Short answer: yes, the MGI Ai Navigator Halo will follow you around the golf course. It tracks along behind you while you walk, and you do not need to touch the handle or the remote.
The part that catches people out is that following is not built into the trundler on its own. It needs the MGI Halo Eye sensor, which is a separate purchase. If follow mode is the reason you are looking at the Halo, you need both.
I have had a few rounds on one now, so rather than repeat the brochure, here is how it actually goes out on the course.
What the Halo Eye is and how it fits
The Halo Eye is the sensor that lets the trundler see you and track your movement. It screws into the trundler itself and plugs into a port so the two can talk to each other, and it sits out in front of your bag with a clear line of sight to you. That positioning matters, because the whole thing depends on it being able to see where you are.
Without it you still have a very good remote controlled trundler with a full colour GPS screen on the handle, which plenty of golfers are perfectly happy with. With it, you get the hands free following that everyone is talking about.
It is worth being clear on that split before you buy, because the two products sit at quite different price points and it is an easy thing to assume is included.
What following is actually like
From tee to green it works really well. You walk, it follows, and after the first hole or two you more or less forget it is back there. That is the bit that sells it. Your hands are free, your shoulders are relaxed, and you are just walking and playing golf.
Around the greens it gets more hesitant, and this is where it helps to understand what the trundler is actually doing. The course mapping means it knows where features like greens and bunkers are, and it will not drive through them. So as you walk towards a green in follow mode, the trundler slows right down rather than following you straight onto it.
That is the trundler doing its job properly, not a fault. It is protecting the course, which is exactly what you want. But if you keep walking and expect it to keep following, you end up working against it.
One practical tip: do not run. If you move too quickly it loses contact with you. Walking pace is fine, but if you are hustling to catch up with the group ahead you will find it has stopped behind you.
Keep the remote handy
For the first few rounds I kept a close eye on the trundler and had the remote at the ready the whole time. Not because I expected it to do anything silly, but because I wanted to be certain I was not going to let it get itself into trouble somewhere on the course.
The red button in the middle of the remote is effectively your panic button. If you are ever unsure, press it and the trundler stops immediately. Knowing that is there takes a lot of the nervousness out of the first round or two.
The other habit I have got into is pressing the lock button before the remote goes in my pocket. It is a small thing, but it means you are not going to lean over a putt, bump the remote through your trousers, and look up to find the trundler heading somewhere you did not want it to go.
I would suggest anyone new to it does both. Let it follow, but stay aware of where it is and be ready to take over.
How I play it now
The way I have settled on is to use both modes, and I think it gives you the best of both worlds.
Follow mode down the fairway, where it is genuinely effortless and you can just walk and think about your next shot. Then as soon as I have hit the green, I take my putter off the trundler straight away and switch to the remote. From there I send it on a shortcut across towards the next tee, well clear of the green complex, so by the time I have holed out it is sitting there waiting for me.
That way I am not fighting the no-go zones at all. I am just working around them.
As you get to know a course and where it picks up hazards, you could probably learn to walk lines that let it keep following you for longer. I have not bothered, because taking the putter and steering it across to the next tee is simpler and it works every time.
The first round is the hardest
This is the honest bit that I think matters most. Your first round with it will feel a bit fiddly. You are learning where to walk, how far ahead to get, when to let it follow and when to just grab the remote.
From there it gets incrementally easier every time you take it out. You are learning two things at once: how the machine behaves, and where on your course you can and cannot send it. Once both of those click, it stops feeling like a gadget and starts feeling like the way you play.
That does assume you are playing the same course fairly regularly. If you are on a different course every week you will not build up that local knowledge in the same way, and you will probably lean on the remote a bit more. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing before you buy.
Who it suits
The Halo with the Halo Eye is a good fit if you walk regularly, play the same course or two most of the time, and like the idea of walking completely unencumbered. Golfers who play a lot of hilly golf get a lot out of it too.
It is probably not the right call if you only play occasionally, if you are mostly on courses you do not know, or if the budget is better spent elsewhere in your bag. In that case the rest of the MGI range has some excellent options, and I have gone through the differences in which MGI golf trundler you should buy.
Come and see one
Following is one of those things that makes far more sense in person than it does in a description. If you are in the Bay of Plenty, come into the shop at Mount Maunganui and we can show you how it works and talk through whether the Halo Eye is worth it for the way you play.
FAQs
Does the MGI Halo follow you?
Yes, but only with the MGI Halo Eye sensor fitted. The Halo Eye is sold separately from the trundler itself.
How does the Halo Eye attach to the trundler?
It screws into the trundler and plugs into a port so the two connect. It sits out in front of your golf bag so it has a clear view of you while you walk.
Does the MGI Halo avoid greens and bunkers?
Yes. Course features like greens and bunkers are part of the mapping, and the trundler will slow down rather than follow you into them. Most golfers switch to the remote at that point and steer it around the green complex to the next tee.
How do you stop the trundler quickly?
The red button in the middle of the remote stops it immediately. It is worth keeping the remote within reach for that reason, particularly in your first few rounds.
Can the remote start the trundler by accident?
Press the lock button before you put the remote in your pocket and it will not respond to a knock or a bump while you are playing a shot.
Can you run with the MGI Halo following you?
No. If you move faster than a walking pace the sensor loses contact with you and the trundler will stop.
Is the follow function hard to get used to?
The first round is the hardest, then it gets easier each time out. Most golfers find it comfortable within a few rounds, particularly on a course they play regularly.
Can I add the Halo Eye later?
Yes. You can buy the Halo trundler first and add the Halo Eye afterwards if you decide you want the follow function.
Happy golfing,
Scott
