I’ll be the first to admit it: I wasn’t always a push-cart guy. I enjoy walking when I play and do so often, but I always thought, as a healthy 30-something golfer, I don’t need a push cart. Why can’t I just lug my golf bag over my shoulder?
But over the years I’ve gotten wiser and a little less stubborn, and I’ve come to appreciate a good push cart. I even got my own about four years ago, when one fell into my lap via a leftover sitting in GOLF’s Manhattan office. That one did the job, but I wasn’t in love with it, so I only used it here and there. What inspired my apathy towards the cart were the little things. The storage wasn’t as large as I wanted and the middle console couldn’t even fit my phone, which bothered me more than it should have.
This year, however, I decided to upgrade. After weeks of researching online, I found a model I wanted to test out: the Bag Boy Nitron Auto-Open Push Cart. Last week, I put it to the test. As for the verdict? It’s the best push cart I ever used.
Now, let me first clarify. Have I used every push cart that exists? No, I have not. But have I used, say, a dozen or so over the years while playing different courses across the U.S. and Scotland? Yes, I have.
Bag Boy Nitron Auto-Open Push Cart
First, let’s talk about what I loved the most: the storage! Oh, that glorious storage. The Bag Boy Nitron has all the space you need. And if you are like me — meaning you carry a ton of extras in your golf bag — you’ll appreciate the extra room. The middle console is large (with space for my phone!) and the top of the hatch has a place for your scorecard and pencil.
There’s even a handy phone holder in front of that middle console so you can securely prop yours up while you play. That’s convenient if there are apps you use on the course, like ones for green-reading, betting, scorekeeping and hole distances (or if you want to stream that crucial game you might otherwise miss). While I like to have my phone accessible, I don’t need it out all the time, so I didn’t use this consistently, but I did test it out to make sure it worked and see if my phone was secure while maneuvering up and down hilly fairways. It was; a mini bungee cord kept it locked in.
Another big plus was the large open pocket below the middle console, right under the handle. I kept my rangefinder in there for easy access, but you can use it for anything. (A great place for some warm gloves during frigid fall rounds, I’m thinking.)
There’s also a cupholder and spot for your umbrella, but one of the sneaky things I enjoyed more than I thought was the brake lever on the left side of the handle. My previous push cart had a brake lever down by one of the front wheels, meaning I had to awkwardly bend my leg to flip it on and off. Now it’s right there next to my hand.
As for opening and closing, you might remember this is called a Bag Boy Nitron Auto-Open Push Cart, which means that part of it has never been easier thanks to its nitro-piston technology. No finicky latches needed — this opens and collapses slicker than a Transformer toy. There’s even a handle to make it easy to carry back to your car (at 16.7 pounds, it’s light too).
Finally, let’s talk about how it rides through the fairways (or rough). I wasn’t really worried about this since I thought any newer push cart would have this part down, and sure enough it’s an easy, smooth ride. If there was one con here, it would be that turning could be a touch sharper, but that’s an issue with most push carts and also could be viewed as a feather in the cap promoting the cart’s stable steering.
The Bag Boy Nitron Auto-Open Push Cart is slightly more expensive than other Bag Boy options, partly due to the nitro-piston technology, but it’s an investment that will pay off for years to come. There’s also other options you can browse, like the Bag Boy Compact 3 Push Cart or the Bag Boy Quad XL Push Cart (both below).
The Bag Boy Nitron Auto-Open is currently available in four color options on Fairway Jockey: Graphite/Charcoal, Black/Red, Battleship Gray/Lime and Silver/Black.
