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Evenbeforetheglobalcoronaviruspandemicsteamrolled
leisure activities,thegolfindustrywasbrainstormingwaysto
entice youngerplayerstothegame.Whetherarcadesimula-
tors to enhanceteachingorpar-3coursesthatemphasizeplay
over score,courseshavebeengraspingatjustaboutanything
to add morefuntothesport—andtomakeit goa bitquicker.
At firstglancetheFinnCycleseemsanunlikelybet.Billed
as a fasteralternativetogolfcarts,thetwo-wheeledelectric
bike-slash-club-carrierlooksmoreliketheputteringmopeds
I saw as aboyinSeoulthana breakthroughfora sportdomi-
nated bywealthyoldmen.Itsuniquedesignallowsyoutostrap
your bagtothecrossbar,whichyoustraddleasyouscootoff
to your nextlie.Soyouknowit’sreallyforgolf,thekickstand
is shapedtolookliketheheadofa driver.
The bikeis thebrainchildofRickReimers,the67-year-old
chief executiveofficerofSunMountainSports.He’slong
been consumedwithfindingefficientwaystogetaroundthe
course: HisSunMountaingolfbagswerethefirsttofeaturea
two-prongedstand;thecompanyalsopopularizedthethree-
wheeledpushcart.Hisimpetusforthebike,whichheviewsas
hip and edgy,wassimple:“Golfis tooslowandtooboring,and
it needs tochange.”OntheFinn,hesays,youcancomplete
18-hole roundsinlessthantwohoursinsteadoftheusualfour.
The conceptgotanunexpectedboostthisspringwhengolf
emergedasoneofthesocialactivitiesthatcanbeenjoyedamid
a pandemic,becauseplayerscankeepa safedistancefromone
another.A high-profilechangetoclubruleswasthatonly
one playerata timecanuseeachgolfcart.TheFinn,which
can’t holdmorethanoneperson,wassuddenlyapropos.
GrahamGilmorehas 16 bikesathisPineNeedlesResortin
SouthernPines,N.C.,andsaysthey’veallowedhimtomeet
demand:Regularfoursomesusuallytaketwocartstoget
around thecourse;nowtheyneedfour.TheFinn,hesays, SCOOTER:COURTESYFINNSCOOTERS.GOLFCART:GETTYIMAGESCRITIC BloombergPursuits August 3, 2020helpskeepcartsupplyflowingandsocialdistancingpossible.
I prefertowalkthecourse,butI couldn’tresistthechance
totestouta FinnnearmyhomeinOhio.Itslowprofilemakesit
easytogetonandoff,andthestrappedclubsarenestledonto
thehandlebars,whichstabilizethecenterofgravityandmake
it almostimpossibletojackknifeandtoppleover.
A thumb-operated “throttle” rests on the right side of the
handlebar, and on the left side is a brake. The bike is also light-
weight enough, at 92 pounds including the lithium battery, to
drive directly onto a green without damaging the course the
way a traditional cart does. With a top speed of 15 mph, it feels
as much like a motorcycle as a golf cart does a Ferrari.
The main problem? Although the Finn can increase your
pace of play by allowing everyone to roam quickly and inde-
pendently, those gains are negated when the course is busy
or if you run into a group that won’t let yours play through.
Brian Jorgenson of Nashville Golf & Athletic Club told me he’s
had to learn when to let golfers out on the bike because of how
fast they play. Pine Needles’ Gilmore has restricted their use
to early morning or late evening.
There’s also the issue of its appearance. During my test,
some curious groundskeepers peppered me with questions
about this novelty. Younger people were interested, but I kept
picturing the patriarch of a blue-blooded family trying to clam-
ber onto one of these. It felt like a lost scene from Caddyshack.
Then again, the Finn isn’t necessarily for current golfers, it’s
for future ones who may not know it yet. I tend to agree with
Doug Davis, who has four at his course in West Lafayette, Ohio:
“People enjoy it as an alternative, but it won’t be for everyone.”
I’m holding out hope that the Finn spurs courses to get cre-
ative with tee times, maybe even having lunch-hour “Finn light-
ning rounds” to lure more golfers and maximize margins. We’d
still have enough time for a postround hot dog. <BW>Lightning Round
The Finn Cycle promises 18 holes in two hours or less. But is the
game ready for it? By Michael Croley