Stewart Golf electric trolleys aren’t the least expensive. But neither are they the most expensive.
But the company’s story—from its conception to three generations of engineers to its “handmade in the UK” ethos—makes it one of the more compelling things you’ll read today.
Unless, of course, Tiger reconsiders and decides to LIV it up with Phil and the gang.
In the electric trolley world, Stewart isn’t what you’d call a big player. Even its CEO doesn’t know the company’s market share. And what’s more, he doesn’t really care.
“We’re not really interested in volume,” says third-generation owner Mark Stewart. “The business case has to stack up but we enjoy doing this. We like designing products and we love playing golf. We make the products we’d like to buy.”
Stewart’s products performed well in last year’s MyGolfSpy’s Electric Cart Buyers Guide, with its two models finishing a close third and fourth. We’ll see how they do in the 2022 testing next week.
Meanwhile. the Stewart family business has, as most family businesses do, a fascinating back story. And it all started in a typical English rain.
Stewart Golf Electric Trolleys: Rainy Beginnings
“My grandfather was a retired engineer,” says Stewart. “He lived in the north of England where it always rains so his clubs and grips were always wet.”
As any retired engineer faced with a vexing problem would do, Stewart’s grandfather made solving it a borderline obsession.
“He didn’t understand why we put our clubs in a bag upside down so he designed a bag where the clubs would be head down,” he says. “The clubs were arranged in a little carousel system. The heads would be in these little cones and the whole thing was enclosed.”
Mark Stewart was 19 at the time and, as a budding engineer, he’d eavesdrop whenever his engineer dad and granddad would discuss their ideas. He eventually joined them in making homemade prototypes.
“This was around the time clubheads were getting bigger and driver shafts were getting longer. As a result, our golf bags had to get bigger, to the point where they wouldn’t fit into a typical European car.”
By that point, the Stewarts had also looked at developing a powered base for their oversized bag. They started working on motors, electronic systems and overall stability. Eventually, the oversized bag was abandoned.
“We said, ‘You know what? Nobody is going to buy this,’” says Stewart. “But by that point, we were already down the road with making our electric trolley look like something different. We didn’t want it to look like a science project. We wanted to make it look cool.”
Breaking Into the Market
Stewart launched its first products in the UK in 2003. And, yes, their first products did look different.
“Although electric trolleys were commonly used in the UK at the time, the demographic was basically older guys,” says Stewart. “People viewed the category as an aid or ‘help’ product for older people or people with injuries because those products looked so horrible. We thought if we could make something that looks cool, people would react differently. Then we’d have a chance to drag the demographic down and bring in a younger audience.”
Stewart’s first product was the X1M, a standard electric trolley.
“The M stood for manual, meaning you had to steer it,” says Stewart Golf Marketing Manager Luke Cummins. “From there, we quickly realized remote control was the way forward. In 2004, we came out with the X1R (R for “remote”). Ever since, we’ve been trying to pioneer remote control and develop it to where it is today.”
And where it is today, for Stewart at least, is the most asked-about feature in any of MyGolfSpy’s articles on electric trolleys: the “follow” function.
The Follow Leader
“Follow is very much the flagship of what we do,” says Cummins. “We very much count ourselves as the leader in follow.”
Wordplay aside, Stewart launched the follow feature in 2014 with its X9 series. The technology is now in its eighth generation.
“It’s a combination of Bluetooth and electro-magnetism,” explains Stewart. “There’s a red enclosure under each rear wheel arch with a ferrite rod with metal windings inside. They emit an egg-shaped electromagnetic field around the trolley.”
The handset has similar but smaller coils. The trolley’s electronics calculate where the handset is within the egg-shaped magnetic field.
“The coils in the handset and the ones in the wheels form a triangle,” says Stewart. “The trolley can work out where the handset is, how far away it is and how fast it’s moving. All the trolley wants to do is get that handset one yard in front of the trolley and in the middle. As you walk away from it, it’s going to react.”
The electromagnetic field actually has two zones. The larger one on the outside is called the reactive zone. That zone looks for the handset and reacts to make the trolley move. But if the handset is inside one yard from the trolley, it’s now in what’s called the neutral zone.
“Once you’re inside the neutral zone, the trolley knows to not do anything,” says Stewart.
To use the follow feature, simply walk down the fairway with the handset in your back pocket or clipped to your belt behind you. The trolley kicks into gear and follows you as you move out of the neutral zone and into the active zone. If you pick up your pace, so will the trolley. If you move to the left or right, so will it.
Zone Defense
Stewart says the early follow models would get confused if you ran around or tried to do figure-eights. The zones now are bigger and the electronics are much smarter. Smart, however, doesn’t mean the trolley will think for itself.
“One thing we emphasize to people is that it’s not following you, it’s following the handset,” he explains. “People will ask, ‘If I walk into a bunker, will it follow?’ Well, yeah. If the handset is still in your pocket or on your belt, yeah.”
Stewart says golfers will use the follow feature about 40 percent of the time while on the course. You’ll either manually steer the trolley or use remote control around tee boxes, greens and on windy paths. But once you’re on the fairway, it’s follow time.
“As you walk up to your ball, go slightly to one side and then stop. The trolley will stop behind you,” he explains. “Take a step back toward the trolley and you’ll be in the neutral zone. Then you take the handset off your belt and place it on the trolley’s handset cradle. Now you can pull your club and take your shot.”
After that, pick up the handset and start walking. Stewart says it takes maybe two holes to go from full-on conscious incompetence to unconscious competence with the follow function.
“It’s a showstopper and everyone wants to talk about follow,” he says. “When people first try it, they’ll put the handset on their belt and cautiously walk away. And they’ll keep looking over their shoulder. After about 10 yards or so, they get this big smile on their face and are like, ‘this is cool.’”
X10 and Q
No, those aren’t MI6 agents. Those are Stewart Golf’s two electric trolleys—each available as a remote only or with remote and follow.
The X10 is the latest iteration of Stewart’s original cart. It has a distinctive, futuristic look. If George Jetson played golf, this is the trolley he’d use.
You can choose X10 with either a metallic black, metallic silver or pearlescent white finish. The standard X10 follow goes for US $2,599 with an 18-hole battery. An upgraded 36-hole battery is $200 more. A remote-control only (no follow) is $1,999 ($2,199 with 36-hole battery). There’s also a Signature Series X10 available in blue, red or black carbon fiber ($3,499/$3,699). And if you really want to get noticed, there’s a Stars & Stripes model, along with a Signature Tiger model that would make any Cincinnati Bengals fan swoon.
The Q Series was launched in 2020 and is more traditional-looking.
“There are some people who don’t want to be the person everyone is looking at; they just want to go play golf,” says Stewart. “We toned it down a bit with the Q to make it more appealing to those people.”
Functionality is the same as the X10 but the build is a little more high-tech. The Q has “monocoque” construction, meaning the body and chassis are integrated into one unit which reduces overall weight while keeping the unit robust and stable. The Q weighs 31 pounds (the battery is another six pounds) and folds up into a compact 21.5″ x 23.5″ x 12.5″ package.
Q carries a $300 across-the-board premium over the standard X10 units. The Q also features a SmartPower battery app so you can check the power on your battery even if it’s not installed in the trolley.
Stewart Golf: Made in the UK
As mentioned, Stewart hand-builds its products at its 10,000-square-foot factory in Gloucestershire, England.
“We’re not bringing in finished goods from China,” says Cummins. “We try to source most of our materials from the UK.”
“We didn’t want to subcontract out to China and all that comes back in price,” adds Stewart. “But we’re OK with that. People here like the fact it’s made in the UK and we’ve found people in the U.S. like the fact it’s made in the UK.”
Stewart, like Motocaddy, has a dedicated U.S. website (stewartgolfusa.com) along with a fulfillment center in Clearwater, Fla. While Stewart is working with green-grass accounts, you won’t see the product in retail over here.
“We tried it before and we’ve tried to do it in the UK,” says Cummins, “but it’s more beneficial for our time to talk with golfers directly rather than trying to get them into stores. We’ve been selling online since 2008.”
“We’d been building our business in the U.S. quite nicely,” adds Stewart, “and then COVID happened. All of a sudden, electric trolleys became a thing. We’ve been waiting years for this to happen, and all it took was a global pandemic.”
The U.S. represents a gargantuan opportunity for electric trolley manufacturers. And it’s a product category that, in the past two years, has transformed from oddity to curiosity to possibility. But for small companies like Stewart and even larger companies like Motocaddy, the approach is still one golfer at a time.
“The biggest challenge is the sheer scale of the U.S. market. It’s huge,” says Cummins. “For us, it’s about focusing on golfers who really love walking, who believe that’s the main experience of golf. We believe those people, with the education we provide and exposure to the product, will decide to go with it.”
*This content is backed by the MyGolfSpy Integrity in Advertising Promise.
*We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.
Peter
5 months agoI have been using the StewartGolf X10 Follow for half a year and I am a bit disappointed. In specification it should have Downhill Control (DHC), but in my case it doesn’t work and it’s difficult to hold the troley downhill. In addition, compared to other trolleys, it is very noisy ( engines are very loud and make a moaning sound), additional the rubber linings of the wheels at a temperature above 20C squeaks loudly ( sometime it’s a shame to walk around the golf course with it). The follow function only works well on flat terrain, the cart goes crazy on slopes.
Rick Wright
9 months agoAlphard V2 has a follow feature. Costs much less, adapts to most push carts. Better service and much better accessories.
Steven Webster
9 months agoI have had a Stewart Caddy follow for two years. it has been sent back three times as it looses its bluetooth connection regularly through out the round. I will not let my hand leave the cart as it has taken off on me, or sometimes even more frustrating is I am the last to hit, I go to leave with my playing partners and the bluetooth does not work. I need to turn on and off the cart while the people behind me get frustrated. When it works it is amazing, when it doesn’t it is awful.
Kenith
9 months agoFrom an owner of the Q Follow I can safely say it’s one of my best golf purchases to date. Everything Stewart have done seems to be well thought through from the way it folds to the way it acts on course. Oh and that follow system . it takes a little getting used to but once you trust it, its a game changer!!!! I love it. Stewart have a loyal customer here.
Kenith
MarcosG
9 months agoi bought a Stewart X10 Follow about a year ago and have been very pleased. I use it 2-3 times a week to walk 18 holes in Florida.. As long as I am on grass, even the rough or places with twigs etc, the follow feature works great. It really helps enjoy the course when you can walk down the fairway and have the cart follow you with your equipment. When you are on a cart path it is better to use the remote control mode because the follow mode has a tendency to oversteer. . I would purchase again with no hesitation. As far as areas for improvement, I wish the motor was a little bit quiet and that some of the accessories like the cup holder or the umbrella holder were better designed. But these are minor details for a great product.
Chris
9 months agoI have a Q Follow. Let me start by saying I love the cart, BUT… I can NOT recommend the “Follow” model. The front sensor absolutely sucks. It loses contact way too fast and you’re left with a cart searching back and forth until you have to walk back to it. I’ve tried starting slow, fast, close, away, etc. Same result. Would I recommend the Stewart carts? YES. Which? Safe the money for the Follow model and just get the remote unit. That’s how I love it and I could have saved myself about $500.
Stewart Golf
9 months agoHi Chris, it’s great to hear that you’re loving your cart, but also slightly concerning that you appear to have some issues with the Follow feature on your Q Follow. The large majority of our carts sold are Follow carts, as golfers love having the ultimate handsfree experience and complete freedom on the course, and it’s disappointing to hear that you’re not sharing the same experience.
It appears you may be encountering an individual issue with your particular Q Follow, so I would recommend getting touch with our dedicated support team by email ([email protected]) and a member of our team will be happy to advise and assist you with this.
Once you’re able to use Follow to its full potential, we’re sure you’ll love your cart even more!
Dave Walski
9 months agoI bought a trolley just to chase animals on the course. We have deer, ducks, geese, groundhogs, foxes, coyotes. I always have my trolley in attack mode. It’s hilarious!! Oh, it’s great for hauling my golf bag around too.
Jonathan
9 months agoI’m a big fan of these machines. edcxWe bought a Forecaddy Foresight follow cart for my father. It’s awesome, and I wish I had one myself. It was between that and the Stewart for us – both seemed like great options with the cheaper price of the Foresight winning out – it’s a China machine. We’ve had no issues with it so far (6 months). If you’d rather have a UK built machine, the Stewart would be a great option obviously. I can’t speak to the long-term durability.
The biggest downside I see is just the weight and bulkiness of it – It’s a bit of a task to get it in the car to take to the course and put it back in the car and back into its place to charge. If you’ve got a place to store it at your local club, that would be an ideal situation.
Lionel
9 months agoJe possède un x1 je crois depuis quinze ans .
Je l avais acheté suite à une démonstration lors de l Open de France …il parcourait facilement dans les hautes herbes …à cette époque c est là où tombait mes balles ..😂
Je n ai jamais eu de souci d électronique avec . Je viens juste de changer la batterie et les roues .
Je recommande fortement ce produit. Je ne suis pas fan du follow me .
Je préfère le manœuvrer à la télécommande devant moi .
Avec le brexit, nous ne pouvons plus acheter en direct … dommage.
J adore ce chariot
Brandon
9 months agoI’m in Australia and bought the Q FOLLOW about 3 months ago. I specifically wanted a motorised cart with the follow feature.. Before buying the Q Follow I researched the market and there were only 3 follow models out there. Caddytrek R2, Stewart X10/Q follow or the Forecaddy by Foresight sports.
The support level in Australia for caddytrek and forecaddy was non-existent. There was a distributor for Stewart golf here in Australia. His name was also Stuart (spelt differently) and he was very helpful. He provided reassurance that after sales service was available if ever required, but going by the quality of the product, it would be on the rare occasion that there were any issues with the unit. The fact that the voltage in the UK is the same as Australia and that it was the 10th generation model gave comfort that a lot of the electronic and mechanical issues have been fine tuned and ungraded. I was super excited when the compact Q Follow was launched as I own a 2-door convertible and boot space is not a luxury to me. The Q-follow fits perfectly in the passenger seat and my clubs just fit in my boot; I’m happy, cause there was no way the X10 was going to fit. It took a few rounds to get the hang of the unit as well as organising myself in a process so the Q-follow helped speed up play instead of slowing the play when it landed in the bunker or toppled over a steep slope due to my carelessness. It’s the ultimate dream machine on the course. I’m very happy with the build quality, functionality and the extra energy I have coming into the final holes of each round, especially the hilly ones. There are limitations to the follow feature where if I ran quickly away from it or walked at a quicker pace it would stop as I had moved outside of it’s active perimeter. I get 2 full rounds on one charge of the 36v battery, even on extremely hilly courses. The sand bottle accessory needs refining as it has scratched the panel that it attaches to. The custom carry bag is a must purchase with the Q-follow unit to catch all the dirt and grass and can be easily cleaned compared to steam cleaning your boot. The 2-baller holder is handy and the umbrella holder is strong and sturdy. I didn’t buy the last available accessory, the insulated drink bottle holder cause it looks really bulky and I carry a metal drink bottle which keeps my beverage cold even on 35 degree days. Hope this helps anyone out there looking to buy a follow cart. Happy to answer other questions any fellow golfers may have. Happy golfing everyone. Life’s too short, play more golf 😁
Stewart Golf
9 months agoThanks for your comment, Brandon! We’re glad to hear you’re loving your new Q Follow and we’ll be sure to pass this onto Stuart in Australia as well!
Ned
9 months agoNice but way to pricey compared to other units.
Plumbob
9 months agoThese are selling for A$4000 each in Australia, it will be a long time before I could afford one of these, especially wen the MGI Navigator sells for $2000..
Mike Woltering
9 months agoI have an MGI Zip Navigator. It is my second electric cart. The first was a Cart Tek 1500 and after about 450 rounds it finally wore out. I like the navigator better. It has a tighter turning radius and a longer lasting battery.
Tony P
9 months agoPretty much hate them. Carry, push, get a caddy, or ride in a cart….
CD Osborne
9 months agoI have the Cart Tek 1500Li V2. It does everything very well, is priced competitive, handles hills, etc.. I looked at the follow ones and thought I would always be looking behind me to make sure they were there. I like the clubs in front where I can watch and make sure they do not go into a hole or cross a hill wrong. The remote is very easy to use..
Patrick
9 months agoI used a battery operated motorized caddie for about 25 years ,1st with a Motocaddie and then a Kangaroo caddie from North Carolina , i regretfully had to give up walking due to my hip otherwise i would still be walking and using the Kangaroo cart , and just a comment on the Kangaroo motocaddie , it was a tank , extremely well made and could go almost everywhere ,i do wonder about the durability of some carts that cost $1000 and up , i know `how the Kangaroo cart faired walking 6 days a week , i would have to research other carts on the market to give a opinion , no doubt i miss walking with my motorcaddie
RC
9 months agoLove my X9, don’t really like being the guy with the cart everybody looks at, so I want the Q. Not a fan of follow, because I don’t like people up on me like that, let alone robots! But sending it to my ball while I drink some water is worth every penny, and if it’s one you’re considering, it’s the best in my not so humble opinion.
Stewart Golf
9 months agoIf Follow isn’t for you then the Q Remote is an excellent option to consider, as it has the exact same look/feel, just without the Follow feature. It’s great to hear you’re loving your X9 as well!
RC
7 months agoThank you! My X9 finally died after 5 years of stellar service. Complete loss of power, but the battery is still charging fine. I purchased the MGI Zip Navigator, but after having the stability of the X9, I hated the Zip. Took the Zip back, returned it, and purchased the Q Remote this morning online. The Stewart trolleys are hardcore beasts. These other trolleys are ok, but do not compare in terms of stability AND ease of use. The Zip Navigator was a fidgety, fragile machine with silly controls compared to the X9.
TonyG
9 months agoI play in a group of walkers. 2 years ago, we all decided to buy electric trolleys. We did are research and ended up with 4 different brands. I purchased the Q-Follow, the other guys V2 , MGI, Caddy Trek. None have been perfect and we have all had to replace things. The V2 has had the most problems but I will focus on the Q-Follow. models 2 issues I have found. If your course is even moderately hilly, there are some issues to know about. When going downhill, the Q-Follow does not regulate speed. So you either let it go or run down the hill after it. If in follow mode, you may have to jog downhill to avoid being run over. When going uphill, you must hold the handles. Otherwise, one wheel may spin out, causing the cart to turn sidehill and flip over. Second issue is the handle. It is weak and needs to be redesigned. Mine snapped on me after 6 months of use when a gust of wind hit my umbrella. I don’t know if it was cracked before but you definitely cannot lift up or push down on it to avoid objects like roots or curbs. Other than those 2 things, I love everything else about it.
Stewart Golf
9 months agoHi Tony, thanks for your feedback on the Q Follow and we hope you’re enjoying using it. The beauty of the Remote function is that you don’t need to be attached to your trolley when going downhills – put your trust in your machine and send it off at a slow speed when going downhill. Follow is best used on the open fairway, so in tighter areas or on steep downhills we would recommend using the Remote function to maintain optimal control. In regards to the handle, we wouldn’t recommend using this as a lifting point, however it is definitely fine to be used manually to maneuver tight spaces or curbs. If you require any support, please contact our team – [email protected]
Ken M
9 months agoHave owned the X-9 , worked well and used the follow feature 80%. UpGraded to Q but could not remove battery which seemed like a design issue as others have remarked. Main issue is getting the bag weighted correctly so machine is smooth and lack of storage space in handle for devices and stuff
Stewart Golf
9 months agoHi Ken, we had a small batch of Q’s that had slight issues with the battery sticking – if you’re still yet to resolve this please get in touch and we’ll be happy to assist – [email protected].
We recommend a weight of between 28lbs-33lbs for optimal performance, however the cart will still be usable if your bag is lighter/heavier, it just may be slightly more erratic with its movements.
Dr Tee
9 months agoAt my club, several types of electric “trolleys” are in play. Overwhelmingly the Alphard V2 trumps the others in terms of cost and ease of use. I added the e-wheels to my 15 year old Clic Gear in 20 min. for $800 Compare that to the $2K to get into the non-follow Stewart and $3K for the follow Stewart. My golf buddy’s Stewart has now followed him into deep sand traps, a barranca, and a water hazard–great huh? The Alphard gyro and auto braking are far superior to ANY others especially on hilly courses with winding cart paths. Almost no one can use follow mode because they get a stiff neck checking behind to see if their card is really following! Alphard will likely be coming out with an add-on “caddy mode” which will wirelessly allow the cart to roll ALONGSIDE the player. For most of us, the decision is both financial and brainlessly obvious.
Ted Cummings
9 months agoI have been using electric trolleys since 2004. I still wonder what took folks so long to catch on. I have owned 3 trolleys, 2 Stewart models. Loved the F1 but they stopped making batteries so now I have a very big $4k paper weight. I replaced it with a follow. The technology is MADDENING. It’s always a crap shoot as to whether or not the follow feature will work. When it does the follow is flat awesome other times I want to throw it into a lake.
Stewart Golf
9 months agoThe F1… now there’s a throwback! When used to its full potential, the Follow feature is unmatched! It appears as though your cart may be experiencing some difficulties with the Follow function. If this is the case then please get in touch with our team and they will be happy to advise – [email protected]
MarkM
9 months agoI’ve wanted a Stewart follow cart since I saw one at the Golf Expo here in Denver about 5 years ago. I was waiting for the tech to improve and it sounds like it’s just about there now. Oh and I definitely want the “cool” one.
Stewart Golf
9 months agoThere’s never a better time than the present if you want to treat yourself, Mark! We know you’ll love it!