped with a much lighter and efficient lithium battery, in either an 18 hole or extended range option.
Brands such as Motocaddy, PowaKaddy and Stewart Golf are leading the way in electric trolley design with various cutting-edge features that remote control, integrated GPS or even the ability to follow behind a golfer automatically. All this functionality comes with a price and so looking after the battery is important to get the longevity you would expect out of your powered cart.
British company Motocaddy recently published some advice on how to preserve the life of your battery heading into the winter months, so you know exactly what to do to make sure your battery is in tip top shape come the spring and the start of the new season.
1. Charge It Up
This sounds very simple and it is, but it’s something I’ve been guilty of not doing in the past. You finish up a round of golf, get home, unload your clubs, cart and battery and then leave it until the night before you next play to charge it up - sound familiar? This is definitely a habit to get out of if you’re wanting to preserve the life of your battery for as long as possible. Get your battery on charge as soon as you get home until the light on the charger turns green. Disconnect it and then charge the battery back up one more time before you intend to play again.
2. Avoid Low Temperatures
Your battery doesn’t want to be left out in the cold as much as you wouldn’t. Try to store your battery at room temperature while you are not using it and never leave it in your car boot or garage uncharged in temperatures less than 5°C. When put on charge after a battery has been left out in cold temperatures, there could be a risk of fire due to the battery short-circuiting and potentially catching alight.
3. Keep It Regularly Charged
You should treat your trolley battery much like you would a car battery. If you don’t start your car up for a number of weeks the battery will likely become very low in charge and often flat resulting in the car not starting. Your lithium battery should not be left longer than a couple of months without charging, even if you are not taking it out on the course.
4. Avoid Overcharging
While it can be tempting to charge your battery overnight before a round of golf, doing this should be avoided if possible. Try to get your battery on charge during the day and only have it on charge until the light on the charger turns from red to green. The green light signals that the battery is ready to go and so it can be removed from the charger. Leaving your battery on charge for extended periods of time can actually have a negative effect on its performance and lifespan.
5. Charging Station
You should aim to charge your battery on a hard, dry, non-carpeted surface. While this can be a pain due to a lot of plugs sitting lower on walls and it may be tempting to just leave it on the floor, however, you’re much better off being safe than sorry with this one. Charging on damp or carpeted surfaces could once again prove to be a serious safety hazard worth avoiding.
6. Extended Range Batteries
If you’re a keen enough golfer where you require an extended battery for your trolley, first of all - we salute you. Secondly, while this battery will get you over the 36 hole benchmark in a day, if you’re planning on playing 18 holes on back-to-back days, you should still be charging your battery between rounds. While you will likely still get the performance if you forget to do this, playing the second round the following day, having not charged the battery between rounds, will likely result in sub-optimal performance in the long run.
“Generally, our batteries perform so well that it’s easy for golfers to overlook the important care factors. But the fundamentals should never be ignored and we’ll do everything we can to ensure that these important messages are communicated to the wider golf community.” says Motocaddy CEO, John Helas.
It’s easy to get complacent with your battery after a round of golf, but following the tips above will make sure that you get the best performance out of yours and won’t find yourself having to purchase a new one earlier than expected.
