Mark Stewart was still a teen-ager when – with encouragement from his father and grandfather – he started thinking about golf bag designs. His family, from Great Britain, was on vacation in St. Petersburg, FL, at the time.

“When we got home I was just curious,’’ said Stewart.  “We developed prototypes on and off for about three years.’’

During that time Stewart was earning a degree in engineering at Loughbrough University in the United Kingdom, and his curiosity expanded beyond golf bags.  He focused instead on developing what the British were calling  electric “golf trolleys.’’

There were some on the market, but not what Stewart had in mind.

“We wanted something remote-controlled, because there were some out there at the time, but they had trouble with balance and stability and the steering wasn’t very good,’’ said Stewart.

In 2003 Stewart Golf was launched and the following year its X1 Remote model was on the market. Courses across the pond were receptive to it.

“There was nothing controversial about it,’’ said Stewart.  “Ours just looked different.  Trolleys were a huge advantage for playing, but there was a huge stigma attached to it.  They were just for old guys who had a bad knee or some other disability. We were looking for amateur golfers walking the fairways, and if we could make it look different we had a chance.’’

The chance was worth taking, and paid off. Stewart Golf has sold its products in about 50 countries. The first sales in the United States were made in 2008, and they’ve since been made in every state except Hawaii and Alaska.

Initially golfers could strap their bags to Stewart Golf’s “trolley’’ and then enjoy their walks around the course without carrying their clubs. The bags could move with remote commands that a golfer would make with a hand-held device and could be attached to a belt or contained in a back pocket.

That was all well and good, but business really took off in 2015 when the “follow’’ system was launched.  That made it possible for the bag to follow the golfer, much like a human caddie would.

“It was a big change in our business, because it took us to another level,’’ said Stewart.  “It was not just eye-catching, but it was fun to watch something following someone down a fairway.’’

The present version, called the Q Follow, has a futuristic look as it follows a golfer automatically down the fairway and also has full remote-controlled functionality.  The golfer can putt out on a green, then remotely guide the trolley to the next tee without walking back to his bag.

While it takes a few holes for beginners to get the hang of using the device, it’s not a long-term problem.  We’ve tested Golf Bikes, and found them good for just more exercise, and Golf Boards, which are fun but intimidating at least at the beginning.  Neither problem existed when we received a tutorial from Stewart.

Stewart Golf made its first appearance at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida in 2015. That was a big financial gamble — “many tens of thousands of dollars,’’ Stewart said – but this one paid off, too. His company’s bags are now promoting “Dream Machines.’’

“Everybody told us that no one walks here in America,’’ Stewart said during a stop at The Glen Club in the Chicago area. “We come from a culture in the U.K. where 98 percent of golfers walk. I’d be surprised if it was more than 20 percent in the United States.’’

So would I, but things could be changing. Credit the pandemic for that.

“Our mission statement as a company is to show people a different way to play golf,’’ said Stewart. “The experience of walking a golf course is like nothing else – it’s outdoors, you get the exercise of walking and you can be talking to friends.’’

American golfers were reminded of that when pandemic restrictions were enforced.

“Our business in America is four times what it was in 2019,’’ said Stewart.  “That’s why it’s now our biggest market, followed by the U.K. and Canada.  People were forced to walk and our demand went up.’’

The big difference is that Stewart Golf’s products in the U.S. are called “Electric Caddies’’ instead of “trolleys.’’ They’re all made at a 10,000 square-foot factory in Gloucester, a two-hour drive from London. Stewart Golf also operates out of a warehouse in Clearwater, FL.

Stewart doesn’t see human caddies, with the Western Golf Association and its flourishing Evans Scholars program thriving, or power carts as rivals.

“Caddies are a different thing,’’ he said. “Caddies aren’t at many golf courses. There’s plenty of room for all of us to play.  There’s a time and a place for riding, like when it’s hot. People point to pace of play, but walking is no slower than riding.  Some people think they play better when they walk, but that’s just in their heads.’’

“Electric Caddies’’ have one big advantage that might not be obvious to many who have not tried them.  They’re not affected by “Cart Path Only’’ restrictions. That alone improves pace of play.

Stewart Golf products are most easily purchased on line, and they cost about $2,500 regardless of the model chosen, some of which offer customized colors to match your car, golf club bag or other things. Those models will also be continuously improving.

“After the pandemic it feels like we’re starting again, but with lots more knowledge and experience,’’ said Stewart.  “We have to keep making our products better.’’

Having worked in the golf media for over 50 years, I know most of the people who have written books on the sport.  I haven’t met Alan Shipnuck, author of the just-released “Phil,’’ which bills itself as “the rip-roaring and unofficial biography of golf’s most colorful superstar.’’  This book has gotten immediate buzz because of Phil Mickelson’s involvement in the controversial Saudi golf league.

Normally I’d be wary of an “unauthorized’’ biography, feeling it might well be a hatchet job of some sort.  This one wasn’t.  I don’t know that I’d call Mickelson golf’s “most colorful superstar.’’  I lean toward “most interesting’’ or “most complicated.’’ Mickelson certainly fits both of those descriptions.

That’s not really important, though. I found three subjects that Shipnuck addressed most interesting – the recount of Mickelson’s breakup with long-time caddie Jim “Bones’’ Mackay (Shipnuck said Mackay “actually fired Phil’’), the details of Mickelson’s gambling  issues  (Shipnuck says Mickelson’s losses totaled over $40 million from 2010-14) and, of course, his background on Mickelson’s connections with the Saudis’ golf venture.

That latter is an ongoing saga that factored in Mickelson not playing in either the Masters or the PGA Championship (in which he was the defending champion). Shipnuck  provides some perspective on the events that have been prominently reported over the last few months, even though the Saudi league has yet to stage its first tournament.

The Saudi saga requires more time to unfold, and a full explanation for Mickelson taking a break from tournament golf isn’t provided here.  There must be more to why he didn’t play in the first two major championships of 2022.  Frankly, his absence from the PGA Championship was disappointing to me and an unfortunate distraction to both the championship and the sport overall.

Those subjects are covered in the last 50 pages of the 239-page book. Shipnuck’s ability to shed light on these sensitive subjects is a credit to him.  So is his presentation of Mickelson’s great playing career, his exemplary family life and his charitable generosity.

Lots of prominent people in and out of golf have provided anecdotes to Mickelson’s character,  and Shipnuck has had plenty of personal experiences with the golfer – even if the book is “unauthorized.’’

Overall Mickelson comes across as a basically good guy who gets stuck in awkward or controversial situations at times – and those times were never more evident than they are right now. Shipnuk’s “Phil’’ keeps it all perspective.

At first I felt bad for Bob Harig, a friend of mine who authored the recently-released `Tiger & Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry.’ Bob and I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and, while I’m a little older, we became friends over the past few decades while covering the pro golf scene for our various media outlets.

Publishing deadlines can sometimes be tricky, and those affecting Bob meant that he couldn’t include the latest big events in the lives of the two great golfers – Tiger’s dramatic return to last April’s Masters, where he survived the 36-hole cut  after a long layoff while he recovered from an auto accident, and Phil’s controversial stance involving the imminent arrival of Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed golf tour.

Upon further reflection, though, I came to realize that lack of attention to those newsworthy matters doesn’t much matter.  There’ll be a lot more to cover in the careers of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and Harig had better start thinking about a sequel.

The bottom line is that `Tiger & Phil’ (St. Martin’s Press) stands by itself in being an important addition to golf history.

I’ll gently take issue with calling this one “golf’s most fascinating rivalry.’ Having written about the sport for well over 50 years, I still lean a bit more towards Nelson vs. Hogan and/or Nicklaus vs. Palmer. Those seemed more intense, personal matchups than Woods vs. Mickelson.

These are different times, though, and Harig has nicely blended the careers of Woods and Mickelson into a very comprehensive, even-handed report that begins when both were amateurs and captures the highs and lows in their days as professionals.

I was on site for a lot of those highs and lows, so that made the book all the more intriguing to me.  I loved the recounting of Mickelson’s frustrations in winning his first major championship after 46 misses, especially the story of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. Payne Stewart won that title, and Phil was the runner-up with the birth of his first-born child as a ffbackdrop. Then there was his collapse on the final hole of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, which handed the title to Geoff Ogilvy.

As for Tiger, his flops in competition were few and far between, making his run of victories seem all the more staggering. The 2008 U.S. Open win in a playoff with Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines was perhaps the most dramatic of them all, but his story isn’t done.  Right or wrong, Woods’ numerous battles after off-course issues make him front page news every time he decides to make a comeback.

Their personalities and backgrounds are different.  So are their playing records with the exception of Ryder Cup play.  Both were less than spectacular in those matches, a fact that has always puzzled me.

In short, while the exploits of both Woods and Mickelson have been covered extensively by media over the years, Harig’s version of combining their careers into one book was a great idea.  Still, there’ll be more to tell — and Harig may be one to do it the best.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book report, but Rick Reilly’s “So Help Me Golf’’ (Hachette Books) certainly merits one. It goes on sale May 10, but I was accorded a sneak preview.

A great writing talent, that Rick Reilly.  I’ve met some of those gifted types and read many more of them over the years.  I got to know Rick a bit when we both reported on the PGA Tour’s Memorial tournament in the 1990s, and we played some informal rounds of golf while the event was going on.

I’ve read a few of Rick’s nine previous books, my favorite being “Commander in Cheat,’’ an analysis of Donald Trump’s involvement in golf.  “So Help Me Golf’’ is much different than that one. It’s one of those rare books that you can read briefly, put it down for a day or so and then pick up reading without missing a beat.  It’s filled with short but very readable segments on such celebrities as Bryson DeChambeau, blind entertainer Tom Sullivan, basketball legend Michael Jordan and golf personalities  Jordan Spieth, Joel Dahmen, Sophie Popov, Erik Compton and Mike Keiser.

At least those were the segments that were most memorable to me. They were presented in an unusual setting, Reilly tying the book into his own family matters – most notably a difficult relationship with his father. The paperback version is 258 pages, all filled with interesting vignettes.  Some might already be familiar to you, others not.  All benefit from the Reilly touch.

IN CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER

Every year when April rolls around the world’s best golfers turn their attention to the Masters.  That’s true for their caddies, too.

Scott Gneiser, a Chicago area resident for 22 years, should know. He’s in his 33^rd year as a tour caddie and estimates that he’s worked 15 Masters.

“Everybody circles that on their calendar,’’ said Gneiser, who carried for 2001 PGA champion David Toms in most of his visits to Augusta.  He’s also been a Masters bag-toter for Andy North and Bill Haas and had stints on the bag for such prominent players as Jeff Sluman, Brent Geiberger and Anthony Kim.

Oh yes, he’s also caddied for his son Billy in the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open. The Masters, though, still triggers a ton of memories.

“I started as a caddie in 1989 for a friend of mine from Michigan,’’ said Gneiser.  “He didn’t make the tour the next year so I was going to go back to a resort (Sugar Loaf) where I had been working.’’

Then Andy North, a two-time U.S. Open champion, asked him to be his caddie for the 1990 season. Gneiser wasn’t so sure he wanted to do that until he saw North’s tournament schedule.  It included the Masters.

“So, l said `I’m in,’’’ said Gneiser. “It was so exciting. Andy was winding down his career at that time, but he was such a great story-teller. Andy was pretty special.’’

First of the Masters memories was the Par-3 Contest, which was a bit different than it is now. Family members of the players are used instead of tour caddies now.

“Andy asked that I not walk over before we were to tee off,’’ said Gneiser.  “He walked me behind Butler Cabin to those nine holes.  It was a slice of heaven back there. When it was time to tee off it was so loud.  Back then the tickets for practice rounds were unlimited, and they jammed people in there. They also had beer stands, which they’ve since taken away.  It was a huge party with wall-to-wall people. You could hardly move back there during the Par-3 Contest.’’

The Par-3 was even more special when he carried for Toms, who wound up winning it, albeit reluctantly.

“He gets to the last hole 4- or 5-under par and his name is at the top of the leaderboard,’’ said Gneiser.  “He asked me what he should do – hit it in the water? — because nobody has ever won the Par-3 Contest and gone on to win the tournament. David was playing pretty well at the time.’’

Gneiser convinced Toms to go for the win because he’d get his name on a board of champions and also pick up some crystal.

“David gets up there, quick-hits it and his ball rolls to four inches from the hole,’’ Gneiser recalled.  The victory was assured, but those good shots didn’t carry over to that Masters tournament. Toms, though, had some good moments at Augusta, tying for sixth in 1998 and tying for eighth in 2003.

“My biggest bummer was that I was never in contention down to the end,’’ said Gneiser.  “I had a bunch of top 10s but nothing like on Sundays with the big nerves going.’’

Haas did provide him a glimpse of what front-running was like at Augusta. Haas grabbed the first-round lead  In Gneiser’s second tournament carrying his bag but didn’t stay in contention.

Gneiser’s arrival at the Masters came a few years after Augusta National’s membership allowed tour caddies to work the tournament.  Only Augusta caddies were allowed before that.

“The old caddies weren’t happy that we were there, and you could feel for them,’’ said Gneiser.  “We were frowned upon for being there, but one guy stood up for us – Herman Mitchell, Lee Trevino’s caddie.’’

The caddie atmosphere eventually improved, and there was a big upgrade when the old caddie hut was replaced by a modern one that offered food all day.  Even some players and club members visited after that.

“I loved going to the Masters, but it was one of the toughest tournaments to work as far as clubbing your player goes,’’ said Gneiser.  “If you missed by even two inches on those greens it could mean a bogey.  It seemed like Augusta was a place you’d go to get fired.  That’s how intense it was out there.’’

There was also the need for extra planning at Augusta.  Usually the caddies rented houses and stayed together, but Gneiser shared a place with Toms on one occasion.

In the midst of those Masters experiences Gneiser met Jane Mikita, daughter of hockey great Stan Mikita.  They were married in 2001 and have three sons, all of them into golf.  Charlie plays at Carthage College in Wisconsin and Billy at DePaul.  Tommy is finishing up high school.  The family plays most of its golf at Cog Hill or Carriage Greens, which is near their Darien home.

Gneiser and Toms took a couple breaks — “He fired me once, and I fired him once’’ – but continued as a team for the last five years on PGA Tour Champions, the 50-and-over circuit. That’s meant a reduced workload, a good thing with Gneiser turning 57 this year.

“It’s a little easier there.  You get carts for pro-ams and the tournaments are usually only three rounds,’’ he said. “The Champions season is also only 22-23 weeks, and on the regular tour it was 30 weeks plus.’’

Still, Gneiser wouldn’t rule out a return to Augusta.

“I’d have to get in pretty good shape to walk around that place,’’ he said.  “But when you say Augusta and the Masters you get a different feel. The energy level is up.  It’s a very hilly golf course, and it’s always a long week so you have to pace yourself.  Still, I’d love to go back and do it again.  You never know.’’

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – The date was October 1, 1971. The world of travel changed a lot that day. It’s when Disney World opened its gates.

The popular tourist destination has welcomed visitors from all ages, backgrounds and countries for 50 years now – and that huge contingent also includes golfers.  Opening Day for the Magic Kingdom was the day that two of its golf courses – the Magnolia and Palm – also opened.

Joe Lee designed both of those courses, and they’re still going strong. So is Oak Trail, the nine-holer that uses the same pro shop as the two original layouts, and nearby Lake Buena Vista, the third 18-holer that opened 10 years after the Magnolia and Palm. Lake Buena Vista is also a Lee design.

The story of how these courses came into being, and the events held there, merits a recalling as the resort is in the midst of a year-long “World’s Most Magical Celebration’’ and the golf arm is proclaiming itself “the Happiest Place on Turf.’’

Alex Forsyth, the director of sales and marketing for Walt Disney World Golf, said the 50-year celebrations will carry all the way through 2022 and even into the start of 2023 but a big part of the golf festivities will come over the next few weeks when he says “a major announcement about future development’’ will be made.

Forsyth wouldn’t go into details about that but did admit that “there are no plans at present to get back on the PGA Tour.’’

Been there, done that.

The Disney courses hosted events on the PGA Tour for 42 consecutive years, from 1971 to 2012. Most were at the tail end of a year and drew the top players and big crowds. Then the FedEx Cup Playoffs were incorporated into the PGA Tour schedule, creating a big climax to each season, and the Disney tournament became an early event in the following year’s schedule.

“In the first events of a new season there were not big names,’’ said Forsyth, “and without big names there weren’t big crowds. We relinquished our spot on the PGA Tour calendar, and that’s worked out well for us.’’

The resort’s attention shifted from big money tournaments to recreational players, and that has proved a good thing for all concerned.  The glory days of tournament play, though, are fondly remembered.

Golf very much remains a part of the Disney experience, as does its golf history. Credit the late Arnold Palmer for much of that. Palmer’s role in the development of Disney World Golf started before the first tee shots were hit on the Magnolia and Palm courses and evolved into his firm, Arnold Palmer Golf Management, operating the Disney golf properties long after his death. The resort and APGM signed a 20-year agreement in 2011.

Palmer and Disney World arrived in the Orlando area at roughly the same time.  Palmer was making plans to purchase  the Bay Hill Club the same year that Disney World opened. Palmer, who didn’t complete the purchase until 1975, had big plans of his own for Bay Hill, but he was willing to meet with Sandy Quinn , the resort’s director of marketing prior to the grand opening.  Quinn was assigned the task of getting a PGA Tour event on the new courses, and Palmer was willing to help.

His interest in the resort didn’t start with golf, though.  It started with a ride on the Monorail, but he brought some friends together and the World Disney World Golf Classic was held for the first time in December of 1971. Jack Nicklaus won the tournament the first three years. The format was switched to a team event from 1974-81 and then reverted back to its original format until its farewell in 2012.

The tournament grew with the times, changing sponsors and titles along the way.  Nicklaus’ winning prize was $30,000 in 1971, and Charlie Beljan – the winner of the final tournament in 2012 — earned $846,000. Tiger Woods won titles in 1996 and 1999.  Other champions included Larry Nelson, Payne Stewart, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh  David Duval, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw and Luke Donald.

Magnolia, longest of the Disney courses at 7,516 yards from the tips with 97 bunkers and water on 11 of its 18 holes, was the layout most in the spotlight when the PGA Tour visited simply because the final round was always played there.  TV coverage was basically a weekend thing back then, so the cameras weren’t at Palm, which was also used for early rounds in all 42 stagings of the tournament, and Lake Buena Vista, which was used 17 times.

The tournament’s rich history is chronicled at the Champions Pavilion beside the first tee of the Magnolia. That course was also used for the Senior PGA Championship, and it had some well-known winners, too. Charlie Sifford, Pete Cooper, Julius Boros, Joe Jimenez and Jack Fleck won at Magnolia from 1975-79.

When the PGA Tour stop completed its 42-year run it was the longest-running tournament on the circuit’s calendar. Lake Buena Vista also has a notable historic reference; it was the site of the HealthSouth Classic from 1996-97 and that tournament was the first event on the Ladies PGA Tour to be broadcast live on The Golf Channel. Karrie Webb and Michelle McGann won those tournaments at Lake Buena Vista. Pat Bradley won her title at Eagle Pines, a Pete Dye design that closed in 2007.

Back to Palmer.  He competed many times in Disney’s PGA Tour stop but never won. Even with the PGA Tour event established at Disney World, he wanted an event at Bay Hill and convinced the circuit to move the Florida Citrus Classic from another Orlando course, Rio Pinar, to Bay Hill in 1979. Now called the Arnold Palmer Invitational, It’s had been held 44 consecutive years there.

Palmer’s design company also renovated Disney’s Palm Course, a six-month project in 2013 climaxed by the course winning Renovation of the Year honors that year.

Disney World’s fourth course, and only nine-holer, has an interesting history as well.  It started as a six-hole course in 1982, called Wee Links. The course was built in conjunction with the PGA Tour as a base for affordable junior golf. The course had artificial tees and greens, a unique concept at that time.

Wee Links consisted of the present holes 1-4 and 8-9.  It expanded to nine holes when Florida-based designer Ron Garl built three holes, all much stronger than the other six, in 1991.

ORLANDO, FL. – The PGA Tour’s annual Florida Swing reached the midway point on Sunday with the circuit rarely seeing tounaments unfold the way they did last two weeks.

Daniel Berger appeared a wire-to-wire winner at last week’s Honda Classic until a surprise storm hampered play in the last three holes. Berger blew a five-stroke lead and Straka became the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour.

Sunday’s second stop in the Sunshine State, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, was much more unusual than that.   University of Florida product Billy Horschel and Talor Gooch started the final round at Bay Hill tied for the lead at 7-under-par. Still, Scottie Scheffler’s 5-under 283 was good enough to win.

In summary, the scoring wasn’t good and the players were largely critical of the course setup, but the crowds were bigger than ever — though somewhat unruly in the final hours of play.

It makes you wonder what the second half of the Florida Swing will offer the next two weeks.  The Players Championship tees off on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra with some notable players missing and the Valspar Championship follows the next week on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbour.

One thing is certain: the Valspar — thanks to its connection to a paint manufacturer — will remain the most colorful tournament on the PGA Tour. That probably won’t brighten how the players felt about Bay Hill in the aftermath of the API.

“The course was set up harder today (Sunday) that it was yesterday.  That surprised me a little,’’ said Scheffler, who called the course “a total break-down.’’

And he was the guy who won.

“It was so challenging, a real grind. I like to challenge hard golf courses,’’  said Scheffler.

Apparently so does his 86-year old grandmother.  She walked all 18 holes with Scheffler on Sunday. The victory boosted Scheffler to No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings and he now tops the FedEx Cup standings as well. The API was his second win of the year.  He also won the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The key to the Bay Hill win was two great scrambling pars at Nos. 15 and 16.

“It was not a comfortable position, having to hit to 50 feet and try to two-putt,’’ said Scheffler. “I trusted myself and played conservative the last two holes, and pars were good enough.’’

Even with beautiful weather all week Bay Hill proved a monster with thicker-than-usual rough and slicker-than-usual greens for the API field.  The lead got away from Horschel and Gooch in a hurry. Horschel shot 40 on the front nine and Gooch was worse, making  two double bogeys and four bogeys en route to a 43.

Even after his early blowup Horschel still had a chance to win.  Had he made birdie on his final hole he would have forced a playoff with Scheffler. Others had a chance, too. England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who won the tournament in 2020 despite a 73-74 weekend finish, was on the brink of bouncing back from a third-round 78 this time.  He was the clubhouse leader much of the day after posting a 68 on Sunday.

Hatton wound up in a tie for second with Horschel and Norway’s Viktor Hovland. They were one stroke behind Scheffler, whose par 72 on Sunday wasn’t exactly spectacular.

Most disappointed of all the near-missers was former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland. He took sole possession of the lead after rolling in a 40-foot eagle putt at No. 16.  Then he left a shot in a bunker, leading to a double bogey at the par-3 seventeenth and made bogey at No. 18 when he needed a birdie to get into a playoff.

As if the drama wasn’t enough, there was a strange situation off the course.  Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion who has been battling injuries, made a late entry to the field and then promptly withdrew the same day.  Jason Day, another former API champion, was also a late withdrawal after his mother passed away following a long battle with cancer.

This week’s Players Championship will have some highly noticeable absentees as well.  Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, both exempt into the field, won’t play. It’ll be the first time since 1994 that both will miss the same tournament. DeChambeau decided to take another week off and Rickie Fowler, the popular past champion, didn’t qualify.  He’ll miss The Players for the first time since 2009.