Keith Hills Country Club at Campbell University now offers a unique way to play its course: by bike. The Golf Bike arrived at the course’s pro shop May 23, 2017.
Invented by Todd May, president of Higher Ground Golf Co. and Higher Ground Cycling Co. in Tallahassee, Florida, The Golf Bike blends his interests of cycling and golfing into one.
The bike sits on wide tires that are easy on the golf course’s turf and stable on cart paths. Affixed to the back of the bike are two golf bags designed to lay flat against the frame to hold a full set of clubs along with other golf equipment needed during play.
He says this combination brings the fun, fitness and speed of cycling to the greatest game he’s ever played.
Introduced to the public at the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) trade show, it debuted in the annual event’s Inventor’s Spotlight. Today, The Golf Bike is offered at golf courses throughout the United States, and internationally in Canada, Germany, Panama, South Africa and Argentina.
Matt Roberts, the program assistant for Campbell’s PGA Golf Management program, was at the pro shop when The Golf Bike rolled in.
Despite poor weather, he took it for a spin around Keith Hills’ cart path. Although he was soaking wet from the rain on his return, he mentioned not being able to wait for the next sunny afternoon to take it out for a round of golf.
“I will always choose to use this bike when I play from now on,” he said. “It’s so much fun.”
Roberts noted that the bike would likely decrease the time it takes to walk and play nine holes by half an hour.
May donated two of the bright green bikes to Campbell’s golf course because of his family connection to the university. His brother is D. Byron May, chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice within the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.