Golf and tech
Technology has significantly advanced our everyday lives. The same goes for that special part of our life that belongs to golf. Gone are the days when you had to lug your golf bag around on an old bulky push cart, or alternatively, spend the big bucks on a personal caddie.
That’s right – today we’re talking about motorised golf buggies!
Motorised golf buggies, sometimes known as electric golf buggies, come with tonnes of features; directional remote controls, digital displays, downhill speed settings, Controlled Distance Functions, E-parking brakes, the list goes on.
All of these incredibly useful features have one thing in common – they take up a substantial amount of power.
Given the importance of battery power, choosing a buggy and battery combination is quite challenging. No need to worry though, MGI Golf has all of the features and a powerful range of batteries to sustain them.
Lithium-ion is the way to go
Just like most other modern electronics, the majority of golf buggies rely on lithium-ion batteries to power them. The main reasons lithium-ion batteries are so popular is that they are lighter, last longer, charge quicker and are more durable long term than any other type of battery currently available.
So, when choosing which type of buggy battery is best for you, picking a lithium-ion one is pretty much a no brainer!
Let’s address the overall longevity of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are known as a ‘deep cycle’ battery. This basically means they are able to recharge and discharge many times and do not burn out easily compared to lead acid batteries.
In the case of golf buggies, most batteries should last 400-600 rounds of 18-hole golf, or roughly at least two years with twice weekly usage. They have been commonly known to far exceed these usage stats, but nonetheless this is an indication of what to expect.
Click and Go
MGI’s Click and Go line-up consists of an 18-hole and a 36-hole lithium ion battery with a 24 Volt 250 Watt-hour rating (don’t worry, we’ll get to Watt-hours later) and a 24 Volt 380 Watt-hour rating respectively. These batteries work with the Zip series of MGI buggies including the X1, X3, X5, Navigator & All-Terrain. The Click and Go product line is designed with convenience in mind because they fit straight into the buggy via a secure clip. Unfortunately, there are some buggies that aren’t compatible with the Click and Go line-up.
If you are sporting a different buggy than the ones listed above, check out MGI’s handy interactive Battery Finder to see which lithium-ion battery is compatible with your motorised buggy.
Watts, Watt-hours and Amp hours
What (or Watt!) you need to know about Watt-hours (Wh) and Amp-hours (Ah) in the context of choosing a buggy battery is the larger the number, the longer the battery will last between charges. So, a 380Wh battery will last longer than a 250Wh battery on one charge, or alternatively a 26Ah battery will last longer than a 20Ah.
Voltage (V) basically means the output of power that a battery will deliver. Therefore, a 24V battery delivers twice the power of a 12V battery. If you plan on playing big courses with lots of walking, a larger battery is a must have.
Head over to the MGI website to find a new battery for your buggy. Or alternatively, check out their range of motorised buggies! Find us in the U.S by Visiting us.mgigolf.com