What a push cart is
A push cart is a lightweight three- or four-wheeled trolley that a golfer's bagstraps onto, so they push it around the course instead of carrying the bag on their back. It folds up to fit in a car boot and unfolds in seconds. It is not a motorized ride-on cart - the golfer still walks the whole round, they just aren't hauling twenty-plus pounds of clubs while they do it.
Why walkers love them
Carrying a golf bag for four or five miles is genuinely tiring, and it's the fatigue that creeps into the back nine and costs a walker shots. A push cart removes that load entirely. Most also carry a drink, a scorecard, a phone and a rangefinder within easy reach, which turns the walk into something closer to strolling with a well-organized trolley. For a golfer who walks regularly, it's one of the highest-impact pieces of kit they can own.
The catch: only for walkers
A push cart is useless to a golfer who rides in a motorized cart, which is common at a lot of American courses. That's the whole risk with this gift. Before you buy, confirm they walk - the easy tell is their current bag: fold-out legs mean a stand bag for carrying and walking, while a flat-based cart bag suggests they ride. If they ride, put the money into something that mounts to the cart instead, like a speaker or a cooler.
Why it's a great gift - if it fits
Push carts sit in that sweet spot of gifts that a golfer wants but hesitates to buy themselves, because a decent one isn't cheap and the old bag-on-the-back habit is hard to break. Giving one removes that hesitation. It needs no size and no knowledge of their swing, which makes it low-risk on everything except the walk-or-ride question. It's a natural group gift too, since several people can chip in on one bigger present.
One more check: do they already own one?
Like a rangefinder or a bag, a push cart lasts for years, so a keen walker may already have one folded in the garage. A quick look - or a casual question - saves an awkward duplicate at this price. If they walk and don't own one, it's among the best gifts on the site; the golf gifts under $300 page is where it sits, and the golf gifts for seniors page is worth a look, since a cart is especially welcome for older walkers.