The allure of the game of golf has always eluded me. Most 18-hole golf courses are spread out over between 100 and 200 acres of perfectly good land now ruined for any other use. I understand the fresh air and sunshine aspect of the sport, but there are so many better ways to get that feeling. Like riding a 4-horsepower turquoise art-deco scooter built in 1958. Instead of hauling some sticks around and getting mad about it, you could just throw the sticks into the ocean and ride around on this fetching two-wheeled conveyance.
This little scooter has so many interesting technological advancements for the late 1950s, including an electric start, an automatic clutch, glassfiber-reinforced plastic bodywork (like a Corvette!), pedal foot brakes, and automatically-deploying kickstands. Some of these advancements wouldn’t come to the world of street motorcycles and scooters for years, if not decades.
Unsurprisingly, these were quite expensive and extravagant, even for a booming middle class still high on the effects of post-war economic expansion. The idea of a personal golf scooter was common, but having one this level of upscale was beyond the idea of the average golfer. Few sold, and fewer still are in around in this kind of exquisite condition. You could get one a bit cheaper with a pull-start motor, and you could option your Bobcat 69 “compact” with outrigger training wheels, but none ever really captured the fancy of the American golfing public.
Here are some notes from the seller on what it’s like to ride the Bobcat:
The riding experience is interesting and not very difficult, once you ride it for a few minutes. Press the starter button on the side of the scooter and it comes to life (no kick or pull starting). After a short warm up, you sit down on the scooter to retract the “landing gear” type center stand, which retracts when the rider sits on the scooter. Balance the bike while lifting one leg off of the ground, and squeeze the throttle handle, which is on the right handlebar. Please your feet on the aluminum foot pedals, and drive away. In order to stop, tilt the foot pedals forward to increase the braking pressure.
When the rider comes to a stop, if they wish to park the scooter at the tee box or on the green, all that needs to be done is stand up from the seat, allowing the retractable-extendable landing gear to extend down to the ground.
Just looking at that handlebar arrangement and forward control foot rest has me a little bit sketched out, but I bet once you get the hang of it, it’s a blast. With a very contemporary late 1950s look to it, a set of tiny wheelbarrow tires, bright colors, and a compact design, this seems like it could the Honda Grom of its day if it had been marketed correctly.
Obviously this thing doesn’t have a title because it was never intended to be street-ridden, but I’d honestly love to give it a shot. With 4-horsepower from a four-stroke engine, it’s got plenty of go for lower-speed surface streets. Hell, with the way this thing looks, it might be fun to swap an electric motor into it and tear up the streets. Of course, you may want to fit it with turn signals, a headlight, and taillight before you do such a thing.
If you’re interested in a golf bag toting scooter of your own, you can check out the eBay listing to see more photos, a longer description, and bid for yourself. At the current $2,500 bid, this would be a bargain. Of course, the reserve is not yet met.