Easy riding on a Finn Scooter at Tetherow

Golf's version of a motorcycle will crank up the fun for your next round.
Finn Scooter - golfer
A golfer riding a Finn Scooter hits a shot at Tetherow Golf Club.

BEND, Ore. - After flushing a 7 iron 163 yards onto the seventh green at Tetherow Golf Club, I'm taking a victory lap.

I jump on the Finn Scooter I've rented at the famous David McLay Kidd course and hit the throttle, racing down the cart path dreaming of birdie. What a rush - so much more satisfying than another cart ride.

Players at Tetherow have embraced the Finn Scooter - golf's version of a motorcycle - more than any other course in the world. Wherever you look, there's one buzzing down the fairway or parked next to the green. I mistakenly played Tetherow in 2021 in a cart. Never again. The Finn Scooter is the only way to go.

By the end of our round, my buddy and I couldn't stop daydreaming of riding a Finn Scooter up and down the hilly back nine of our home course, Santa Teresa Golf Club in San Jose, Calif. Of all the alternative golf vehicles I've ridden, the Finn Scooter is no doubt my favorite. If you find a course that offers them, don't miss out. According to the Finn Scooter website, it is available at 186 courses nationwide.

Riding a Finn Scooter

Like most golfers, I'm always a little hesitant to change up my routine on the course. I love walking first, if at all possible. Unfortunately, carts are a necessary evil at most courses. I've ridden a GolfBoard, where you stand up and "surf" the turf, and an Ellwee, a golf-style ATV, but neither inspired me like the Finn Scooter. I've yet to try the PHAT Scooter, another competitor.

I was a little nervous about my ride, having to sign a waiver at Tetherow. Then I asked if we needed some training. "It's like riding a bike," one of the pro shop staffers said.

Indeed. It was a breeze. Tetherow's cart paths are a maze of hairpin turns and downhill runs through the desert scrub. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle. I imagine riding down the fairway full-throttle mirrors the experience of a motorcycle speeding down the highway. It's a feeling of freedom and fresh air.

Parking was the only minor challenge. If you don't find a flat spot for the kick stand, the Finn Scooter can slide. Otherwise, getting off is as simple as kicking out the stand in preparation for the next shot. Your golf clubs and the pockets of your golf bag are easily accessible, strapped to the body of the bike.

The only thing missing was a scorecard holder and/or a compartment to store your rangefinder. Although there's one cupholder for a drink, a second one might have served that purpose.

All in all, renting a Finn Scooter is well worth the $30 upcharge. It most definitely cranks up the fun.

Playing golf at Tetherow

Riding a Finn Scooter pairs well with the ethos of Tetherow and Bend itself. This is a cool town where the outdoors are king, as is a little adventure, whether that's mountain biking, whitewater rafting or hiking. Tetherow takes the definition of golf to the extreme.

Kidd, who owns a home in the neighborhood, created a stunningly gorgeous course that plays as difficult as it is beautiful. Normally, I hate hard courses, but Tetherow beats you up in the most entertaining way.

Members call the random mounding in the middle of the fairway "Don King" for the wispy, hairy tops of fescue covering each one. They act like minefields. They surprise golfers and blow up their scorecards. A drive down the middle can end up in a cruel lie.

The greens and their surrounds are perhaps the most extreme collection in America. They will likely repel your best shots in the most annoying way. Every once in a while, though, they will funnel your ball tantalizingly close to a magical moment.

My playing partners saw the best and worst of this phenomenon. My buddy failed to putt up a steep ridge from a collection area that rocketed his ball off the dangerous elevated green at no. 16 not once but twice. The third time, a big rip with the flat stick propelled the ball up the green-side slope, over the ridge, up a backstop behind the hole and eventually into the cup for an improbable three putt. Another playing partner putted into a bunker. It's not worth getting mad or embarrassed when this stuff happens.

Everybody who plays the course has been "Tetherowed," too.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,200 courses and written about golf destinations in 28 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and X/Twitter at @WorldGolfer.

Comments (0)

You're the first one here!
Share your thoughts or ask a question to get the conversation going.
Now Reading
Easy riding on a Finn Scooter at Tetherow
  • Home

  • Memberships

  • Library

  • Account