Motocaddy S5 GPS Electric Golf Trolley Review
Feature filled and user friendly. The Motocaddy S5 GPS Electric Golf Trolley promises a lot. Gillon Fabbroni takes it for a test drive to see if it delivers.
The Motocaddy S5 GPS Golf Trolley combines a full-featured trolley with a sleek design and simple intuitive usability.
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Motocaddy S5 GPS Golf Trolley Review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
The Motocaddy S5 GPS is a GPS electric trolley that provides most functions you would likely need. I enjoyed its ease of set-up and use and most importantly, it made my golfing experience better. At a little shy of £1000, it’s not cheap but it’s not quite in the eye-wateringly expensive bracket either, given the features.
PROS
- Overall ease of use
- Feature filled without being overwhelming
- Clever charging port
- Can be put up in a matter of seconds
- Removes the need for an external GPS device
CONS
- Not particularly compact
First Impressions
Having only ever owned the most rudimentary of electric trolleys and an owner of a GPS, I was not sure what Motocaddy S5 GPS would bring to the table. Is it more than the sum of its parts?
Even before taking it out of the box I read the manual cover to cover (which I would urge all users to do). Strange as it may seem to comment on it, the manual was excellent. Comprehensive but short enough to read completely in 5-10 minutes. The trolley was easy to set up, both from the hardware and software side of things. It is made of aluminium and has a premium and sleek look to it.
The version I reviewed had the accessory attachment unit on it (not the accessories though) and was the non-DHC ( downhill control) version.
It comes with 40,000 courses loaded and 6 months free Motocadddy performance plan software which adds features beyond a simple GPS (£49.99 per year after 6 months). There is also an app which, among other things, will display your messages on the trolley.
The battery took about 6 hours to charge the first time fully.
Motocaddy S5 GPS Electric Golf Trolley: NCG Review
The S5 came in a graphite metallic finish which looked great with a couple of touches of blue. The mechanism to fold and unfold is terrific with a single latch, literally about 2 seconds to put it up or down.
The next thing to note is the battery which has a curved design to blend into the shape of the trolley. It is a cordless design and there is a small pop out port when the battery is out of the trolley or when the trolley is folded. This exposes the connectors for the charger. The battery can therefore be charged easily without removing it from the trolley. When the trolley is up, the charging port is pushed in to protect the connectors and turn the power on. Battery care is described in detail in the manual.
When folded the trolley is about 87cm long by 60 cm wide at the wheels and is not particularly compact. The wheels can be put on in reverse to reduce the width if storage or car boot size is an issue. On that point there is another notch on the axle to allow free wheeling in the event that the battery completely dies. There were a couple of plastic covers to protect the ends of the axle, and as a result, the wheels could be removed and the plastic covers put on to further reduce the size for transport. It weighs 10 kgs.
At home, it was a doddle connecting it to wifi, checking for software updates and also checking for course updates. I registered for the free Performance Plan 6-month trial which I could do from the trolley! Further details of this can be found on the Motocaddy website.
The trolley comes with the Motocaddy Easilock ™ system which, with compatible bags, allows for no lower strap and an extremely stable bag. I used this bag with both a Motocaddy Easilock and non-Motocaddy bag. Both were completely stable throughout the round although the Easilock does look slick.
Loaded up I proceeded to the practice ground and then the course. The speed is controlled by a rotary knob which is indexed. It is easily accessible, but unlike previous trolleys I have owned, was not subject to involuntary knocks. There is also an adjustable distance control. This allows the trolley to be set to travel a predetermined distance on its own.
What was immediately apparent was the screen’s clarity and ease of use. I played in blazing sunshine but the screen was effortless to read. The distances updated quickly and were commensurate with those measured on my Bushnell laser. I generally use a laser, however this GPS was excellent and happily stood on its own. The default display showed front, middle and back green distances and I did not feel the need to deviate from these settings. One can position the pin quickly on the image of the green to get a reading to the pin. The shot distance measure was also quick and easy. Measurements to hazards were easily accessible. Technology should always enhance or improve the experience and this absolutely hits the mark. I barely thought about the GPS as it was so intuitive. It has a competition mode to switch the GPS off if necessary.
I previously used almost exclusively a laser but occasionally carried a GPS. When I did, I barely looked at the GPS. Using this trolley, I only occasionally used my laser.
The Motocaddy S5 GPS comes in at £999 on the Motocaddy website but can retail for £949.
Motocaddy S5 GPS Electric Golf Trolley: Final thoughts
This is a high-quality, extremely user-friendly electric golf-trolley. A lot of thought has gone into its design. The GPS is intuitive and accurate. This has changed my somewhat lukewarm view of electric trolleys as it is hassle-free. If you are in the market for an electric trolley, I would give serious consideration to having GPS if the budget will stretch to that, and the S5 GPS will not disappoint.
Motocaddy S5 GPS Golf Trolley review: The Details
Available: Now.
RRP: £999.99
More details: Motocaddy website
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Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
