Enjoying the game of golf with a nice stroll through the wilderness of the Keweenaw with the wildlife is an aspect that sets the Lodge golf course apart from other area golf courses. The history of golf is built upon walking, and with the recent pandemic, walking has become more en vogue. A recent article in the New York Times supports this notion that more and more golfers are walking and getting more exercise: “Golf Carts Are Parked, Walking Is In and, Yes, It’s Exercise”. With outdoor activities one of the main focuses of the resort, the Lodge is going back to the roots of the game and promoting walking, using a fun, new technology — marrying history with the future to get to a vibrant and progressive present.
The Tempo Walk has an aluminum body and runs on a lithium-ion battery, big enough to carry a 36-hole charge. The product weighs 95 pounds, and it moves at 7 mph, easily faster than the average human walking. The golfer wears a transmitter on their waist belt in the back. The transmitter has one simple control, an on/off switch. To start the Tempo Walk simply walk in front of it and stand about four feet from the machine and turn the switch to “on”. 
Robo Caddie will start to follow you once you begin walking. It maintains an operating distance of 2 to 6 feet behind you. It has three sensors in the front of the machine similar to the back up sensors found in cars. These sensors let the Tempo Walk know if something is in front of it or if you have stopped walking. It will abruptly stop to avoid running into you or hitting an obstacle. Like a traditional golf cart you cannot take the Tempo Walks onto the greens or tee boxes, you easily just switch it to “off” when you approach the greens.
Club Car has been making golf carts since 1958 and by 2010 they had sold over 2,000,0000 carts. Coincidentally, Club Cars original golf carts had three wheels like the Tempo Walk. In 2019 Tempo Walks were introduced at the PGA Merchandise Show. “For fitness minded golfers and those who enjoy walking, Tempo Walk delivers a caddie-like experience different than traditional push carts, electric or otherwise,” states Mark Wagner, president of Club Car.
Another great feature of Robo Caddie is an on-board GPS system which allows you to see how far you are from the hole. This information is displayed on a tablet that is attached to the front of the Tempo Walk. On the tablet screen, yardage is provided to the front, center, and back of the green (labeled “F, C, B”), with the yardage accurate within 2 yards. There is also a USB outlet if you want to charge a phone while playing your round of golf at the Lodge. The Tempo Walk carries your bag, comes with a small cooler, and has holders for your water bottle and other accessories. With the introduction of he Tempo Walk at the Lodge, the Outdoor Services team is providing solutions that combine natural exercise (walking) with the use of technology to bring back the simplicity of the game in a new and exciting way.
Next time you are deciding to play a round of golf at the Lodge, ask one of the Outdoor Services team members about the Tempo Walk instead. You will see their eyes light up as they explain how to use the Tempo Walk and how it fits into our overall philosophies at the resort. And if you select to take the Tempo Walk for a stroll, let the robot do the work and enjoy the exercise. It never judges your shots and is as loyal as a golden retriever. “Robo Caddie” lets you enjoy the wilderness scenery that the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge’s golf course has been known for the last eighty seven years while experiencing the latest in golf technology.
Learn more about our Tempo Walks, and view the rates for renting them.
These Tempo Walk units were provided by Midwest Golf & Turf, which is the Club Car rep in Michigan.