50 Words or Less
The Finn Scooter by Sun Mountain is like a motorbike for the golf course, designed to speed up play. Easy to use and extremely fun to ride.
Introduction
It’s been a couple years since the Finn Scooter was first introduced to the world of golf, but now it’s becoming available at a wider array of golf courses across the country. With golf booming, the timing seems like it couldn’t be better for a new, fun, faster way to move around the course. I played my first round of the year on a Finn Scooter to see if the days of the traditional golf cart are numbered.
Check out another golf e-bike, the HeyBike Ranger S, HERE
Finding & Renting a Finn Scooter
If you’re interested in trying a Finn Scooter, head over to the Find a Finn website HERE. While not ubiquitous, Finn Scooters are available in most states. You can also buy a Finn for $3,500, but this review is going to focus on the rental experience.
Renting a Finn Scooter is unlike renting a golf cart because it takes place apart from the golf shop. To rent a Finn, you need to download the Finn Scooters app. When you get to the course, you use the app to scan the QR code on the cycle and pay for it in the app. Renting a Finn for 18 holes cost $31 for me, but rental costs will likely vary by course.
The whole rental process took less than three minutes for me. After I scanned the QR code, I entered my credit card number to pay for the rental and clicked through a bunch of safety notifications. The only other time issue you’ll need to consider is that once you get on a Finn, everyone is going to want to talk to you about it.
Ease of Use
The first question everyone asked me about the Finn was, “Is it easy to ride?” The answer is unequivocally, “Yes!” I have no experience with motorized bikes of any kind, but I took to Finn immediately. This was 180 degrees from my experience with the golf boards and other vehicles.
Finn sits fairly low to the ground, so balance is not an issue, and you can always put your feet down to get control. There is a brake on each handle, just like a bicycle, and the throttle is controlled by your right thumb.
The Finn Scooter is quick at top speed, but the throttle isn’t overly sensitive. First timers or more conservative riders can easily choose a slower pace. Finn is also quite light, so you can walk it around tight corners, and you always feel in control of it.
Check out an affordable e-bike, the Oraimo Trcker 100 HERE
On Course Experience
After loading my golf bag onto the Finn Scooter and wrapping up my conversation with the starter, I was off. It took about three seconds for me to decide, “This is so much more fun than riding in a golf cart.” The way you can get to your ball no matter where it is and weave around congestion on the cart paths make the round feel so much quicker. If everyone in a foursome had a Finn and a ready golf mindset, pace of play problems would no longer exist.
From a storage standpoint, Finn offers an experience that’s comparable to a golf cart. The Finn Scooter has a holder for seed mix (see above) and a cup holder. Sun Mountain also makes a Finn cooler. The only thing that I missed about a traditional cart was having a place to attach my scorecard and pencil.
One area where the Finn Scooter beats golf carts is in allowing access to your golf bag. Whether sitting on the Finn or standing next to it, I was easily able to access all the pockets of my bag. Also, my clubs slid in and out of the bag easily. Sun Mountain is designing a Finn-specific golf bag which should be out this summer, but from what I saw, Finn will play nicely with any golf bag.
A couple final notes on Finn. The Finn Scooter has a weight limit of 250 pounds. One full charge should last for 18 holes at full speed, which is probably a conservative estimate. I played a relatively short 18 hole course, and my battery indicator was still on green at the end of the round.
Conclusion
Is the Finn Scooter going to single-handedly end slow play? No.
Is it going to kill the traditional golf cart? Unlikely.
Should you find a course that rents Finn Scooters and give one a try? Absolutely.
The Finn Scooter is a joy to ride, and a valuable weapon in the war on five hour rounds. It’s thoughtfully designed in terms of its ease of use and how it works with the golfer on the course. The only problem is that after you rent one, you’re going to want to own one.
Visit Finn Scooters HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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17 Comments
Looks cool but I often am happy to take a seat in the shade in a traditional golf course. I’m not going to be so happy in mid-July straddling my bike as I wait 15 minutes for the octagenarians to clear the green (that I got to much faster courtesy of this bike).
Matt,
Which course did you go to? I am in the NW Burbs of Chicago and would definitely give the Finn Scooter a try if it is local.
-James
Glenview Park Golf Club.
I often take my cart into some pretty uneven, overgrown terrain looking for my ball. Any experience with that during your round?
Brandon,
I looked for the hardest spots on the course to drive the Finn and had no issue anywhere. Admittedly the course I played was not exactly hazardous in its terrain, but I would take the Finn anywhere that I would drive a normal cart.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt. Glad you enjoyed our Finn scooter! We worked hard to get great handling geometry, light weight, and the soft start controller, which I am glad someone noticed! I ask riders after a test ride, what they thought of the bag position. Usually they say, I did not even notice it. As a designer, that is very gratifying to hear after going ahead with a pretty radical idea. Rick Reimers, CEO Sun mountain, and Finn
Hey Rick, I love the bag position of my FINN scooter!!! Everything stays so balanced and easy to ride. Now I just wish I could get rid of my oversized cart bag and get one of those awesome FINN bags like shown on the website. Michael Chase, extremely satisfied FINN owner!!
None of these single rider devices will ever work because the economics of putting 2 people in a golf cart are just so much better for golf course bottom lines. The segway failed, golf board is failing, this will ultimately fail too. Which is sad because many of these devices do wonders for speeding up play. How many of us were in single carts for covid? How much faster did it feel? But here we go, back to 2 in a cart and the same old same old. Golf just can’t ever seem to get change to stick
The question I have always had is what would a course do if you brought one to use on their course. I would buy one of these in a heartbeat if I knew it would be like me using my Remote controlled cart. Just need a trailer hitch to mount it on the back of my truck
Andy,
That’s an interesting question. I’d like to think it would be no different than bringing your own pushcart, but it’s not inconceivable that some courses would get their nose out of joint about it.
Best,
Matt
Saw one at the Scottish golf show around 2 years ago however still can’t find one in the UK. However if you need a test rider I would be happy to oblige :) Seriously question though, does it fold up in any way so it can fir in a car boot like a golf cart
Stephen,
To the best of my knowledge, it does not fold up at all.
Best,
Matt
The HAPPY GOLF SCOOld also be considered as it folds to fit in the trunk of a sedan
What about KopplaMoto Golf Motorcycle? anyone heard of them before?
I saw a koppla electric golf scooter introduction from golfstead, it looks similar to this one, but seems way more powerful, and longer range….. want to have a try.
I purchased a koppla golf bike, it’s under shipping, will let you know my thoughts when I receive.
And what did you think? I like the range and bigger motor and what not on the Koppla, but its twice as heavy as the Finn. Im looking to load it in my truck. I can handle 92lbs. Koppla might be to much. Any thoughts?