Pick the Right Golf Bag for Your Game
Buying a new golf bag seems like it should be an easy task, but it requires some planning. There are numerous things to consider: Do you need a cart bag? A carry bag with retractable legs? How much extra storage space do you want? Will you carry it during rounds, ride in a cart, or a little of both?
Golf bags can fall into four main groups:
Super Lightweight Golf Bags (up to 3 lbs.) are ideally suited for walkers but have the least storage space.
Lightweight Golf Bags (3 to 6 lbs.) offer a bit more room and are an excellent choice for walkers as well.
Hybrid Golf Bags are a terrific option for players who prefer a full-size stand bag with added storage capacity.
Cart Bags are meant for golfers who always ride in motorized carts or use push carts (whether electric or manual).
The first three categories consist of stand bags with retractable legs and dual-strap designs and are for players who like to walk and carry their bag during play. Cart Bags are for players who typically prefer to ride in carts or use push carts, however stand bags can be used on carts, too.
In addition to storage space and weight, the difference between bag types is visible in the design of the bag’s top. Some bags have 14 individual club dividers, one for each club in your set. Others have fewer dividers, most commonly four (referred to as a 4-way top) to six. In most of these bags these bags, soft-sided full-length dividers inside the bag prevent grips and shafts from tangling.
When to Replace Your Golf Bag
One truly underrated new purchase at the beginning of a golf season is an updated bag.
Carry bags with a stand normally last three years before getting glitchy—being heaved into trunks, buffering clanky clubs, and getting jammed into the ground before every shot can take a toll. Cart bags can last a little longer, since they’re strapped into place during rounds, but all types of bags eventually fade and weather under harsh sunlight. Shoulder strap padding hardens, pocket zippers break and snag, and legs stop springing out and snapping in. Golf bags generally become unfixable, and the technology in the newer models gets so much better every year that it’s hard to justify hanging on to an older version for more than half a decade.
The latest models commonly offer lightweight-yet-durable fabrics; pockets specifically designed for electronics, valuables and drinks; convertible straps; and magnetic closures. So if you’re playing with an older bag, replace it with one that holds everything you need and is light enough to schlep from your car to the first tee. And if you’re heading on a golf trip, make sure to get a durable, wheeled travel cover that you can easily transport.
