Electric caddies — the motorized trolleys that haul a player’s bag around the course while the golfer walks — are about to make history in the American college game. Motocaddy, the world’s leading electric caddy brand, has agreed to supply its trolleys for the 2027 Molly Collegiate Invitational, hosted by San Diego State University. The deal makes it the first-ever regular-season NCAA event to allow electric caddies in competition.
To be clear, these are not ride-on golf carts, and they are not human caddies. An electric caddy is a remote- or follow-controlled trolley that carries the bag so the athlete can walk 18 or 36 holes without shouldering 30-plus pounds of clubs. It is a small change on paper, but a potentially significant one for a sport that has long required its college players to carry their own bags.
What Happened
Motocaddy announced it will provide electric caddies for the 2027 Molly Collegiate Invitational, to be held February 15–16 at The Heights Golf Club in San Diego. Use of the trolleys was approved by the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee, and Motocaddy says the arrangement marks “a new era in collegiate golf.”
The tournament, founded in 2021, will feature 12 teams in 2027: host San Diego State along with Texas State, Gonzaga, Washington State, California Baptist, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Northern Colorado, Montana State, Cal State Fullerton, Sacramento State and Fresno State. San Diego State — a Division I program that competes in the Pac-12 and has made 13 NCAA regional appearances — helped bring the trolleys to the field through its existing relationship with the brand.
“Providing industry-leading product for the Molly Collegiate Invitational is a natural progression in Motocaddy’s support of collegiate golf,” said Andy Warren, VP of Sales for Motocaddy. He pointed to the “key benefits of using an electric caddy, which include injury prevention, feeling less fatigued and improving mental focus — all leading to greater performance.”
The move follows Motocaddy’s presence at the post-season Golfweek National Golf Invitational (NGI) in May at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona. The company continues to seek more NCAA tournaments to partner with in 2027.
Why It Matters
College golf is a walking game played at brutal volume — often 36 holes in a single day during tournament rounds, frequently in extreme heat. Carrying a heavy stand bag across that distance is a well-known source of back, shoulder and wrist strain, the same overuse issues that plague amateurs. (Our injury-prevention guide for golfers breaks down where those breakdowns come from and how to avoid them.)
The data from the NGI suggests players want the help. At that event, 70% of female student-athletes and 40% of their male counterparts chose to use a Motocaddy electric caddy. Among users, 87% said the trolley reduced physical fatigue and improved energy conservation, and Motocaddy reports scores improved compared with players who carried their bags. Perhaps most telling for the sport’s future: 84.6% of players and coaches surveyed said they support or strongly support the NCAA exploring broader approval of electric caddies in competition.
That groundswell matters because the Molly Collegiate deal is not happening in isolation. Motocaddy says further use of electric caddies in NCAA regular-season events has been discussed by multiple committees on both the women’s and men’s sides. A single sanctioned tournament can become the template that nudges a governing body toward a rule change — and this is the first domino.
What This Means For You
If elite college athletes are reaching for electric trolleys to conserve energy and protect their bodies, the everyday golfer has even more reason to. The back nine is where tired legs turn into loose swings and dropped shots; anything that keeps you fresher late in the round can be worth strokes. That is also the strongest argument for walking in the first place — recent research suggests golfers who walk build more strength and balance and may add years to their lives compared with those who ride.
You do not need a Tour-grade budget to get the benefit. A standard push cart already removes most of the load from your shoulders, and our roundup of the best golf push carts covers options at every price point before you step up to a motorized model. If you would rather build the physical resilience to carry, a structured golf fitness and workout plan targets the exact muscles that give out over 18 holes.
And no, an electric caddy will not read your putts or club you on a par 3 — for that you still need the real thing. If you have ever wondered what a looper actually earns, we dug into how much caddies make across the professional and club game.
Key Takeaways
- Motocaddy will supply electric caddies at the 2027 Molly Collegiate Invitational (Feb 15–16, The Heights Golf Club, San Diego) — the first regular-season NCAA event to allow them.
- The use was approved by the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee; broader adoption is being discussed by multiple NCAA committees.
- At the post-season NGI, 70% of women and 40% of men opted for electric caddies, 87% reported less fatigue, and 84.6% backed wider NCAA approval.
- Electric caddies carry the bag while you walk — they are not ride-on carts or human caddies.
- For recreational players, walking with a cart preserves the health upside of walking while sparing your back and shoulders.
Source: Motocaddy announcement, reported via Plugged In Golf (September 23, 2026).
